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A04705 Policie vnveiled vvherein may be learned, the order of true policie in kingdomes, and common-wealths: the matters of justice, and government; the addresses, maxims, and reasons of state: the science of governing well a people: and where the subject may learne true obedience unto their kings, princes, and soveraignes. Written in Spanish, and translated into English by I.M. of Magdalen Hall in Oxford.; República y policía christiana. English Juan de Santa María, fray, d. 1622.; Mabbe, James, 1572-1642?; Blount, Edward, fl. 1588-1632, attrib. trans. 1632 (1632) STC 14831A; ESTC S102311 349,848 530

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a vertue Heroicall and worthy Kings Which if it be fayling in ether of these the one or the other it shall merit no such name as you shall see by and by when we come to conclude this discourse wherein we aduertise those that giue that it shall be much prudence and make likewise much for the good of the party himselfe that receiueth to goe leysurely along with him in these Mercedes and fauours For this difference I finde to be betweene offences and punishments fauours and benefits that the first are done but once because in discretion they will not goe dayly nourishing the passion of those who receiue the harme thereby and stand in feare lest the like ill might happen vnto them selues As for the second it is fitting that they be done often giuing now a little and then a little that it may the better penetrate the palate and please the taste of him that receiueth them As in our bodily meates and drinkes bit after bit draught after draught agrees better with our health and taste then grosse feeding and full cups Besides this faire and frequent distribution cannot but cause a more settled loue in those persons on whom they are bestowed as also in those who liue in expectation of the like CHAP. XXIII How and in what sort Limitation in giuing may sute with the Greatnesse of Kings NOw I see the reply and the Argument which may be made against that which we haue mentioned in the former Chapter For this same sising of Kings fauours and these same short bounds of bounty wherein some would shut them vp seemeth no way compatible with the authoritie and greatnesse of Kings Especially on such occasions wherein they are forced to bestow them vpon persons that are deseruingly qualified for them and that haue done notable seruices who are not to be gratified with small gifts nor may that seeme to bee much which is giuen but once First of all I answer hereunto that it stands with good reason that they who haue spent their meanes and the better and greater part of their liues in the seruice of their King and Common-wealth should be recompensed according to the qualitie of their persons and seruices when Kings are well able to doe it without putting themselues in necessitie or charging their subiects which they too vsually doe with extraordinary Impositions And if it be well considered the maine drift of our former Chapter was that things might be so ordred that Kings might haue wherewithall to giue vpon such like occasions That therefore which I say is this That they ought to holde their hand in those Gifts which they giue meerely vpon their owne pleasure and humour that they may the better cumply with those which lye vpon them by way of obligation For they that haue vnder their charge and Command such a multitude and number of subiects it is not meete that they should conferre many and great fauours vpon a few and few or none vpon many shewing grace vnto some with that which in Iustice is due vnto others whose often sweats perpetuall labour and extreame neede serue now for riches regalos intertainments and annuall rents to those who in all the whole course of their life neuer knew what it was to moyle and toyle or to take any paines for the Common-wealth Nay which is more and it grieueth my soule to speake it the sweat and blood of poore labouring men is conuerted into rose water for to feede their delightes and pleasures and that in such wastfull riotous loose intertainments as certainely beseemeth not Christians but Epicures and Sardanapalians who did denie the immortalitie of the soule Woe vnto them saith God that are at ease in Syon woe vnto you great Potentates and Rulers ouer the people who enter in state into the Temples and goe thence in pompe who delight in lasciuiousnesse lying vpon bedds of yuory who eate the Lambes of the flock the Calfes out of the stall who drink wine in bowles and annoynt themselues with the chiefe oyntments who sing to the sound of the Violls and inuent to themselues instruments of Musicke no man in the meane while being sorie for the afflictions of Ioseph or taking pitie and compassion of those poore miserable wretches who must wring and smart to maintaine these their idle and vnnecessary vanities But the world will be altred with these men one day and a time shall come wherein as that Princely Prophet saith Laetabitur justus cum viderit vindictam manus suas lauabit in sanguine peccatorum The righteous shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeance he shall wash his hands in the blood of the wicked And men shall say Verily there is fruit for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth Then shall Lazarus reioyce and be glad in Abrahams bosome and the rich Glutton lying in Hell shall begg a dropp of cold water and haue no body to giue it him And