them not only the good wills and affections of their equals but euen of Kings themselues And when these abilities are so extraordinary and aduantagious no man can deeme it inconuenient that Kings should more particularly and in a more extraordinary manner apply their affection vnto them Nay it would rather lay a spot and blemish vpon them if notice should be taken that they equally entertaine all or not esteeme and prize them most that merit most to be esteemed For in all good reason there is no greater inequality then to equall all alike Plato said very well That there is not any virtue of that force and efficacie for to catch and steale away mens hearts Nor herein doe we need the testimonies of Philosophers for the holy Ghost saith Vt mors est dilectio loue is strong as death The coales thereof are coales of fire which hath a most vehement flame it beares all away before it And in this its force and strength friendship and loue are much alike And building on this ground I say That very well there may be said to bee friendship betweene a King and a Fauorite for that their soules haue in their birth and beginning or as I may say their first originall equall noblenesse And your noblest friendship proceeds from the soule Very famous and much celebrated was that friendship betwixt Prince Ionathan the onely heire of the kingdome and that worthy noble Dauid And so great was the loue that was betweene them that the sacred Scripture saith 1. Reg. 18.2 That anima Ionathae conglutinata erat animae Dauid dilexit eum Ionathas quasi animam suam The soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of Dauid and that Ionathan loued him as his owne soule And I further affirme that it is very fit and conuenient that Kings should loue those with aduantage that haue the aduantage of others in vertue wisedome and learning And such should be those that serue and attend the persons of Princes for ordinarily out of that Nursery are these plants your Fauourites drawne When Nabuchadnezzar King of Babilon besieged and tooke by force of armes the Citie of Ierusalem he carried away from thence great spoiles of gold and siluer but that which hee much more prized then all this Treasure were the sonnes of the chiefest Noblemen and such as were lineally descended of the Kings of that kingdome and gaue especiall order that they should choose and cull out those that had the best and ablest parts both of nature and acquisition those that were of the best disposition the most learned and best taught to the end that being accompanied with these good qualities they might merit to attend in the Court and Chamber of the King Dan. 1.3 Et ait Rex Asphenez Praeposito Eunuchorum vt introduceret de filijs Israel de semine Regio Tyrannorum pueros in quibus nulla esset macula decoros forma eruditos omni sapientia cautos scientia doctos disciplina qui possent stare in palatio Regis And the King spake vnto Ashpenez the Master of his Eunuchs that hee should bring certaine of the children of Israel and of the Kings seed and of the Princes Children in whom was no blemish but well-fauoured and skilfull in all wisedome and cunning in knowledge and vnderstanding Science and such as had abilitie in them to stand in the Kings palace And this election fell out so luckily and proued to be of that profit and benefit that amongst those which indewed with these qualities were made choice of for to serue the King there were three of them did excell but one more then all the rest not onely in vertue but in the knowledge likewise of secret businesses and matters of State and gouernment which was Daniel who so well deserued to be a Fauourite to those Kings of Babylon and more especially to Darius that hee did not content himselfe with making him onely a priuie Councellour but the prime man amongst them For hauing set ouer the kingdome an 120. Princes which should bee ouer the whole kingdome and ouer these three Presidents of whom Daniel was first that the Princes might giue account vnto them that the King might haue no damage And as hee was the greatest Subiect and Fauourite in the world so was hee superiour in the vertues and qualities of his person Igitur Daniel superabat omnes Principes satrapas quia Spiritus Domini amplior erat in illo Dan. 6.3 Therefore was Daniel preferred before the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him The holy Scripture likewise tells vs that Ioseph was such a Fauourite of King Pharaoh that hee gaue him absolute power ouer all his kingdome and commanded that in publike pompe he should ride in the Kings owne Chariot and in his owne seate and haue a Crier go before to proclaime the fauour that the King was pleased to doe him Dixit quoque Rex Aegypti ad Ioseph Gen. 41.44 Ego sum Pharaoh absque tuo imperio non mouebit quisquam manum aut pedem in omni terra And Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph I am Pharaoh and without thee shall no man lift vp his hand or foot in all the land of Aegypt And well did hee deserue this honour for by his great industrie and wisedome he freed that King and kingdome