earnestly desired the Majesty of his Creator that he would once more open the Chateracts of Heaven and quickly powre down new deluges of water upon the earth to wash those wicked men from off the earth without harming such as love peace who forgetting that they are obliged to multiply mankind have taken upon them the cruel trade of annihilating it by fire and sword XLVII ADVERTISEMENT The Roman Monarchy desire to be resolved by Cornelius Tacitus in a Politick Doubt and receive full satisfaction therein by Melibeus the Mantuan Shepherd who was casually there THe Illustrious Roman Monarchy which before it was trampled upon by the barbarous Northern Nations lived here in Parnassus in that height of glory which no other human worth could ever arive at under pretence of going a hunting went in disguise the other day to find out Coâ—…nelius Tacitus who for his recreation was retired to his Countrey-house and told him that she was come to him only to be resolved in a Doubt which had a long time troubled her mind the which she had conferred about with many other great Polititians and had not received such satisfaction from them as she hoped to do from him who was the greatest Statist and Arch-Flamming of all Modern Policy And that the business which so much troubled them was That the Kingdom of France Spain Egypt Soria the Commonwealth of Carthage and the rest of the Immence States which she possest in Asia Africa and Europe were of themselves formidable to every one before they were joyned to her but that being all of them united in her person instead of strengthening her they had made her weaker then she was before a thing which they did the more wonder at for that it was evidently know that many threads made a strong Rope and many little twigs a strong rafter and yet an infinite number of Principalities being joyned together had not formed that eternal and great Monarchy which men did expect Tacitus answered to this that the question was of weight and therefore deserved to be maturely consulted that he would return the next day to Parnassus where when he should have cast his eye over his Annals and Histories he believed he should thereout draw such an answer as would give her Majestie full satisfaction The Roman Monarchy was very well pleased with this Answer and just as she was going to take her leave and be gon Melibeus that famous Shepherd who had brought a dish of Curds and Cream and two new Cheeses that very morning as a present to Tacitus and had heard the question asked by that great Monarchy desired her that she would be pleased to stay for that he would instantly give full satisfaction to her in that which she desired to know Tacitus and the Roman Monarchy smiled upon Melibeus and bad him hold his peace and go look to his sheep for that was his profession Melibeus then boldly answered That no sort of men whatsoever knew better how to discourse of and resolve State-affairs then Shepherds That Princes should be happy if they used the same charity in governing their Subjects as shepherds do in feeding their flocks and the people most happy if they would imitate sheep in their obedience to their Princes Tacitus and the Roman Monarchy marvailed much at this bold and resolute answer of this Shepherd wherefore they bad him freely make his conceit known With which permission Melibeus thus began Most powerfull Queen as it is well known to my Virgil am a shepherd of Mantua and I should much injure this my gray head and beard which you see if I were not absolute Master of my profession I say then that in so many years that I have had the charge of sheep I have clearly learnt that a shepherds power and greatness consists not as many that are covetous and ambitious believe in having many millions of sheep but only in having so many as a good shepherd may keep with his eye govern with his rod and rule with his whistle And the reason is apparent for shepherds are beggers when they have too few sheep for great poverty forceth him to milk them too dry and to shear them too close Shepherds are alwaies wealthy and happy in a mean wherein all perfection consists whereas in Immensity they run certain danger for that it is very hard to govern such a number of sheep as is disproportionable to the forces of any one man Whence it is that silly sheep when in too numerous flocks first grow lean and then of necessity die through the meer carelesness of him that looks unto them This disorder is occasioned for that flocks of too disproportionate a greatness instead of good institutions are full of fowl confusions and the Proverb frequently made use of and diligently observed by us shepherds is true That a few sheep will not supply the necessities of a Shepherds Cottage many will and infinity beget confusion and are rather prejuditial than of use Princes and Commonwealths were happy if they had the property of Cammels to stoop down humbly to the ground to take up the load of Government and if they could put a period to their pride and ambition by rising up