if any man should say vnto me that the Grandeza and Greatnesse of Kings requireth that great rewards should be giuen both to the one and the other My answer vnto him is That nothing better becommeth Kings for the conseruing of their Greatnesse then to know that they are but men and that they cannot stand in Competition with God whose fountaine of riches is infinite and is able to fill and satisfie all and neuer can be drawne dry though it be imparted and distributed to neuer so many Whereas that of men is but like vnto the water of a Cisterne which by being communicated to many is diminished and exhausted King Nabucodonosor and other Kings of whose falls there is mention made in the Scripture for default of this knowledg fel from their estates And let that tree whose top touched heauen and whose boughes did ouerspread the whole world whereof wee so lately made mention serue now the second time for an Example which going about to imbrace all in it 's owne armes and to giue sustenance in aboundance to all and pretending to exalt it selfe as high as heauen did pay the price of this it's pride autoritie and Signorie and did so farre prouoke Gods anger against it that hee commanded it to bee hewen down that being layd leuell with the earth it might acknowledge how much limited and how short was it's power Sithence therfore that it is not possible for Kings to vse much liberalitie and bounty towards all there is a great deale of reason why they should forbeare voluntary Donatiues for to discharge obligatory paiments whereunto in rigour of Iustice he is strictly bound The Apostle Saint Iames saith That the debtes which are due vnto them that haue done seruice cry vnto God and that the teares of the poore ascend vp vnto Heauen to the end that from thence may come forth a writ of Execution against those that haue beene the cause thereof And your Catholike and Christian Kings are not to place their
themselues who aspiring to one and the same thing wherein it is impossible hee should content all of them euery one offereth according to his Talent and the desire hee hath to obtaine his suite And many times though they giue neuer so much they remaine frustrated of their pretension and become enemies to that Minister murmuring and complayning of him and that with a great deale of reason all the dayes of their life Woe vnto the Couetous man who as the Scripture sayth sets his soule to sale Animam quoque venalem habet It is a most wretched case and a most lamentable miserie that a mans auarice and couetousnesse should be so great that hee should sell his soule for the greedinesse of money Besides there is another great Contradiction from which it is not possible for to free themselues For if they will faithfully performe their Office they cannot fauour any saue him that hath most right and iustice on his side And this they must do gratis and without any other kind of interest then that which the being of a good and faithfull Minister carryes with it Againe if they do not ayde and helpe him who by giftes hath bound them vnto him they fowly and shamefully deceiue both him and themselues and must needes fall into one of these two inconueniences Either to be ingratefull if they doe not doe for him that gaue or vniust If they doe contrarie vnto Iustice. So that which way soeuer they receiue a gift they goe away with it with an euill Conscience and in plaine English are theeues by qualification So that great Lawyer Paris de Puteo calls them and sayth That there are more in your publicke Audiences and open Courts then in your Townes and villages And that iust man Iob affirmeth That the Tribunalls of robbers prosper One calls them Vsurers another Pyrates And Lucas de Pena saith That they are farre worse because they rob and steale vnder collour of Law and publicke authoritie In a word God who knowes them better then all the world besides calls them disloyal companions of theeues which desire giftes and loue Retributions And from heauen hee throwes downe his Curse vpon them whereunto on earth all the people say Amen But let them bee called by what name or Title you will let them neuer somuch haue the name of iudges their workes will speake what they are If they doe Iustice and iudge according to their iust Lawes then are they Iudges and deserue so to be But if they do the contrary they beare the name of Theeues and are vnworthy that Office There being represented vnto Dauid the rigourous chastisement of these kinde of men hee beggeth thus of God Gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with bloody men In whose hands is mischeife and their right hand is full of bribes Let these theeuish hands saith the Emperour Constantine cease at last to steale let them cease I say And if they will not cease and giue ouer stealing let them be cut off and set vpon the gallowes top Neither let Kings cease to make diligent search after them and to execute iustice against them in the most rigorous manner And if they will not amend let them a Gods name be soundly punished For it is a foule and abominable Vice pernicious and pestilent and which doth much marre and deface the Luster of whatsoeuer Minister be he neuer so illustrious and great And therefore in the Ciuill Law it hath the name of Sordes giuen it which signifies foulenesse or beastlinesse The Emperour Alexander Severus a great subduer of this vice when he saw any Minister noted thereof his choller rose and his stomacke began to turne and did prouoke him to