from that terrible famine besides those many other great and troublesome imployments wherein he was busied for the space of seuen yeares together In the fourth booke of kings we reade that Naaman who was Captaine of the host of the King of Syria was the onely Fauourite of the King Erat vir magnus apud Dominum suum honoratum 4. Reg. 5.1 Hee was a great man with his Master and honourable And rendering the reason of this his great priuacie with his King and the honour he had done him it is there specified Per illum enim dedit dominus salutem Syriae erat enim vir fortis Because by him the Lord had giuen deliuerance vnto Syria and was also a mighty man in valour For all the life and soule that kingdome had came from him God vsing him as his instrument for his puisance and prudence And when Fauourites are of these aduantagtous abilities those reasons and inconueniences doe cease before mentioned touching the disequalitie of Kings with their Inferiours For vertue hath this excellence and preheminence that from the very dust of the earth it doth lift vp men vnto honour and doth raise them to that height that it equalls them and sets them cheeke by iole with the greatest Princes in the world Eccl 11.1 Sapientia humiliati exaltabit caput illius in medio magnatum considere illum faciet Wisedome lifteth vp the head of him that is of low degree and maketh him to sit among great men Anna that was mother to that great Priest and Prophet Samuel amongst other things which shee sung in the praise
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
in those whom they know and haue neere about them and in their Court the Election may in all likely-hood seeme to light more safely and happely vpon them then any other For they who being still in our eye discouer no faultes it may be presumed that they haue not any For if they had in such persons they would hardly be hid And let this be exemplified in some nay many of those your pictures which being beheld a farre off seeme to be curious peeces but drawing neere vnto them appeare to be but course worke and discouer great faultes And therefore Diogenes sayd Prou. 17 2◠you must stand aloofe to looke vpon great Statuas And I say That he who in his speech seemeth to be wise and discreete ought to be taken for no lesse For by a mans silent reseruednesse and holding his peace it is not much if he passe for a wise man because the Holy-Ghost saith Stultus quoque si tacuerit sapiens reputabitur Euen a foole when he holdeth his peace is counted wise In like manner may he seeme to be a good Man that is a great way from vs because we neither see his deedes nor heare his words And peraduenture for this reason it was ordayned that the Pope could not be chosen vnlesse he had beene one of the number and fellowship of those Cardinalls there present at the time of the Election And when kings cannot meete with sufficient persons amongst those whom they know they must looke others out though they bee farther off For so did the wisest King that euer was King Salomon who vsed diligences out of his owne Kingdome for to seeke out the best Artificers and such as were the fittest and ablest men for the building of the Temple He could not content himselfe with good workemen onely but he sought out those likewise that were the best and the worthiest The like course ought Kings to take who alwayes in those Elections that they make for the building and vpholding of this Edifice of the Church should not content themselues with electing onely those that are good but in seeking out the best and the worthiest Whereby their Conscience shall rest the more secure and freer from opinion Whereas in doing the contrary those that are the wisest and the most learned affirme That their Conscience is not onely charged therewith but that they are likewise bound to the restitution of the robbery that is therein done to the Church And it is a lamentable thing that for to pleasure a priuate subiect that he may eate and drinke his fill and triumph in his pleasures a King should put himselfe in hazard of going to Hell But aboue all the foresayd diligences Kings ought to haue recourse vnto Prayers supplications beseeching Almightie God that he will illuminate their vnderstandings that they may elect the best For so did the Apostles who being to picke out two of of the best out of the whole pack of those that were there at the time when they were to proceede to the Election they betooke themselues to prayer vttering these words so full of meekenesse and humilitie Tu domine qui nosti corda omnium Act. 1.24 Ostende quem elegeris ex his duobus vnum accipere locum Ministerij huius Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen that hee may take the roome of this Administration and Apostleship For being that mens goodnesse and sufficiencie principally consisteth in the inwardst part of the heart which is so close and so subiect to change that God onely can truly know it it is fit that we should refer the Mayne of these our Elections to him to the end that they may be guided by his Holy Spirit and that hee may