on their legs and not suffering any more load to be laid upon them when they know they have sufficient for their strength to bear but men do all their life-time long to grasp a great stack of Hay to the end that they may at one burthen carry it all home to their own Barns which falling afterwards by the way they find that after so much industry and pains they have laboured in vain Hence it is that for 1600 and odd years that I have been a Shepherd in Arcadia I never had in my Penfolds above 500 Sheep which affording me the certain gain of 500 crowns a year I have still been held to be very fortunate by all the Shepherds of Arcadia I therefore think that shepherd unhappy who being blinded by avarice thinks to grow rich in one day by having many flocks of sheep which not being able all of them to be looked unto by the Masters eye which is that which fattens the sheep and which is the flocks chiefest felicity he commits them to the custody of careless boys and oft-times rents them out to cruel Shepherds who out of greediness to reap a little Interest more then the sheep can yield do lose the Principal Neither have there wanted amongst us shepherds those Alexanders the great who to asswage their thirst of Government have not been ashamed to ask of God that he would create new Worlds For in our Arcadia was one Menalcas one that did alwaies envy me and was my mortal enemy who thinking he should be able to crush me if he could get more sheep then I had was not content with 500 sheep which he had but that he might make himself absolute Monarch of all the Shepherds of Arcadia took up money at use sold the greatest part of
very first day that he sees an illaffected eye water to his clouts and cauters and is forced to leave his patient vvith a bleer eye vvhen if the eye vvere quite blind it vvere too late to seek for remedy so reformers should oppose abuses vvith severe remedies the very first hour that they commence For when vice and corruption hath got deep rooting it is wiselier done to tolerate the evil then to go about to remedy it out of time with danger to occasion worse inconveniences it being more dangerous to cut of an old Wen then it is misbecoming to let it stand Moreover we are here to call to mind the disorders of private men and to use modesty in so doing but to be silent in what concerns Princes and to bury their disorders which a wise man must either touch very tenderly or else say nothing of them for they having no Superiors in this world it belongs onely to God to reform them he having given them the prerogative to command us the glory to obey And certainly not without much reason for subjects ought to correct their Rulers defects onely by their own good and godly living For the hearts of Princes being in the hands of God when people deserve ill from his divine Majestie he raiseth up Pharoahs against them and on the contrary makes Princes tender hearted when people by their fidelity and obedience deserves Gods assistance What Solon had said was much commended by all the hearers and then Cato began thus Your opinions most wise Grecians are much to be admired and by them you have infinitely verified the Tenet which all the Litterati have of you for the vices corruptions and those ulcerated wounds which the present age doth suffer under could not be better nor more lively discovered and pointed out Nor are your opinions which are full of infinite wisdom and humane knowledge gain-said here for that they were not excellently good but for that the malady is so habituated in the veins and is even so grounded in the bones as that humane complexion is become so weak as vital virtue gives place to the mightiness of vice whereby we are made to know clearly that the patient we have in hand is one sick of a consumption who spits putrifaction and whose hair fals from his head The Physician hath a very hard part to play Gentlemen when the Patients maladies are many and the one so far differing from the other as cooling medicines and such as are good for a hot liver are nought for the stomach and weaken it too much And truly this is just our case for the maladies which molest our present age and wherewithal all other times have been affected do for number equal the stars of heaven or the sea-sands and are more various and further differing one from another then are the flowers of the field I therefore think this cure desperate and that the patient is totally incapable of humane help And my opinion is That we must have recourse to prayers and to other Divine helps which in like cases are usually implored from God And this is the true North-Star which in the greatest difficulties leads men into the haven of perfection for Pauci prudentia honesta ab deterioribus utilia ab noxiis discernunt plures aliorum eventis docentur Tacit. lib. 4. Annal. And if we will approve as we ought to do of this consideration we shall find that when the world was formerly fallen into the like difficulties it was no thought of man but Gods care that did help it who