legatio which Tacitus saith that Tiberius vsed towardes the miserable Agrippa for to ridde him farre off from the Court. It seemeth also that there may be set in the number of Agents and Ambassadors the Consuls which ouersee the affaires of Merchants Townes and Corporations in Argier Tunis Tripoli and other places of Barbarie and Turkie Forasmuch as the Prince alloweth of their nomination authoriseth and recommendeth them by his letters for that for want of Ambassadors they giue aduises and sometimes supplie their charges as some haue done with very good successe as hath beene seene in our time in some places The Venetians haue their consulls in Cario at Aleppo Rosetta Alexandria and other townes and hauens of importance Which is a great commoditie vnto them for besides the intelligence which they haue from time to time of the prices of all sortes of merchandize they receiue also by the same meanes newes from all parts of the world Wherein they exceede all other Estates and Common-wealths His Behauiour TO come then vnto our Ambassador and principally to that whom we haue called Ordinary and Ligier albeit that the principall most generall and ordinary subiect of his Ambassage be for entertainment of alliances and amitie with the Prince or the Estate to whom he is sent yet there are many other occasions of his sending which is needelesle here to articulate the same being infinite according to the diuersitie of treaties and affaires which are betweene Princes and Commonwealths In some countries they speake onely of money and leuying of forces in others of sea matters trafficke and commerce in others of breaches of treaties of inrodes and riottes on frontiers Furthermore in some Estates there are Monarkes others are gouerned by Lords the last by the people so that according to the qualitie of these gouernementes and nature of the affaires it is requisite to make choise of Ambassadors that may be fitting to the place and Prince to whom they are appointed And not onely because of this diuersitie of Estates and negotiations but also by reason of the difference of humours conditions and religion of Princes and people towards whom they are employed it being very certaine that one that is a Protestant should not be so fit to be about the Pope nor the King of Spaine but contrariewise one of that profession if the Kings seruice so require should be more acceptable in England Scotland Denmarke and with the protestant Princes of Germanie whereof the Queene of England willed me to carry word to the King during the siege of Paris by occasion of a Gentleman of qualitie which had bin sent to the protestant Princes of Germany and was not welcome vnto them Likewise must they shunne the like ieast that was made of a Bishop sent to the Grand Signior and of a Gentleman held for a great good Christian who was appointed Ambassador to the Pope for it was said that the one would conuert the Turke and the other should be conuertedby the Pope In some Estates they consider much the qualitie of the Ambassador and make the lesse account of him if he be not a gentleman of nobilitie or at least wel qualified liberall and honorable Some other Princes and Estates had rather haue one that profesleth the Lawes as at Venice none hath of long time bin there so acceptable as Monsieur de Maisse Hurault one of the chiefe Counsellors of this Estate I doubt not but that the Pope would be content to haue rather a Biship or some other Church-man neere him Neuerthelesse I vnderstand that the Spaniardes haue perceiued that it was more necessarie for the seruice of their Maister that the Ambassador were of some other qualitie bicause Ecclesiasticall persons make a very strict oath vnto the Pope and the Church which derogateth from the naturall fidelitie which all subiects owe vnto their Soueraigne Howsoeuer it be the Romans sent none for Ambassadors that had not passed through the greatest parte of the degrees of honour and magistracie and sometimes they were the Consulls themselues not so much for the honour of the Prince to whome they were sent as for the greatnes and maiestie of the commonwealth Philip de Comines complaineth that his Maister King Lewes the eleuenth employed therein ordinarily his Barber Other Princes make no difficultie to send the Groomes of the Chambers Cloake-bearers and others of baser sort vnto the greatest Princes of Christendome And God knoweth how they handle many times the affaires of their Maisters He therefore that appoynteth an Ambassador ought to looke well heerevnto and especially to the sexe to the age and to the disposition of him to whome hee is sent For hee that would giue commission to an olde and melancholie man to treate of a marriage with a yoong Princesse and make loue vnto her in the behalfe of his Maister a thing which most commonly amongst the Great is done by an Atturney it is very certain that naturally she would not so willingly see or heare him as one that were more youthfull and gallant I haue sometime seene the experience thereof This choyce being of greater importance than one woulde belecue and wherein notwithstanding there is oftnest failing A neighbour Prince sent a while sithence a man of an ill grace to a great Lady of France for this purpose who eflected nothing of consequence therein Such a one must bee a man acceptable for the better managing the disposition of him with whom he hath to