be the chiefe and principall Elector in them This which we haue said touching prouision of those that are knowen in Court it seemeth that it may open a gap for those that are tumultuous Pretenders and ambitious Courtiers to carry all before them and let nothing that falls scape their fingers For these are much better knowen then those wise and vertuous men who ordinarily liue retyred and attend more to the Complying with obligations of their profession and function then to the Compliments of those who spend their whole life in pretensions And it hapneth not once nor twice but dayly and ordinarily that they who follow the Court and frequent Princes Pallaces haue not so much followed their studies and frequented the schooles And few there are of them which take pleasure in reading of bookes to informe their knowledge and to supply that which is defectiue in them concerning the knowledge of businesses and the true vnderstanding and execution of their Offices But the miserie of it is that if a wise and prudent Man shall seeke to make his entrance and accesse to the King the Porters will shut the doore against him And fooles hauing such free entrance it is no wonder that wise men are kept out As it hapned to that wise Philosopher who being clad in a meane but honest habit pressed amongst the rest to the Kings Antecamera or with-drawing Chamber where hee vsed to giue Audience hauing very necessary occasion to speake vnto him But as hee offered to come in the Porter still clappt the doore against him and would not suffer him to enter Hee being a discreete man presently entred into the reckoning of it and seeing how the world went shifted himselfe out of the companie and changing his poore for a rich Habit and being in the fashion as others vse to be that are not knowen to make them selues knowen in Court way was made him and he presently let in And at his going in hee kissed his cloake and sayd Honoro honorantem me quia quod virtus non potuit vestis obtinuit I honour thee that hast honourd me for what vertue could not effect my costly cloathing hath obtained For he that is rich and well clad is commonly the best knowen and most respected Vir benè vestitus pro vestibus esse peritus Creditur à mille quamuis Idiota sit ille He that goes in gay Cloathes A wise man is held to be Though some know ther 's not so Arrant a Cocks-combe as he Et sapiens non accedit ad fores quas durus Ianitor obsidet But your Men that are wise discreete and vertuous beare not so base a minde as to go thither where they either know or haue cause to feare that they shall be debarr'd of entrance so that for the most part the most deseruing are the least knowen To this point therfore I reply that those men which are to be nominated for Offices and Dignities may be knowen two manner of wayes First by that good fame and report which goes of them and that opinion of vertue learning and wisedome which the world holdeth of them Which we may rightly compare to the sweete and fragrant odour of that pretious
22. Aug. lib. 5. de Ciuit. cap. 24. Isid lib. 3. Sent. cap. 52. S. Th. 2. 2. q. 137 art 2. ad 2. what remedy in this case is to be vsed Saint Ierom and Saint Austen are of opinion that a King by his owne person is to punish and premiate to execute chasticement with iustice and to mitigate it with mercy Nor is it vnworthy our consideration nor lyable to inconueniencie that a King should represent two persons so contrary in shew as iudging with Iustice and Mercie For two vertues cannot bee contrary And as the Saints and holy Doctors say and they are in the right Mercie doth not hinder the execution of Iustice but it moderateth the crueltie of the punishment And it is very necessary in a good Iudge that hee should haue a true and faithfull paire of balance in his hands and in either scale to put rigor and equitie that hee may know how to correct the one by the other The Kings of Portugall especially Don Iuan the third did vse to iudge Capitall crimes accompanied with his Councell and were alway accounted fathers of the people because with them Iustice and Mercie walked hand in hand shewing themselues iust in punishing the fault and mercifull in mitigating the punishment By which meanes they were of all both feared and beloued And let not Kings perswade themselues that this doth lessen their authoritie and take of from their greatnesse but giues an addition and the oftner they sit in iudgement they shall doe God the more seruice and the Kingdome more good And in conscience the surest and safest course for that reciprocall obligation which is between the King and his subiects For they owe obedience seruice and acknowledgement to him as their Lord and Master And he vnto them Iustice Defence and Protection For to this end and purpose doe they pay him so many great Tributes and Taxes Nor is it enough for him to doe it by others but he must also doe it by himselfe For neither that great Gouernor of Gods people Moses nor any other after him is in all the whole body of the Bible to be found that euer yet condemned the occupation of iudging the