imagined For nothing marreth more the behauior simplicitie and natural goodnes of any people than this bicause they soone receiue into their soules a liuely impression of that dissolutenes and villanie which they see and heare when it is ioyned with words accents gestures motions actions wherewith players and iuglers know how to inrich by all kind of artificiall sleights the filthiest and most dishonest matters which commonly they make choice of And to speake freely in few wordes we may truely say that the Theater of players is a schoole of all vnchastnes vncleannes whoredom craft subtletie and wickednes Now let vs speake of those that propound as we said vnto themselves the vainglory of outward shew among the best and men of great calling through friuolous vnprofitable and superfluous expences as in sumptuous and costly apparel precious and rich moueables goodly furniture and trapping of horses great traine of seruing men dogs birds other vanities gifts and presents sent to such as are vnwoorthie thereby to obtaine the good will of them that are most wicked in authoritie to the end to prepare a way vnto high callings and to preferments vnto offices Besides the wasting of their goods hereupon to their shame and confusion which they should imploy vpon charitable works they spend many times other mens goods euen the substance of the poore which they craftily get by vnlawfull meanes This is that which at length as Crates the Philosopher said very well stirreth vp ciuill warres seditions and tyrannies within cities to the end that such voluptuous men and ambitious of vaine glorie fishing in a troubled water may haue wherewith to maintaine their foolish expences and so come to the ende of their platformes Heerof we haue many examples in the ciuil wars amongst the Romanes as namely vnder Cinna Carbo Marius and Sylla Likewise in the conspiracie of Catiline his complices who being of the chiefe families in Rome and perceiuing themselues to be brought to the estate of bankrupts as we commonly say sought by all meanes to prosecute their first deliberation which was alwaies to seeme great and mightie Thus dealt Caesar in procuring to his countrey that ciuill warre which he made against Pompey after he had indebted himselfe in seuen hundred and fiftie thousand crownes to get the fauor and good liking of the people This is that which Heraclitus meant to teach his countreymen when after a sedition appeased and quieted being asked what waie were best to be taken that the like should not fall out againe he went vp into that place from whence orations were made to the people there in steed of speaking began to eate a morsell of browne bread and to drinke a glasse of water Which being done he came downe againe and spake neuer a word Heerby he would signifie that vntill daintines of fare were banished the citie and immoderate expences cut off and sobrietie and modesty brought in their place they should neuer be without sedition If this counsell were euer requisite in a Monarchie it is certainly most necessarie at this present for ours wherein all kind of supersluitie riot and weltring in pleasures curiositie in apparell tapistrie and pictures vessels perfumes and painting of faces aboundeth in greater measure than heertofore it did amongst the Persians which was the cause of their finall subuersion and of Alexanders greatnes who subdued them That which for the space of fiue hundred yeeres and more maintained the Lacedemonian estate being the chiefest in Grecia for glory and goodnes of gouernment was the cutting off and abolishing of all superfluitie in diet apparel moueables and of all strang wares which Lycurgus banished Whereby also forraine merchants the cause of corruption banished themselues as they that seeke not after others but for gaine by selling their nouelties very deere vnto them Neither did the Romane Commonwealth florish more at any time than when those men that caried about them perfumes and sweetesmels and those women that were found swilling like drunkards were corrected with the same punishment This caused Cato being the Censurer of the election of two captaines that one of them might be sent as General of the Pannonian warre to say with a loud voice that he would dismisse Publius his Allie bicause he neuer saw him returne wounded from the war but had seene him walke vp and downe the citie of Rome perfumed What would he haue said of our Courtiers so finely curled ruft and perfumed The Kings and Magistrats of those so happie times were the principall obseruers of their owne lawes and edicts reforming themselues before all others and liuing so austerely that their example constrained their subiects more to follow them than all the punishments which they could haue deuised to propound vnto them We haue a notable testimonie heereof in Agis king of Sparta who in his returne from the warre wherein he had ouercome the Athenians being desirous to sup