by sending universal deluges of water razed mankind full of abominable and incorrigible vice from off the world And Gentlemen when a man sees the walls of his house all gaping and runious and the foundations so weakened as in all appearance it is ready to fall certainly it is more wisely done to pull down the house and build it anew then to spend his money and waste his time in piecing and in patching it Therefore since mans life is so foully depraved with vice as it is past all humane power to restore it to its former health I do with all my heart beseech the Divine Majestie and counsel you to do the like that he will again open the Cataracts of heaven and send new deluges of water upon the earth and so by pouring forth his wrath upon mankind mend the incurable wounds thereof by the salve of death but withal that a new Ark may be made wherein all boys of not above twelve years of age may be saved and that all the female sex of what soever age be so wholly consumed as nothing but the unhappy memory thereof may remain And I beseech the same Divine Majestie that as he hath granted the singular benefit to Bees Fishes Beetles and other annimals to procreate without the feminine sex that he will think men worthy the like favour For Gentlemen I have learnt for certain that as long as there shall be any women in the world men will be wicked It is not to be believed how much Cato's discourse displeased the whole Assembly who did all of them so abhor the harsh conceit of a deluge as casting themselves upon the ground with their hands held up to heaven they humbly beseeched Almighty God that he would preserve the excellent femal sex that he would keep mankind from any more Deluges and that he should send them upon the earth onely to extirpate those discomposed and wilde wits those untnuable and blood thirsty souls those Hetorotrical and phantastick brains who being of a depraved judgement and out of an overweening opinion which they have of themselves are in truth nothing but mad men whose ambition was boundless and pride without end and that when mankind should through their misdemerits become unvvorthy of any mercy from his divine Majestie he would be pleased to punish them with the scourges of Plague Svvord and Famine and that he vvould make use of his severest and of all others most cruel rod as it is recorded by Seneca of inriching mean men but that he should keep from being so cruel and causing such horrid calamity as to deliver mankind unto the good vvill and pleasuree of those insolent vvicked Rulers vvho being composed of nothing else but blind zeal and diabolical folly vvould pull the vvorld in pieces if they could compass and put in practice the beastial and odde Caprichios vvhich they hourly hatch in their heads Cato's opinion had this unlucky end when Seneca thus began Rough dealings is not so greatly requisite in point of Reformation as it seems by many of your discourses Gentlemen to be especially when disorders are grown to so great a height The chief thing to be considered is to deal gently with them They must be toucht with a light hand like wounds which are subject to convulsions It redounds much to the Physians shame when the Patient dying with the potion in his body every one knows the medicine hath
and with tears trickling down his cheeks he desired to know when the disasters of the House of Austria long since begun by a cruel Conspiracy of all Germany against it would come to an end and for what demerit such bitter punishments were inflicted upon his Family To this demand Apollo answered after this manner Great Emperor the persecutions and all the troubles of your Family will then cease when it shall wholly give over those ambitious thoughts of desiring to dominier over Hungary and Transilvania which thoughts have put Germany into such jealousies that to secure her antient Liberty from the power of your House she studies nothing else but how to keep it down For the Germans fearing much greater mischiefs from your acquisitions then from the Turks victories are absolutely resolved rather to lose Vienna then to take in Buda And then will the potent Conspiracy begun against you be dissolved and all Germany heartily affect your Arch-Dukes when laying aside their present ambition they shall make it appear to all men that they desire to be the other German Princes equals not their Superiors The Doggs in the Indies are grown Wolves VPon the twelfth of this moneth about mid-night came to Apollo a Post sent from Lisbon in all hast and told him that he had brought news of very great concernment from the West Indies Very early next morning all the Literati ran to the Palace-Royal to know what was the news And the Spaniards were the first who with much carefulness demanded if there were discovered in the Indies some second Monte diâ—…otossi or some new Rio della Plata whither they would fain go and there sow the Holy Word of God The French were very inquisitive to know whether there were any new World found that by making the