vomit as if hee had seene some loathsome stinking thing And for such kinde of corrupt men he would vsually say hee had euer a fingar in readines to plucke out their eyes And for the better informing himselfe of the truth of these businesses hee made choice of some vertuous and intelligent persons whom hee sent secretly as Spyes into seuerall parts of the Kingdome which all wise Kings ought to doe giuing them good Intertainment for the defraying of their charges to the end that they might truly informe him of all whatsoeuer passed as how his Ministers behaued themselues in their gouernment how in their Offices Saying That if they did abuse them it was not enough to remoue them onely and put other in their places but for example sake seuerely likewise to punish them He gaue all his Officers good honest maintenance and sufficient allowance and would by no meanes permit that any Magistracie or publicke Office should bee bought and solde For he that buyes of me sayd hee must of necessitie sell to another for to quit his Cost as also to make his best profit and benefit thereof Such as these buy cheape in the grosse and sell deare by retaile And so it is that hee that buyes a tree for money can hardly afford the fruite for nothing The Emperour Theodosius made heereupon a Law worthy so noble a Prince and deseruing heere to bee set downe as a Patterne for Kings Wee will sayth hee and ordaine that those be appointed Gouernours of our Prouinces who shall bee found worthy those places charging and commanding that they be not conferred either for ambition or bribes or promises or for any price that shall be giuen for them but meerely for that they are men of an honorable and vertuous disposition and of a good and approued life And these whom you my President shall choose or we our selues vpon your report wee will that they who are admitted to these Offices shall solemnely sweare and firmely promise that for the said preferments or places of charge and gouernment they haue neuer giuen nor promised any thing for them neither shall giue heereafter either openly or vnder hand either directly or indirectly Neither shall they take or receiue any thing but shall rest contented with their Salaries and Pensions Nor shall pocket any bribe in publike or priuate not onely during their Office but neither before nor after c. These are the very words of the Law it selfe Diuerse other ancient and Moderne Lawes and decrees haue beene made generally prohibiting all kind of gifts and bribes vpon paine of diuers very greiuous punishments to be inflicted vpon those that either take or giue bribes As paying double what was promised or giuen depriuation of Office The treble value of what was giuen Then vpon the increasing of the abuse a quadruple value And after that Confiscation of goods banishment and open infamie Iustinian added heereunto the punishment of Whipping And the Emperour Valens and Valentinianus farther increased the same commanding they should be burned And the now Emperours of Iapan did lately execute the sayd Law vpon one of his Fauourites Secretaries for taking of a bribe and him that bribed him who was Gouerner of a Kingdome he
with the fewest Many moe therebe which speak much in matter of tongues and languages vsed throughout the world But I will onely treate of those which imports Kings and Kingdomes Such as is that truth and sinceritie wherewith they are to treate that faith and word which they are to cumply withall and that secret which they are to keepe Two things sayth Pythagoras did the moderate men of the earth receiue from heauen well worthy our consideration in regard of the great fauour done them therein The one that they should haue the power to be able to doe good vnto others And the other to treat Truth And that in them they should hold competition with the Gods Properties both of them well befitting Kings Of the power that Kings haue to doe good vnto their friends and to defend themselues from their enemies wee haue already signified vnto you how proper it is to the greatnesse of a King and how like therein hee is vnto God But the sayd Philosopher being demanded wherein man was likest vnto God made answer Quandò veritatem sciuerit When hee shall know the Truth For God is truth it selfe And that man that treates truth resembles him in nothing more and it is so proper to our vnderstanding that it intertaines it for it's obiect and still goes in search thereof the contrary whereof is repugnant to the nature as likewise to the essence and greatnesse of Kings from whom wee are euer to expect the iudgement of truth Non decet Principem labium mentiens Lying lipps becometh not a Prince It is the saying of a King and of a King that was a Salomon who spake with the tongue of the Holy Ghost and it is an avouched and ratified Conclusion that the pen and the tongue of a King should alwayes tell the truth though it were against himselfe As likewise for to teach and instruct his subiects that they doe the like as also all others that shall treate with them For in vaine doth hee desire to heare truth that will not deale truly And perhapps for this cause the shortest of all other your words in allmost all Languages are your Yea and Nay There can be no shifting or doubling in them no going about the bush These words will admit no other construction but a bare affirmation or negation In the fewest words are the least falsehood and the least quarrell to be pick't against them Men cannot expatiate their excuses