people to bee vnworthy royall Maiestie nor contrarie to the reputation of a King I know no other preiudice in it saue that it is impossible for one sole man to vndergoe so great a taske And this impossibilitie ariseth from the multitude of subiects and in that case they aduise That a King should not wholly take away his hand from the doing of Iustice but that the lesser and more ordinary businesses hee should remit and referr them to different Ministers and the weightier causes take to his owne charge and be present in person when they come to be sit vpon and determined as formerly haue done the wisest and greatest Monarkes that euer were in the world Who did euer equall King Salomon in wisedome greatnesse and Maiestie yet did hee hold it no disgrace vnto him to humble himselfe to heare suitors iudge their causes and to doe them Iustice The Kings of the Hebrew people were called Iudges because they did glorie in nothing so much as to heare and iudge the people And in all Nations this hath alwayes beene the principall Office appertaining vnto Kings And the Holy Ghost saith That the King Prou. 29.14 that faithfully iudgeth the poore his throne shall be established for euer §. III. That it much importeth Kings to haue the good Loue and affection of their Subiects KIngs as already hath beene sayd are the Heads of their Kingdomes Their Estates serue them as Members Without which it is impossible they should be that which their name speakes them And therefore it is not onely conuenient but necessarie that they should seeke to gaine the good wills of all suting themselues though they force their owne to the nature of their subiects and beholding them as if they were his children Which is the best course to keepe them well affected and contented and to be beloued and obayed by them Which they may easily doe if they will but thinke themselues that they are sheepheards and fathers of those people which God hath recommended vnto them easing them of those wrongs and grieuances which they vniustly suffer laying no more vpon them then they are able to beare suffring them when reason shall require to take their ease and their quiet and helping to sustaine them when they grow poore and are decayd Plato tells vs That for a Prince to be good and to be beloued of all hee must bestow all his loue and his whole heart vpon the Common-wealth his will on the Gods his secret on his friends and his Time on businesses For by thus reparting himselfe with all he shall haue a part in all by all of them comming to vnite themselues with him Onely in this good Correspondency of Loue betweene Kings and their subiects wise Periander placeth all the safetie and good fortune of Kings and Kingdomes Agesilaus King of Lacedaemon was once askt the question How a King might liue secure For that it is oftentimes seene that neither multitude of seruants nor a guard of Halbardiers can defend them from violence To which demand hee returned this answer Si suis populis ita imperet vt parentes filijs If he so rule ouer his people as a father doth ouer his children The King that loueth his subiects and is againe beloued by them neede no guarde they are his guard For Loue where it is true and faithfull plainesheth the knottiest peece of timber smootheth the roughest and most vnhewen disposition and makes all faire safe and peaceable It is a most strong wall and more durable yea then Kings themselues With this no difficulty can offer it selfe vnto them which they may not ouercome no danger whose impetuousnesse they may not oppose no command which they will not obay For as Kings desire no more of their subiects but to be well serued by them so subiects pretend nothing from their Kings but to be beloued by them And indeede the one dependeth on the other For if a King loue not his subiects he shall neither be well serued beloued nor obayed by them And as little if he loue himselfe too much For the more care he takes of himselfe and attends his owne particular so much the more his subiects loue departs from him For the harmonie of a Common-wealth consisteth in that all should liue by the Kings fauour and they by their subiects loue For they ought to be vigilant in all that belongs to their seruice and Kings most watchfull in that which concernes their generall good So that none is to haue lesse part in the King then the King himselfe And because it is impossible to content all by reason not onely of their different but contrary natures it is necessary at least to content the most There are two differences of States or two sorts of people to be considered in a