Spaniards so very potent might perfect the ruine of the old But it was taken for a very bad signe to see Apollo after he had read the Letters grow exceeding sad and that muffled up in a thick cloud he fell a weeping bitterly For which novelty every one conceived that the Post had brought very unhappy news Whilst then the place was full of Literati and every sort of Vertuosi which much afflicted were there waiting to know the cause of his Majesties so evident sadness after many claps of Thunder and infinite store of Lightning they heard a dreadful voice which spake thus Fast be mortified cloath your selves in sack-cloth sprinkle your selves with ashes eat your bread mingled with tears O ye that inhabit the earth and with prayers appease the wrath of God with a contrite heart and a pure spirit beseech him that of his infinite mercy he would vouchsafe to free that part of mankind as dwels in the old world from those portentous novelties which for certain have hapned in the new At such terrible news the Vertuosi for very grief fell a swouning and believing that the West Indies had either been consumed by fire or drowned by water were much afraid of the same disasters For which all the people of Pernassus being in a terrible fright with abundance of tears sighs and howlings whose like was never heard cried out Mercy mercy and humbly intreated his Majesty that he would reveal to his devoted Subiects what those mischiefs were from which they were to beseech Almighty God that they might be freed Then from the same Royal Seat was heard a second voice giving them all to understand that the Dogs which the Spaniards had transported into the Indies to preserve the Flocks from Wolves were grown Wolves themselves and that so ravenous ones as in devouring sheep they surpassed in greediness and cruelty the very Tigres After so unhappy tidings there was heard a publick lamentation of all the Literati every one bitterly complaining that the Dogs which had charge of the Sheep should become such greedy Wolves that they devoured the Flocks â—…o what Guardians shall the Shepheard here-after trust their Flocks the Guardianship of Dogs which have been so faithful to their Shepheards being no longer secure And why came there into the world the species of Sheep the most unfortunate of all animals since they must be a prey both to Wolves their enemies and to Dogs their friends Whilst all the Nations in Pernassus for the great affright they were in look'd as if they would sink into the ground only the Flemings and the rest of the Low-countrey-men were observed to go up and down Pernassus undaunted encouraging every one to cheer up and not to be out of heart saying there was no calamity threatned to any man which may not be happily avoided by stout resolutions proceeding from spirits unmoved Whereupon the Flemmings cry'd aloud to every one that likewise in their Countrey the dogs whom the Spanish Shepheards had set to keep the Flemmish Flock were grown to be such ravenous wolves that with savage cruelty they devoured the sheep and had consumed all the Flemmish flock if by the resentment of that couragious resolution which is known to all the world they had not taken a course â—…or it That therefore if those mischiefs which are reported to have â—…en out in the new world should happen in the old every one ought to know that the true way for chastiâ—…g of those dogs which have a scurvy quality of worrying sheep was to give them some Low-countrey Nux vomica and make them burst as they deserved The Spanish Monarchy visits the Queen of Italy and there passe between them Complements full of kindenesse SO great was the affright which the most illustrious Queen of Italy was in when she perceived that the most puissant Kings of France at that time become Lords of the Kingdom of Naples pretended to the Soveraignty over the Dutchy of Millan And though they made a shew of continuing in their antient amity yet did they very cruelly lay snares both against her life and reputation and all this with such bitterness of minds enraged that what with the machinations of money what with the crafty wiles of the pen they held up even in peace a cruel war for many years Now whilst the heart-burnings and jealousies betwixt these two Queens were at the fiercest and their minds were observed to be poysed with the most deadly feud the Monarchy of Spain beyond all expectation went with a Train worthy her greatness to give the Queen of Italy a visit who entertained her with such demonstrations of honour and of intimate affection that all the Literati who in the face both of the one and the other Princess took more notice of the motions and dispositions of the mind then of their fine verbal Complements knew for certain that there was grown between them a perfect and real reconciliation Nay never since the memory of man did there happen in Pernassus any peace or concord which did more astonish the Vertuosi there and make them more curious to know the true cause of so strange a thing And because the Philosophers