as they may where larger Language is vsed And therefore the other as it is the shortest so it is the surest way Wherefore Kings ought all wayes and in all and with all to treate truth being that it may be vttred with so much ease and facility and to suffer himselfe to be plainely vnderstood Contrary to the Tenent of a sort of vp-start Hereticks which these Times tearme Politicians who for to make good their Policie and Tyrannic●ll gouernment affirme That a King may for reason of State if hee see it may make for the conseruation thereof Dissemble deceiue breake his word and plight his faith without any purpose or meaning to keepe it fraud dissimulation and deceit of what condition soeuer it be being contrary vnto truth and contrary to the Law of nature which in all that it treates requireth truth and contrary to the Diuine Law which condemneth him that speakes not the truth but goes about to deceiue And our Sauiour Christ calls King Herod Foxe reprouing his wily shifts and deepe dissimulations and more particularly in putting on a face of sorrow before his Guestes that he feasted when he commanded Iohn Baptist's head to be smitten off it being the onely thing that hee most defired And hee likewise condemneth those Pharisaicall Hypocrites who by exteriour showes would haue that to be supposed of them which they neuer interained in their heart And the Angelicall Docter renders the reason of this Truth To dissemble saith he is to lye in the deed or thing it selfe For a Lye doth not cease to be a Lye nor to alter it's nature be it either in workes or in words So that a Lye may be found in the behauiour gesture or semblance that one maketh wherewith to deceiue and to giue vs to vnderstand that which is not As also in the manner of the word spoken or some circumstance to be gathered out of it Now that which makes it culpable is the doublenesse in the heart Which S. Austen subtlely considereth in that incounter of a mans meaning with his wordes Wherein there ought to be all equalitie and consonancie which is not truly kept when in our words wee shall say the contrary to that which is in our mindes Therefore a Christian King or his Minister may silence some things cast a cloake ouer them and not suffer themselues to be vnderstood and cunningly to dissemble that which they know of them as long as they shall thinke it necessary to be kept close and secrete for the good expedition of that which is in Treaty But a King or his Minister may not faigne deceiue dissemble or to giue that to be vnderstood by any open Act of his which he had not in his heart and bosome to doe All which hath no place in that which appertaineth vnto Faith wherein by the Law of God we haue obligation not onely to beleeue but also to confesse with all truth and plainnesse that which we beleeue without giuing to vnderstand by the least word or gesture ought to the contrary nor for the least moment of time though thereby we might saue our liues Whereby Kings and Christian Ministers are admonished how they may vse dissimulation how farre and for what time without treading in the path of their priuate profit through which your Politicians pretend to leade them leauing the high way of Truth wherewith accordeth whatsoeuer is iust and right shunneth all manner of lying which Truth and Time will at last bring to light It was the saying of King Theopompus That kingdomes and great Estates were conserued by Kings speaking Truth and by suffring others to speake the Truth vnto them For they being those whom it most importeth to heare truths none heare lesse King Antiochus all the time of his raigne sayd that he did not remember that euer hee had heard any more then one only truth It being the plague of Kings and Princes to haue that verified in their Pallaces and Courtes which was deliuered by Democritus Quod veritas in profundo puteo demersa latet That Truth l●es buryed in a deepe pit You shall scarce meete with one in an Age that dare tell Kings the Truth there being so many about them that sooth them vp with lyes and flatteries Seneca saith That of ten hundred thousand souldiers which Artaxerxes had in his Army there was but one onely that told him the truth in a case wherein all the rest did lye And amongst innumerable Prophets which concealed the truth from the king only Michah made
themselues to be absolute and to cumply in all things with their affections and desires nor to exercise any other personall passion For the vse and custome of absolute power is dangerous for Kings odious to the subiect and offensiue both to God and Nature And for that the last Kings of the Romanes vsed this power the name of King grew so hatefull that those that afterwards succeeded in the Romane gouernment durst not take vpon them the name of Kings but that of Emperours Which is by so much the more absolute by how much Imperare doth differ from Regere Yet notwithstanding the people of Rome did not so much feare this name of Emperour as that of King because those that last bore that name exercised on them this their absolute power So that it is not the name nor the office but the ill vsing thereof that makes it odious For it is neither the Title nor the Man that moueth or altereth the honest meaning minde of the plaine downe right subiect but deeds and actions that are done contrary to all right and reason Whereas on the contrary good vsage and good treatment keepes them in loue and peace and drawes them after him as it were in a string and to offer vp