more diligence and care vsed in the quenching of it it must necessarily spread it selfe abroad and extend it selfe daily more and more and more especially into those Cities and countries where there is much commerce and trading in Merchandise and in the Courts of Kings where there is such a concourse of diuerse and sundrie nations there being not any one of them which hath not it's proper and peculiar vertues as also it 's proper and peculiar vices Their vertues men hardly take hold on but their vices those cleaue easily vnto them of themselues and by this their Commerce and Trading remaine engrauen in their hearts And what was before but an inclination being now become a custome vice engendreth vice and one appetite maketh way for another Lycurgus saith That it more importeth a State to see that it's Cities bee not infected with the ill customes and manners of Strangers then to preserue them from the plague the pestilence or other the like contagious diseases For these Time asswageth and consumeth but those are with time increased and augmented Three Embassadours of the Cretans each of them being of a different Sect made their ioynt entrance into Rome The Senate gaue them audience And Cato being there whom for his great authoritie they did much reuerence and was indeed as an Oracle amongst them gaue his vote and opinion that hee would haue them dispatcht thence with all possible speed before the corruption of their manners should corrupt the Romane Common-wealth This care ought Kings to take and so much the rather for that they haue neuer a Cato that will tell them neuer a Councellour that will aduise them that in no kinde of manner nor vpon any occasion whatsoeuer ought they either in their Court or kingdome suffer any man no though hee be an Ambassadour to reside there being different in his Religion manners and Ceremonies For their treating and conuersing with vs serues to no other purpose but to bring in vices and banish vertues to worke vpon weake and wauering mindes and to draw the naturall Subiects of another Prince from Gods true worship and due obseruance of his diuine Law And this was the care of the Ancients of those times who would neuer giue consent and allowance that there should bee any thing intertained or receiued into their commonwealths whereby mens mindes might grow cold or be withdrawne in any one point or tittle from the worship and adoration of their Gods And very fit for these times were that Law of the Persians which did punish him with death that should bring in any new vse or strange custome And the Cretans did in their ordinarie Letanies desire that no new custome might enter into their city which is as a contagious disease and cleaueth as close as the plague or pestilence Nor did the Lawes of Egypt permit any new tune in their Musicke or any new kinde of song vnlesse they were first examined by those that were in place of gouernment For as Plato affirmeth a Commonwealth as well as Musicke Plato Dial. 2. de Legibus admitteth changes And that for the auoiding of this mischiefe it ought not to be permitted that there should be introduced any new kinde of tunes or Musicke together wherewith mens mindes receiue some change and alteration Aristotle did aduise those that would bee vertuous that they should not vse Musicke nor musicall instruments to incite them to be vicious For Musicke being a diuine gift and very powerfull to moue the hearts of men and to perswade the thing that is sung if they accustome themselues to play and sing holy lessons honest songs they therby accustome themselues to be honest and vertuous And therefore anciently your Kings as Dauid the Prophets and Priests the better to apply themselues to contemplation did vse Musicke wherewith they suspended their senses and remained as it were swallowed vp in God In a word many men haue therewith beene robbed of their soules and of their honours and daily much hurt doth ensue thereby For it is able to doe much and greate is the force and power which it hath ouer mens manners And if you will not beleeue me obserue but the hurt which your new wanton tunes together with the lasciuious wordes and gesticulations vsed in them haue wrought of late amongst not onely the common but better sort of people Now to shut vp all that hath beene said in three points First of all I say that it much importeth that a Prince bee good in himselfe for that all men make their Imitation after that patterne that hee sets before them And for this cause God placed him in so high and eminent a place to the end that by the resplendour of his vertues hee should giue light to the whole kingdome and that both by his life and example he should exemplifie and indoctrinate his Subiects for it is not onely included in the name and office of King to rule and gouerne the kingdome by good and who some Lawes but likewise to teach and instruct the people by his vertues This ought to bee say Socrates and Plato the end and ayme of Kings to direct their Subiects in the truth they practising it first themselues which is the strongest and forciblest argument to perswade it For the execution of that which is perswaded and commanded doth secure the passage doth make the worke sauourie and doth facilitate the trouble Secondly to the end that the Lawes may bee the better kept Kings must obey and keepe them for it will seeme an vniust thing in them to establish and ordaine that which themselues will not keepe and obserue They must doe as Lycurgus did who neuer enacted any thing which he himselfe did not punctually performe And it was a Romane Edict