this means he easily obtained their good wils that a Militia of forrein Souldiers should be admitted into the Metropolitan City to keep them from being over-powered by the Nobility which Militia he honested by the name of Souldiers of Peace And they with approbation of the Nobility were permitted to be armed under pretence that by them he would curb the people who were already grown too insolent The Souldiers were three thousand in number and an intiment confident of Tacitus was by him given them for their chief Commander And to the end that they might be faithfull to him and ready to serve him upon all occasions he obliged them not only by othes gifts and all demonstrations of liberality but made them as partial to him as they were hatefull to the Nobility and common people by permitting them to commit all sorts of cruelty and plunder against the Nobility and Commons of Lesbos Tacitus being thus fortified in his power and greatness did in a few daies fill the Senat and City Lesbos as also the whole State with Promooters and Spies which he incensed against the chiefest of the Nobility of Lesbos who under pretence of divers faults were bereft of their Estates and imployments wherewith he exalted and agrandized their accusers Wherefore the chief men of the Senat some through avarice some through ambition and very many to save their own lives became wicked Ministers of their Princes cruelty and ambition by accusing and falsly calumniating the greatest Subjects of the State Moreover such Senators as he knew he could not oppress by false accusations he imployed them abroad in forrein Negotiations which were expensive and could cause no jealousies then by little and little he disarmed under colour of various pretence the ancient Officers who had the charge of the Militia and put their arms into the hands of such as were affectionate to him and whilst by this deep and wicked cunning he abased the powerful he exalted new men chosen out of the meanest sort of the people and who did wholly depend upon him to be Senators and other supream Magistrates Then under colour of securing the State from being invaded by forrein Princes he began to begirt it round with strong Citadels which he put into the custody of forreiners who were his friends And because he could not endure that the people and Nobility should be armed and knew that to disarm them would be a dangerous business he made use of a safe way to disarm his Subjects by long peace by idleness or wantonness and by using severe justice upon such as did any waies dispute these their necessary recentments And totally to irradicate all vertue from out his Subjects souls he caused costly Theaters to be built in the chiefest Cities wherein pastimes Comedies Huntings and other delightfull spectacles were perpetually represented by the over-much use whereof the people and the Nobility gave over their ancient care of publick affairs and the thought of Military exercises And as one who knew very well that to come by his desired end of erecting a Tyrannical Government over a people who were born free-men and had long lived in liberty it was requisite to glut them with perpetual plenty and abundance Tacitus gave himself wholly to provide that great store of all good things should alwaies be found in his State Thus farr Tacitus his affairs past on successfully but when he would go about the last precept of Tyranny by laying snares for the lives of some great Senators which he was jealous of he contracted so cruel and so universal a hatred against him as lest he might be opprest by a great conspiracy which he found was plotted against him he fled disguised six daies since from Lesbos and returned to lead a privat life in Parnassus His Nephew Pliny who as all the Vertuosi know was always the best friend that ever Tacitus had was the first that came to visit him he with a Roman freedom greatly reprehended his friend that having prescribed such approved Rules of well governing States to others he himself should prove so unfortunate in his Principality of Lesbos The same Pliny relates that Cornelius Tacitus gave him these very words for answer Heaven my Pliny is not so far distant from earth nor doth snow so far differ in colour from cole as the exercise of Empire is far from and unlike unto the Theory of Politick Precepts and the best Rules of Reason of State For that sentence which in Galba's person I teach Piso and which hath won me so much credit amongst men as it hath been thought to be the answer of an Oracle and which the ignorant think may easily be put in practice hath in the use thereof proved very unfortunate to me The reason is because the Metamorphosis is too great when from being a privat man one becomes a Prince And know Pliny that privat men hate and detest many things as great defects and apparent vices in Princes which are vertuous and excellent perfections I tell thee this for that when I was first chosen Prince of Lesbos I was resolved to steer the Navigation of my