deale But much more in extraordinarie Ambassadors and those which go not but for one affaire as if it be a matter concerning warre it is fitter to commit it to a Marshall of France or some other Generall of the field and practized in points of armes To Generall Counsailes it were ridiculous to send others than Ecclesiasticall persons diuines and men seene in the Lawes And where question should be of the right of succession of marches reprisalls of other difficulties of right there are men meet for the same and which would better serue their Maister therin then eyther a Churchman or a martiall man But if it be for the renuing of an aliance conducting of som princesse or any other solemn action consisting most in ceremony and magnificence it is meetest to commit the charge and honor thereof to a Prince or Lord of quailitie and meanes Moreouer there are many other things to be considered in the person of an Ambassador of which I will note some not to make a perfect Idea of an Ambassador as Tasso Magio Gentilis and some others haue labored to do For as once one said of Platoes Common-wealth that the Idea thereof was in heauen so the perfect image of an Ambassador such as they haue figured vnto vs was neuer amongst men for they would haue him to be a Divine Astrologer Logician an excellent Orator as learned as Aristotle and as wise as Salomon But for me I require no more of him than hee may attaine vnto by vse and
many times his Maisters messengers to giue attendaunce fifteene or twentie dayes for his pleasure He shall therefore so accommodate himselfe vnto the manners of the country where he is that hee neither force his naturall disposition neither be perceiued to doe it purposedly for the one is ridiculous and the other suspected and odious An other effect of his temperance shal be not to receiue any gifts and presents neither of the Prince to whome hee is sent nor of any of his for any cause whatsoeuer vnlesse at such time as hauing taken his leaue he is ready to take horse and departe The Ambassadour of England sir Amias Pawlet would not receiue the chaine of golde which the king sent vnto him according to the custome vntill he was halfe a league out of Paris Giftes doe oblige and those that receiue them become slaues to those that giue them much more if they take a pension or other benefite in which case there wil be either a staine of auarice or suspition of treason and that is capitall in many places But there is nothing more hurtfull to his reputation then vndiscreete speaking for there are some seene who at the table and at euery word meddle not onely with particular persons but with the Princes also to whom they are sent finde fault with the forme of a popular gouernment laugh openly at the manners of the nation where they are This indiscretion cannot be endured from a priuate man but it is altogether intolerable from the mouth of an Ambassador who in doing therof doeth not any longer remember wherefore he is in that charge since that the principall and most apparant end thereof is to confirme as I haue said and to entertaine the amitie of the Prince or people to whom he is sent and I should neede a resme of paper to reckon vp the inconueniences that haue befalne throgh such indiscretion the danger that those haue incurred which could not commaund their tongues I will onely say with an ancient Writer He that knoweth how to speake well knoweth also when hee must hold his peace Whereas besides the tediousnesse of much speaking the same hindereth him from hearing of others and gathering by that meanes the truth of such matters as hoe ought to know in his charge The Lord Cecill high Treasurer of England had this dexteritie that he left not one at his table whom he did not reason with and heare speake at their turnes And concerning those which speake not the language the same may and ought to be doone by an interpreter who is present for that effect especially in popular Estates where the least will be respected as well as the greatest Neither can I forbeare to speake of those who spare not euen their maister and their owne nation these defaults wherof they discouer by their talke and by the same meanes confirme that opinion which strangers haue thereof Our country is our mother we ought not to reueale the shame thereof and we ought to be as iealous thereof as of our owne honour for it is ill befitting to a seruant to touch the honour of his maister to publish the secrets of his Court to controle his pleasures and blame his actions especially hee must take heede that he speake not in publike what hee iudgeth touching the right of his pretences towards any Estate for either hee must maintaine them to be iust or must altogether hold his peace and discreetly turne his talke to other matter These are Arcana imperij whereof Tacitus speaketh Courage also and resolution are very necessary for him by reason of the hazards intricate affaires oppositions and vexations which are euermore ordinary with those that serue Princes and Commonwealths And euen so the Romanes wel considering the perill which accompanieth Ambassages honoured the memory of those that died in that charge with a statue for which cause an Ambassador of Athens answered so freely King Philip of Macedon who threatned him that he would cause his head to be cut off If thou takest this head from me my Country will giue mee another that shall