for his sake a voluntary sacrifice of their liues Let Kings consider that the Crowne speakes as much which they weare on their heads in forme of a Sphericall round figure which signifies limitem or terminum a limit or bound or rather that Circle out of which it is not lawfull for them to go no not one steppe The Crownes I say that they weare are Circles and Limits seruing to put them in minde that their power is limited and measured out vnto them that they may not passe the bounds of reason nor doe any thing but what is iust and lawfull Let the great Kings and Potentates of the earth moderate themselues and refraine from making themselues Gods by exercising this their absolute power let them acknowledge ouer them a God as well on earth as in heauen That hee may not grow wearie of their Monarchies and their gouernments as he did of that of the ancient Romanes and vtterly ouerthrow them prouoked and incited thereunto by the abuse of humane power For as Seneca saith Quod non potest vult posse qui nimium potest But the God of heauen is very nice and tender in admitting companions in any kinde of manner whatsoeuer but much more daintie in matter of iurisdiction and absolute power punishing the same with grieuous chastisements and many demonstrations of his fearefull anger and displeasure Aristotle saith that through the gouernment of those that are too absolute in their rule and command the gouernment is changed kingdomes altered and petty Princes rise vp against them who in such sort abate and bring downe their pride that they come to serue those whom before they did command Tully tearmes them of all other the most miserable which make their will a Law and thinke that they may doe all that they can Nero did then leaue off to be cruell when he vnderstood that he was permitted to doe what hee listed and that many did approue all his actions for good It is the ancient language of adulation to speake absolute power vnto Princes and to perswade them to follow their owne free will But this is a very dangerous thing if they once giue way thereunto and l●t such flatteries dwell in their eares for the resolutions of such a power will not suffer themselues to be so subiect as they ought to the iudgement of reason nor humane discourse In such a case a power from heauen is more needfull And this errour is now come to be in such request that to agree in all things with the will and pleasure of Kings is now made in the minds of some not onely a meanes of hope but esteemed as a great seruice and pledge of merit to receiue honours and rewards But this deceitfull meanes whereby they thinke to thriue shall when God shall see it fit be the onely knife to cut their throates for such kinde of men neuer escape punishment and most commonly receiue it from their Kings owne hand In strange and extraordinary cases and vpon iust occasions and iustifiable meanes Kings may somewhat inlarge the limits of their power so as they doe not go beyond that which reason and Christian prudence permitteth Plato saith that Prudence and power are to embrace each other and to walke hand in hand Qualities which ought to concurre in a good King signified in that Scepter with eyes which Ieremy saw power being in the one and wisdome in the other And in that other old ancient portraiture of a good King being a Lion placed on the top of Mercuries Mace which is a Scepter with two Snakes twining about it This signifying prudence and wisedome and that fortitude which should neuer be separated from a King By his power he is feared respected and obeyed he commands prohibites and executes By his wisedome he auerreth the truth of his actions and doth nothing but what is lawfull Wisedome tempereth power and both together vphold the world But if power forsake the fellowship of wisedome it growes to be absolute and runnes into a thousand indiscretions and commits as many wrongs and iniuries wherewith it desolateth and destroyeth euen the greatest States For there is not that ill wherein power doth not exceed if it haue not wisedome for it's bridle And for that a powerfull hand is so dangerous a thing Nature hath ordained and so ordered the businesse that the braine where wisedome hath it's residence should bee placed ouer it Which those ancient Doctors amongst the Gentiles did point at when they placed Minerua the Goddesse of wisedome vpon Iupiters head who of all the Gods is the most powerfull And therefore it was well said of him whosoeuer hee were that said Que vale mas saber que auer y poder Wealth and power are not comparable to wisedome Which saying is confirmed by the holy Ghost Melior est sapientia quam vires Et diuitias nihil esse duxi in comparatione illius Wisedome is better then strength I set more by her then by kingdomes and royall seates and count riches nothing in comparison of her The aduantage whereof is signified in that Hierogliffe of the Cocke who with his crowing makes the Lion to flie As Saint Ambrose and Aelian haue well obserued And that wise and iust man Iob doth much commend him for his knowledge and vnderstanding And Saint Gregory declareth that by him is to bee vnderstood a wise and prudent man who taketh hold on a fit and conuenient time for businesses and not onely aduiseth of but preuenteth all dangers and whatsoeuer hurt may befall The particular and generall experience which we haue of Histories teacheth vs how much it importeth for the conseruation and augmentation of a great Empire and Monarchie that he that is