priuately with his wife sent into the kitchen that was appointed for his band and company for they liued all in common being seuered into quarters to haue his portion But this was denied him and the next morning for this fact he was fined by the Ephories who were ioined in soueraigne authoritie with the kings for the maintenance of lawes and of iustice in which sentence and iudgement of theirs he willingly rested But to returne to our matter how ought we to blush for our riot and excesse in apparell which we maintaine with such glorie What follie is it to imploy the industrie of the soule ordained for heauenlie things in trimming decking and gilding hir enimie hir prison and if I may so speake hir poison the bodie Excesse of apparell saith Erasmus is an argument of the incontinencie of the soule and rather whetteth the eies of the beholders thereof to wicked desires than to any honest opinion and conceite Decke not thy house saith Epictetus with tables and pictures but paint it with temperance For the one is to feede the eies vainely but the other is an eternall ornament and such a one as can neuer be defaced If we make account of things of small importance we despise those that are of great weight but in not caring at all for little things we make our selues woorthie of great admiration That great Monarke Augustus Caesar ware no other garments than such as his wife and daughters made and those very modest Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia neuer had but one kind of garment for winter and sommer Epaminondas Generall Captaine of the Thebanes was contented with one onely gowne al the yeere long Further if we looke vnto their simplicitie and modestie in their traine and followers truely it was woorthie of reuerence being without pride pompe or superfluous magnificence Scipio Africanus that great Captaine going as delegate into Asia to compound and end certaine contentions that were betweene the kings of that countrey was accompanied but
consequently the bond and preseruatiue of humane societie But if we being well instructed by the spirite of wisedome feede the hungrie giue drinke to the thirsty lodge them that want harbour and clothe the naked sowing in this manner by the works of pietie that talent which is committed to our keeping we shall reape abundantly in heauen the permanent riches treasures of eternall life Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie Chap. 42. ACHITOB IF that diuiue rule of Cicero were aswell written in our hart as he desired to haue it setled in his sonne that onely that thing is to be iudged profitable which is not wicked and that nothing of that nature should seeme profitable we should not behold amongst vs so many cursed acts as are daily committed through the vnbrideled desire of the goods of this world For that which most of all troubleth men is when they thinke that the sin which they purpose to practise is but small in respect of the gaine thereby craftily separating profite from honestie and so suffering themselues to be ouercome of couetousnes which is the defect of liberalitie whereof we discoursed euen now whose excesse also is Prodigalitie of which two vices we are now to intreat ASER. Every one that coueteth treasures said Anacharsis one of the wise men of Graecia is hardly capable of good coūsell and instruction For the couetous man commonly murmureth at that which God permitteth and nature doth so that he will sooner take vpon him to correct God than to amend his life AMANA It is a hard matter said Socrates for a man to bridle his desire but he that addeth riches therunto is mad For couetousnes neither for shame of the world nor feare of death will not represse or moderate it self But it belongeth to thee ARAM to instruct vs in that which is here propounded ARAM. Since the greedie desire of heaping vp gold and siluer entred in amongst men with the possession of riches couetousnesse folowed and with the vse of them pleasures and delights whereupon they began to saile in a dangerous sea of all vices which hath so ouerflowen in this age of ours that there are very few towers how high so euer seated but it hath gone vp a great deale aboue them For this cause I see no reason why men should esteeme so much or iudge it such a happy thing to haue much goodly land many great houses and huge summes of readie money seeing all this doth not teach them not to be caried away with passions for riches and seeing the possession of them in that maner procureth not a contentation void of the desire of them but rather inflameth vs to desire them more through an insatiable couetousnes which is such a pouerty of the soul that no worldly goods can remedie the same For it is the nature of this vice to make a man poore all his life time that he may find him self rich only at his death Moreouer it is a desire that hath this thing proper and peculiar to it selfe to resist and to refuse to be satisfied whereas