be immortall Statuam pro capite pro morte immortalitatem Neuerthelesse euery one would not like of such a change and some would rather keepe their owne and if the Ambassadors escaped the danger and had well serued the Commonwealth there were recompenses answerable to the desertes appointed vnto them The English Ambassador Sir Edward Stafford on the day or the next day after the Barricadoes of Paris when a Lorde of the faction of the Duke of Guise that dead is woulde haue him take a pas-port or safe-gard from the said duke made him answer I am vnder the safegard of the law of nations and in the protection of the King to whom you are but subiects and seruantes This proceeded from a generous resolution euen in the furies of a popular commotion when the most mutinous could do all and good men feared all The Lord of Mortfontaine that dead is going Ambassadour into Swisserland about fiue yeeres past and being to passe through the County of Burgundie which at that time was full of Spanish and Italian Souldiers going into Flaunders spake very freely vnto those of the parliament of Dole which would haue put him in feare to the end that hee might not arriue in due time at the assembly of Baden wherein they had some practise against the Kings seruice That he was vnder the assurance of the Law of nations and of the Newtrality and in the protection of the Lords of the Cantons and that they should readily determine to make his passage safe and this furthered him albeit that which he aledged of the Law of nations was very disputable as I told him as soone as wee were out of danger I will speake a worde agayne theereof in his due place Furthermore these are too common and childish precepts to admonish him to be patient and staied if he see any to breake out through impatience as they doe most commonly who thinke they haue right and reason on their sides Especially the Swissers and Germans who are cholerike The sence being distempered choketh reason and choller is an enimy to counsaile breeding hatred and contempt and is ill-befitting to euery man much more to a man that manageth the chiefe affaires of an Estate which many times hee hurteth through his hastinesse coller and impatience The Frenchman who hath his bloud hote and his spirit more stirring hath consequently certaine quicke dispositions which other Nations doe not allow of at least they woulde bee more tolerable in martiall men yea in any other man than in an Ambassador and Counsellor of Estate I wish neuerthelesse that he would moderate his grauitie so as it be not hautie as that of the Spaniards oftentimes is in their speach countenance traine and gate One that hath beene Ambassador in England since in France for the last King of Spaine was wont to say Dios es poderoso en el ciel y
vnderstood not the middle and disliked the Conclusion These are very neerely the sciences which I iudge the most requisite and which are in mine opinion the easiest and the which or the greater parte of them hee may learne in the places of his charge if he be resident there for some yeares all the other will not bee vnprofitable for him But hee must haue besides these other vertues and qualities as wel gotten by practise as borne with him for better performing his Ambassage and which are so much the more necessarie for him in that hee representeth the greatnes of his prince in a forraine Countrie and in the view of the worlde and for that the faultes which he committeth are many times cause of the contempt of his Maister or of some worser consequence For first al men agree in this that he ought to be endewed with a good naturall vnderstanding ioyned with a long experience of the affaires of the worlde which makes that a yong man is not so capable of this charge as one of old or middle age For which cause Philip de Comines said it was very hard for a man to be wise that had not bin deceiued Neuerthelesse sometimes a good spirit disgraceth the age experience of many others witnesse Monsieur de Beaumont Harlay who doth the King so good seruice in this charge of Ambassador in England Neuertheles an olde man is ordinarily melancholie and diseased and a young man too humorous light and indiscreete As one that was sent to certaine Alies of this Crowne who walked abroade in the euening and part of the night through the streetes with others of his owne age and in his doublet and hose playing on a Bandore although otherwise he was a man of a good spirit Touching the wisedome of our Ambassador it wil be discerned first of all if he bring with him these requisite qualities whereof I haue spoken and such things as are necessary for the occasions of his charge vnlesse that the Prince haue made him to vndertake it on a so daine and by expresse commandement without giuing him leasure to aduise himself as many times it falleth out For if hee haue not the goods of fortune or hath not otherwise prouided to cause a good allowance to be made him hee will be accounted indiscreete to haue embarked himselfe in a charge of so great expence And for the gifts of nature if he be bleare-eyed crookebackt lame or otherwise mishaped it is certaine that he will not be so acceptable One of the old writers saith that in those ill proportioned and vitious bodies the soule is ill lodged And the Romanes hauing on a time sent two Ambassadors to one of their Prouinces of which one had vpon his head the skars of many