Principality by the assured North star of the aforesaid sentence and therefore I diligently informed my self of all my Predicessors actions firmly resolving to imitate him in those which were praised and to shun those which were blamed in him I knew that he had greatly offended the Senat by assuming too much Authority by which he had taken unto himself the affairs of all the Magistrates in so much as little more then the bare name of Magistracy remained unto them I found he was much hated for the little esteem he made of the Nobility and for that he would have all the affairs of the Senat depend upon him And I knew also that in his austeere manner of life by which it appeared he desired to govern the State of Lesbos rather by absolute Dominion and as an hereditary Prince then as an elective Lord by limited Authority he had distasted all men Whilst I was a privat man I thought this way of Government to be bruitish and altogether Tyrannical and therefore I resolved to shun it But know that the very first houre took upon me my Principality I found those my first wholsom resolutions to be so grub'd up and eradicated by the cursed power of Rule as to say it properly unto you Vi Dominationis convulsus mutatus Tacit. lib. 4. Annall I began to think those my Predicessors actions which whilst I was a privat man I esteemed so foolish insolent and Tyrannical to be excellently good and not things done out of phancy or by chance but good precepts politick resolutions and necessary State-Reason So as not able any waies to resist the violent ambition of Government I thought I should be baser then a Pack-bearer if I did not arrogate unto my self the whole power of command in Lesbos where the Prince lives with much limited Authority which my inordinate desire
labours redounds much to our shame since the malady which we ought to cure lies not hidden in the veins but is so manifestly known to all men that it self crys aloud for help And yet by all the reasons I have heard alledged methinks you go about to mend the arm when it is the breast that is fistula'd But Gentlemen since it is Apollo's pleasure that we should do so since our reputation stands upon it and our charity to our so afflicted age requires it at our hands let us I beseech you take from off our faces the mask of respect which hath been hitherto worn by us all and let us speak freely The great disorder hath always reigned amongst men which doth domineer so much at the present and which God grant it may not still reign that whilst powerful men by their detestible vices and by their universal reformation have disordered the world men go about to re-order it by amending the faults of private men But the falshood avarice pride and hypocrisie of private men though I must confess them to be hainous evils are not the vices which have so much depraved this our age for fitting punishments being by the law provided for every fault and foul action mankind is so obedient to the laws and so apprehensive of justice as a few ministers thereof make millions of men tremble and keeps them in and men live in such quiet peace as the rich cannot without much danger to themselves oppress the poor and every one may walk safely both by day and night with gold in their hand not onely in the streets but even in the high-ways but the worlds most dangerous infirmities are then discovered when publique peace is disturbed and of this we must all of us confess that the ambition avarice and diabolical engagement which the swords of some powerful Princes hath usurped over the States of those who are less powerful is the true cause and that which is so great a scandal to the present times T is this Gentlemen which hath filled the world with hatred and suspicion and hath defiled it with so much blood as men who were by God created with humane hearts and civil inclinations are become ravenous wilde beasts tearing one another in pieces with all sort of inhumanity For the ambition of these men hath changed publike peace into most cruel war vertue into vice the charity and love which we ought to bear to our neighbours into such intestine hatred as whereas all Lyons appear Lyons to a Lyon the Scotch man appears unto the English the Italian to the German the French to the Spaniard the German Spaniard French and men of all other Nations to the Italian not to be men not brethren as they are but creatures of another species So as justice being oppressed by the unexplicable ambition of potent men mankind which was born brought up and did live long under the Government of wholesome Laws waxing now cruel to themselves lives with the instinct of beasts ready to oppress the weaker Theft which is the chief of all faults is so persecuted by the Laws as the stealing of an egg is a capital fault and yet powerful men are so blinded with the ambition of reigning as to rob another man perfidiously of his whole state is not thought to be an execrable mischief as indeed it is but an noble occupation and onely fit for Kings and Tacitus the master of