Vse el Rey de la Ley que hiziere para la grey Let the King that law keepe which he makes for his sheepe Lastly that they bee very carefull and watchfull ouer the whole kingdome but more particularly ouer the Court for from thence is diffused all the good or ill as likewise in curtalling the excesses of apparrell the superfluities of feasts and banquets of gaming of sports and pastimes of lightnesse in behauiour of licentiousnesse in courting of women and of those wastefull expences which might very well be excused in weddings in iewells and dressings both in the women and the men Then began Rome to grow ranke in Luxurie and prophanenesse when your gilded bed-steds your costly pauilions your stately canopies your ritch hangings your curious tables your glorious cupboords of plate your gybing Iesters and your various Instruments of Musicke were brought in which were then in great vse and request for to prouoke and stirre vp the appetite in those their tedious and sumptuous suppers as if for to go to hell there were neede of such a wind-lace or wheeling about the way being as it is so easie and direct that a man may go it blindfold Causes all of them of iust
to the eternitie of such an estate as we yet know not what it shall be the extreames being as we see so farre distant All that hath beene hitherto said both in generall and particular concerning a Monarchie and kingdome shall not be fruitlesse nor the time lost that hath beene spent in the writing or shall be spent in the reading of this Treatise if it be well and truly considered For by the perusall thereof Kings and Princes may come to know a thousand seuerall semblances of Ministers and disguised countenances of hypocriticall Courtiers and the diuers dispositions and humours as well of the ambitious as the couetous their affections conditions and naturall inclinations whether they be by nature of great and vnâ—â—uly spirits or whether they bee by fortune put into great places For this without doubt changeth man from his first estate and apparrelleth him with other particular affections And in the true knowledge of these consisteth the augmentation conseruation and good gubernation of kingdomes and commonwealths as also the reputation credit opinion and authoritie of Kings In a word they may out of these doctrines and aduertisements collect and know how at one time the naturall dispositions customes and manners of the vulgar stand affected and how at another time those that are not so vulgar and of so low a ranke and how at all times to make vse of this knowledge for the better increasing and inlarging of their power and greatnesse and how and in what manner they are to carry themselues towards them as also those other that are to aide and assist in gouernment For there is not any thing of more price or more to be valued by Kings then this knowledge of the affections as well for the discerning those of others as the moderating of their owne And as it were to make a iudgement and to prognosticate by them the end of the actions of those that are about and where they intend to make their stop and set vp their rest be they foes or friends And by the actions of those that are present be they Confederates Ministers and dependents their ends designes and pretensions And particularly in those who cleaue closer to their Kings fortune then his person Points whereon doth hang the hinge and wherein are included and shut vp all both the particular and generall passages of gouernment and of that art and science which they call by the common name of Reason of State And although I know for certaine that there will not such be wanting that will laugh and scoffe at these my Politicall Aduertisements some because they would be accounted the onely men seene in this Science and would make themselues the onely admired men amongst the vulgar and that there is not any one that is a professour in that Art that vnderstandeth their plots and designes Others lesse malignant as being ignorant of the secrets of this Science iudging it to be an Art full of impossibilities will not trouble themselues therewithall nor looke into the Mysteries thereof as if by the effects they were not able to iudge of the causes of things and by the carriage and successe of former businesses to diuine of the ends and designes of those which are now on foot And others farre worse then these who although they come to know this truth deny the same and seeke many colours both for the disgracing of it and the Author and for no other reason in the world but because they are professed enemies to whatsoeuer counsell that is not of their owne hatching fearing that it might quit something of the glory of their ambition And for that they will haue nothing thought to be good but what issues from forth their owne braine they blaspheme saith Saint Iames and speake euill of that which they know not and not onely not admit and receiue that good which is propounded vnto them but as that kingly Prophet saith because they will neither vnderstand nor heare it like the Adder they stop their eares with the