wounds and the other was lame of his feete it was said in a mockery Mittit populus R. legationem quae nec caput nec pedes habet An Ambassage that hath neither head nor feete Likewise if it be possible let him not be much inferiour in meanes or qualitie to him whom he succeedeth lest he finde at his doore O antique domus Alas poore house that hast made a change of maisters as it hapned to my knowledge vnto one that succeeded in the house and place of an Ambassador that had beene very liberall and bountifull for there was nothing so cold as his Kitchin nor so bare as his stable Farther that he knew how to make good choise of his traine and houshold seruants wherevnto hee ought especially to take heede that he fall not into the inconuenience that some haue done who hauing sorted themselues with indiscreete and vnciuil seruants haue themselues payed for their folly An aduice which Monsieur de Bellieure who hauing bin oft times honoured with this charge in which he made his first practize among the Grisons hath at length attained by the steppes of honour and desert to the dignitie of Chancellor of France giueth vnto Ambassadors going vppon their charges according to that which Cicero said vnto his brother then Gouernour of Asia in like case Horum non modo facta sed dicta etiam omnia tibi praestanda sunt Thou must be the warrant both of their actions yea and of the very words also And a little after Si innocentes existimari volumus non sclum nos abstinentes verumeriam nostris comites praestare debemus To make our vprightnesse appeare it is not enough that we be discreete but euen our followers must be so also And to say trueth for that which is in the choyce of a man hee can not impute it to any other but must lay the blame on himselfe if he haue not done it wel It fell out ill in this poynt with the Lord of Camcy sent on the behalfe of the King to the Duke of Burgundie in the yeare 1417. through too much confidence in his Secretary who either of indiscretion or corruption had made manie copies of his masters instructions to be seene abroad and discouered the secrets of his commission for which cause the master was blamed by the Kings counsaile and sent to take vp his lodging in the Bastile Amongest the Officers of his house the most necessary and in choyce of whom hee ought to be most carefull are the Secretaries and the Steward of the house The one for to assist and ease him in the businesses of his charge to dispatch causes that concerne the same and to hold a good register therof to keepe faithfully the scroles cyphers and other papers of importance which neuerthelesse would be better vnder the maisters locke the other for the expenses of the house which ought to be well ordered and neuerthelesse honorable in euery part therof chiefly at the table and kitchin whereuppon strangers and especially those of the Northerne countries looke more then vpon all other expences besides In Spaine and Italie the table is more frugale But there it must appeare in horses coaches apparrell and traine of followers And I will say this by the way sithence that the most proper and most essentiall vertue of a Prince is to be liberall hee that representeth his greatnesse amongst strangers dooth him iniury and getteth himselfe an euill name if hee be sparing and wretched it seeming incredible to most men that a great King or other Soueraigne would appoint him to that place without allowing him meanes sufficient and are mooued to thinke that he keepeth vp and turneth to his owne vses the monies of his allowance There haue beene some in our time who by their sparing and basenesse seemed rather to goe to profite themselues and make a gaine whereas this charge consisteth wholy on honour and was in times past giuen to honor those which had done good seruice to the Commonwealth so that it ought not to be purchased by bribes nor too much sought after whereby to auoyde the suspition of couetousnesse Neuerthelesse in this his liberall expence he must vse his discretion in not exceeding
pardon for them or to worke some way of reconciliation following the clause and condition of the Romane Senate to those of Ascolie Sifactorum poentteat liciturum ipsis mittere legatos sui mimes minime But if the number be great as that in France lately was and that the Estate be deuided into two Factions and each side falne into an open warre Seeing that by martiall lawes euen amongst strange and barbarous nations Heraulds and Ambassadors are in saftie surely this law ought to preuaile aswell for deuided subiects as for strangers that are enemies vnto the Estate I dare affirm the like for such as are fugitiues outlawes or pirats when they make a head and ioine themselues together as sometimes those vnder the conduct of Spartacus Sertorius Viriatus Tacfarinas and such like for the assurance that is granted vnto such persons as they ordaine to treate for them is not for their sakes but in consideration of the Common good and to reduce them to their obedience to the end that the troubles of the Estate may refuse Quod est necesse turpe non est Necessitie hath neither law nor shame And here it is that that notable and ancient Maxime of estate ought to take place Salus populi suprema lex The good of the Estate goeth aboue all lawes and all respects true it is that they shall doe well not to present themselues but with a sufficiēt pasport from the Generall