Policy that he may win the good will of Princes is not ashamed to say In summa Fortuna id aequius quod vallidus sua retinere privatae domus de Alienis certare Regiam laudem esse li. 15. An. If it be true which is confest to be so by all Politicians that people are the Princes Apes how can those who obey live vertuously quiet when their Commanders do so abound in vice To bereave a powerful Prince of a Kingdom is a weighty business which is not to be done by one man alone To effect so foul an intent observe what the thirst of Dominion can do in an ambitious mind they muster together a multitude of men who that they may not fear the shame of stealing their neighbours goods of murthering men and of firing Cities change the name of base Thief into that of a gallant Souldier and valliant commander and that which aggravates this evil is that even good Princes are forced to run upon the same rocks to defend their own estates from the ravinousness of these Harpyes For these to secure their own Estates to regain what they have lost and to revenge themselves of those that have injured them possess themselves of their states and being allured by gain they betake themselves to the same shameful Trade which they did so much abhor before Which hath caused the art of bereaving other men of their Territories become an highly esteemed science and is the reason why humane wit which was made to admire and contemplate the miracles of heaven and wonders of the earth is wholly turned to invent stratagems to plot treasons and hands which were made to cultevate the earth which feeds us into knowing how to handle Arms that we may kill one another This is that which hath brought our age to its last gasp and the true way to remedy it is for Princes who use such dealings to amend themselves and to be content with their own present Fortunes for certainly it appears very strange to me that there should be any King who cannot satisfie his ambition with the absolute command over twenty millions of men Princes as you all know were ordained by God on earth for the good of mankind I therefore say it will not do well onely to bridle the ambition which Princes have of possessing themselves of other mens estates but I think it necessary that the peculiar engagement which some men pretend their swords have over all estates be cut up by the root and I advise above all things that the greatness of Principalities be limitted it being impossible that too great Kingdoms should be governed with that exact care and justice which is requisite to the peoples good and to which Princes are obliged For there never was a Monarchy excessively over great vvhich vvas not in a short time lost by the carelessness and negligence of those that were the Governors thereof Here Periandro ended whom Solon thus opposed The true cause of the present evils which you with much freedom have been pleased to speak of vvas not omitted by us out of ignorance as you peradventure may believe but out of prudence The disorders spoken of by you that the weak were oppressed by those of greater power began vvhen the World vvas first peopled And you know that the most skilful Physician cannot restore sight to one that was born blind I mention this because it is much the same thing to cure an eye that is infirm as to reform antiquated errors For as the skilful Physician betakes himself the
Majesties pardon Lipsius whilst in this very desperate condition did so increase in constancy and boldness as he bad Apollo use his pleasure he could not make him die ignorant who was possest with gratitude the Queen of all Human Vertues that therefore the flames which should consume his body would give a greater splendor of glory then of fire and that he protested at that very last minute of his life he was so far from acknowledging the fault which was laid to his charge of having loved and honored his Tacitus too much that in commemoration of the infinite obligations which he ought him it grieved him more then death to think he should die ungrateful and that the present agony which they might all perceive him to be in arose not from the terror of death but from his immense sorrow to have heard his Tacitus termed by his Majesty a wicked Atheist an injury which if it had been done to that most wise Writer by any other then his Majesty he would not though in that his last moment of life have left it unrevenged at least by words and that with the liberty which most properly belonged to him who desired not to live he witnessed to all the world that Tacitus did so far know God as being he alone who of all the Writers of the Gentiles had by his great wisdom arived at the knowledg How much the faith of things unseen avails in matters of Religion or which cannot be proved by reason he had said Sanctiusque ac reverentius visum de actis Deorum credere quam scire Tacit. de Morb. Germ. Most holy words and worthy to be considered by those Divines who in their Writings were at a loss through too sophistical subtilties Apollo being full of