taile of their ignorance fearing lest they should be charmed by some superiour wit and better vnderstanding Yet notwithstanding fall backe fall edge come what will of it I haue cumplyed with my desire and which is more with my obligation And if it shall proue to be of any vse profit and seruice for Kings and for the great Councellours and Ministers of their kingdomes which haue most need thereof to whose seruice it goes especially directed and perhaps may be vsefull for those which are not in that nature And though haply it may not bee auaileable for amendment yet may it serue for a desenganno and dis-deceiuing of those that are in an errour And in case it shall not take this effect there will be no harme done by committing it to the Presse though it bee afterwards buried in the dust as it hath befallen other farre better things then these And Time which couers what is past and discouers what is to come will in it's time discouer this and such other things as are not yet come to light And for this cause they called Archimedes the Syracusan The Inuenter of new Things and the Register of old And certaine it is that amongst the Ancients there was a great agreement and Artifice in the gouernment of some commonwealths as was that of the Aegyptians of the Athenians of the Allmanes and aboue all of the Romane Commonwealth Which Saint Austen did so much admire And men looking no further then to that which is before them haue in a manner quite forgotten that and therefore it is fit that there should bee some Remembrancer that by putting them in minde of that which is past they may the better performe things for the present and prouide for that which is to come For as Plato said though in another sence all our knowledge is but a Recordation of things past and therein he said well For a great part of those nouelties which are daily introduced are but old things that haue layen long in obliuion and that which is done to day we finde is forgotten to morrow And in the reuolution of time comes in after ages to represent it selfe for new And this amongst many others was the maine cause which moued me to write this Treatise and which may incourage me to go on further though I must confesse that my penne hath out runne my intention finding that I haue thrust my foot deeper into the stirrop then I thought to haue done hauing made a volumne of that which when I first put pâ—â— to paper I purposed should haue ended in a short and little Tract But who can put a bridle vnto loue or restraine zeale and more especially when it is so naturall and proper as that which all and euery one doth or ought to beare vnto his owne King and Lord. Adding thereunto mine owne particular respect in regard of my nearer reference to his Maiesties seruice And no small spurre hereunto was my honest true meaning heart and the assurance of a good conscience whose whole studie and desire in this my labour hath beene to hit as right as I could vpon that which might be most conuenient for the augmentation conseruation reputation authoritie and greatnesse of Kings as likewise what I thought would bee most necessarie for the wellfare and good gouernment of kingdomes and particular Commonwealths For this doth depend on that Though I conceiue there be few that thinke thereon For most I feare me treate onely their owne businesse making that the principall and all the rest accidentall Howbeit they will not sticke to say and publish to the world that they onely attend the conseruation of their Kings and Commonwealths Would to God that it might not be said of them which he himselfe said by the mouth of that his Prophet and Prince of his people They honour mee with their lip Cor autem corum longè est à me But their heart is farre from mee God I beseech thee of thy infinite mercy that the hearts of Kings and their Ministers may not be farre off from thee nor thou from them but that thou wilt vouchsafe to bee euermore neare at hand vnto them and to fauour them and direct them in all their wayes to thy honour and glory Amen Laus Deo FJNJS Errata Page 7. line 26. A Certar reade Acertar p. 13. l 31. his family r. it 's family p. 17. l. 35. denotate r. denotateth p. 24. l. 26. though r. thought p. 33. l. 29. wootst r. wot'st p. 34. l. 34. men r. man p. 53. l. 19. sapientio rerit r. sapientior erit p. 71. l. 20. su spasses r. sus passos p. 87. l 9. wise r. the wise ibid. l. 13. of force r. of the force p 135. l. 1. Regular r. Regalar p. 136. l. 15. goodnesses r. goodnesse p. 151. l. 22. content to r. to content p. 156. l. 9. subiect r. subiects p. 157. l. 20. sa soga r. la soga p. 175. l. 24. this answer r. this I answer p. 142. l. 18. careesse r. carelesse p. 245. l. 3. seuerietie r. seueritie ibid. l. 32. are that r. that are p. 261. l. 17. impostoures r. impostures Ibid. l. 32. nistad r. mistad p. 273. l. 30. cabines r. cabinets p. 287. l. 14. therein r. there is p. 294. l. 30. requencie r. frequencie p. 320. l. 27. or iudgement r. or that iudgement p. 323. l. 11. inionyed r. inioyned p. 344. l. 12. deliaces r. delicasies p. 352. l. 19. of much r. much of