of the Armie with whom they haue to handle And in this case to goe about to attach their persons or to doe them other displeasure were to violate the faith that hath beene giuen them whatsoeuer Alber. Gent. in his treatise de Legationibus saith thereof contrary to the opinion of my late father in his booke of Notable questions There is also a doubt made concerning those that are sent by Heretiques Schismatiques and excommunicated persons This false principall that faith ought not to be kept with heretiques which was hatched in the Counsell of Constance and practised against some particular persons that were caused to come thither vnder the publique faith hath giuen occasion to this question For which cause it is that neuer since none would trust the faith of Popes nor of Councels the onely or principall reason of schisme which continueth in the Church since almost an hundred yeares But this doubt may be cleered as the former by the consideration of the weale publike for that it is impossible that we can abide without those things which are in other Countries and Lands and much lesse with that which is amongst our neighbours of what religion and beliefe soeuer they be Christian Princes and Estates make no difficultie to hold their Agents and Factors with the Turkes when they haue occasion and the king keepeth an ordinary resident with him The grand Signior hath his with the Persian and so reciprocally neuerthelesse the Turke and the Persian hold each other for heretikes In former times and very often the Latine church sent vnto the Greek which neuerthelesse it accounted for schismatike At an other time the Church being assembled in a Counsel of Affrica sent the Deputies vnto the donatists The Catholikes haue them with the Protestants and the Pope would once haue sent some into England and yet would vnto other Protestant Estates if he thought they should be receued and be suffred to manage his affaires among them And if they were admitted they shuld be without doubt vnder the safeguard of Nations as wel as these which should be sent vnto him in their behalfe Concerning these that are subiects of the Prince or Estate to whom they goe in Ambassage it is another matter for although they haue put themselues vnder another Master or haue gotten tho freedome of Denisons in other places yet are they thereby nothing lesse the subiects of their naturall Lord nor any thing lesse to be ordred by iustice by him if haply they haue gone out of his dominions without his leaue or for some offence or rebellion King Perceus sent vnto Gentius King of Illyria one that was naturall borne subiect of Illyria A Lieutenant of the Popes in some part of the iurisdiction of the Church held prisoner the Duke of Vrbins Ambassador because said he the Ambassador was the Popes subiect And in our Fathers dayes Frances Sforza Duke of Millan caused the Esquier Merueilles a subiect of Millan who hauing retired himselfe into France was sent Ambassador to the Duke by King Frances to be beheaded as before I noted It was indiscretion in these three Princes to employ such men in that charge and folly in the men to accept the same for to all three it fell out ill Neuerthelesse the King had reason to complaine and to require right to be done him therein for Sforza hauing once admitted and receiued Merucilies for Ambassador of France as the King sufficiently verified it by a letter of the said Sforzas it was no longer lawfull for him to handle him as his subiect and did therin against the law of Nations In like manner was it with two others vnder Charles the sixt the Constable Clisson subiect to the duke of Britaine trusting thereunto went vnto him in an ill season and thought to haue lost both life and libertie together the Duke hauing afterwards set him at liberty purged and rustified himselfe vppon the qualitie of the said Clisson which he affirmed was a Britton by birth and his naturall subiect And besides he would that the King should owe him a like requitall for the respect which he had of one of his officers seeing that otherwise hee pretended to haue had good reason to put him to death But Philip the Faire sent backe those whom the Earle Guy of Flanders had sent vnto him to offer him choice of peace or warre although that their Maister and themselues were his subiects as the said King did not forget to tell them I will speake nothing heere of the grand Signior who not long since offered himself to put to death the Ambassador of a Christian Prince for to doe that Prince a pleasure as hee said because the said Ambassadour had done his Maister some ill offices and had correspondency with his enimies Neyther was the offer accepted because it might haue brought much preiudice by the consequence thereof His Familie AND because wee haue comprehended his seruantes vnder his priuileges we wil speake a word therof In former times the number of those that accompanied him in his ambassage was certaine and prefixed and their names registred vppon his provision or set on a list for to haue recourse thereunto These ought to enioy their masters priuiledge as those that in time of warre are comprehended within one passeport or safe conduct But it being now left to the discretion of the Ambassador to take as many as he will it is demanded if al ought to participate thereof I make no doubt of it forasmuch as concerneth the assurance of their persons Quod