wonder and infinitely astonished at the things he had heard caused Lipsius immediately to be set at liberty and straitly imbracing him said O my dear Vertuoso with how much consolation to my self and how much to your advantage have I tried your patience and constancy and by the injurious speeches which I have uttered against Tacitus which are the very same which they accuse him with who neither study him nor understand him have I made proof of your devotion towards that excellent Historian who even deserves my wonder And by what I have heard you say I find that you have been delighted in reading him and long studied him to your profit For I know that the defence which so much to your glory you have made is your own but taken out of my and your dearly beloved Tacitus Apollo then turned towards the Vertuosi who out of a curiosity to hear that Judgement were flockt in great numbers to the Hall and said O my beloved Litterati admire and ever imitate the honored constancy of this my glorious Vertuoso and let the infinite love and everlasting veneration of that Prince be ingraven in your hearts who keeps up your reputation and forget not that his power precipitates more easily who loseth his Princes good will then houses doe whose foundations fail Therefore you who follow the Court learn to know that Nihil rerum mortalium tam instabile ac fluxum est quam fama potentiae non sua vi nixae Tacit. lib. 13. Annal. A most certain rule which teacheth every one to imitate Lipsius in loving honoring and in ever faithfully serving their Prince For as it is great impiety in holy things to have any other God save him who created man the heavens and earth so ought you never to have any devotion for any Prince not expect or desire any good from any other Lord save from him who out of confidence in your loyalty and out of the extraordinary affection which he bears you owns you to all the world not for his servants but for his dear friends and by the Supreme Authority which he suffers you to exercise in his State makes you appear unto his Vassals no less Princes then himself And because the wisdom of Princes out of their jealousies of those that rule is usually accompanied with suspition and Court-favorits being alwaies envied alwaies narrowly observed by their rivals and alwaies persecuted by such as malign them That you may overcome so many difficulties and still preserve your selves in the favors which you have won love your Princes with all your heart observe them with all your soul and serve them with all possible loyalty And like my Lipsius chuse rather to die then to think much less to do any thing which may indanger the least loss of their favours And believe for certain that then your ruine begins when you suffer your selves to be perswaded that you may better your condition by using simulation and falshood with your Princes who both know see and understand more then is possible to be exprest For those who think to live securely by dissembling with Princes who though they should know nothing themselves have so many who can put them in mind and who want not a thousand Malignant spirits to wake them when they are asleep are like those fools who think to confine Gypsies and hope to cheat Mountebanks The LXXXVII ADVERTISEMENT The Queen of Italy being much intreated by her chiefest Princes and by Apoll's self to pardon the injuries done by those Italian Commanders who took up arms against her in assistance of Forrein Nations denies to do it DOubtlesly the Palace wherein the Queen of Italy keeps her residence is even by the testimony of Vitruvio's self acknowledged to be the most magnificent and richliest adorn'd Palace in all Parnassus Here amongst other stupendious and delightful things is the fore Court to a large Amphitheatre at the upper end whereof stands the Statue of the Queen of Italy on horseback all of pure gold dedicated to the great Bellizarius a Grecian and that of Narses a Grecian also which was erected at the lower end of the Court for his perpetual glory by the same Queen but is now thrown to the ground and is broken all in pieces for that notorious injury which she received from him so that whereas it was formerly the envie of great men and served to put men in mind of so great a Commanders merit it now serves to shew his shame who out of the rage of privat disdain did profane so great a merit and observed that glory which deserved envie On the right hand of the fore-front of this so miraculous Court are the faces of those famous Italian Commanders drawn by Apelles and other prime Painters who having by their arms and by their expence of bloud delivered Italy from the slavery of Barbarians are by their grateful Country kept in ever honored memory And on the left hand of the same Court to the perpetual shame of ungratefull persons those Italian Captains are hung upon Gallowses by the heels who forgetting the obligation due to a mans Country which equals that of children to their parents took up arms in assistance of babarous Nations