all other desires helpe forward the same and seeke to content those that serue thē Couetousnesse saith Aristotle is a vice of the soule whereby a man desireth to haue from all partes without reason and vniustly with-holdeth that which belongeth to another It is sparing and skantie in giuing but excessiue in receiuing The Poet Lucretius calleth it a blind desire of goods And it mightily hindereth the light of the soule causing the couetous man to be neuer contented but the more he hath the more to desire and wish for The medicine which he seeketh namely gold and siluer encreaseth his disease as water doth the dropsie and the obtaining thereof is alwaies vnto him the beginning of the desire of hauing He is a Tantalus in hell who between water and meat dieth of hunger Now it is very sure that to such as are wise and of sound iudgement nature hath limited certaine bounds of wealth which are traced out vpon a certaine Center and vpon the circumference of their necessitie But couetousnesse working cleane contrary effects in the spirit of fooles carieth away the naturall desire of necessarie things to a disordinate appetite of such things as are full of danger rare and hard to be gotten And which is worse compelling the auaritious to procure them with great payne and trauell it forbiddeth him to enioy them and stirring vp his desire depriueth him of the pleasure Stratonicus mocked in olde ryme the superfluitie of the Rhodians saying that they builded as if they were immortall and rushed into the kitchin as if they had but a little while to liue But couetous men scrape togither like great and mightie men and spend like mechanicall and handy-craftesmen They indure labour in procuryng but want the pleasure of enioying They are like Mules that carie great burthens of golde and siluer on their backes and yet eate but hay They enioy neyther rest nor libertie which are most precious and most desired of a wise man but liue alwayes in disquietnesse being seruauntes and slaues to their richesse Their greatest miserie is that to encrease and keepe their wealth they care neither for equitie or iustice they contemne all lawes both diuine and humane and all threatnings and punishmentes annexed vnto them they liue without friendship and charitie and lay holde of nothyng but gayne When they are placed in authoritie and power aboue others they condemne the innocent iustifie the guiltie and finde alwayes some cleanly cloke and colour of taking and of excusing as they thinke their corruption and briberie making no difference betweene duetie and profite Wherfore we may well say in a word That couetousnes is the roote of all euill For what mischiefs are not procured through this vice From whence proceed quarels strifes suites hatred and enuie theftes pollings sackings warres murders and poisonings but from hence God is forgotten our neighbour hated and many times the sonne forgiueth not his father neither the brother his brother nor the subiect his Lord for the desire of gaine In a worde there is no kind of crueltie that couetousnesse putteth not in practise It causeth hired and wilfull murders O execrable impietie to be well thought of amongst vs. It causeth men to breake their faith giuen to violate all friendship to betray their countrey It causeth subiectes to rebell against their princes gouernours and magistrates when not able to beare their insatiable desires nor their exactions and intollerable subsidies they breake foorth into publike and open sedition which troubleth common tranquillitie whereupon the bodie politike is changed or for the most part vtterly ouerthrowen Moreouer the excesse of the vertue of liberalitie which is prodigalitie may be ioyned to couetousnesse and than there is no kind of vice but raigneth with all licence in that soule that hath these two guestes lodged togither And bicause it is a thing that
were altogither Aristocratical or Democratical or Monarchicall In looking to the power of the Consuls a man would haue iudged it Monarchical Roial to the Senators Aristocratical to the Tribunes common sort Democratical The Venetians in their Cōmonwealth represent al these estates Their great Councel hauing soueraign power wherof the Senat the authority of al their Magistrats dependeth doth represent the Popular estate The Duke who is President as long as he liueth representeth the roial power bicause he especially retaineth the grauity dignity therof And the Colledge of ten men with the Colledge of ancients commonly called Sages representeth the Aristocraty as Contarenus writeth As for our French Monarchy it may wel be said also to be partaker of all 3. in regard of the gouernment therof albeit in truth the estate therof is a simple pure Monarchy For the king is the Monarch beloued obeied reuerenced who although he haue all power soueraigne authority to cōmand to do what he will yet this great soueraigne liberty seemeth in some sort to be ruled limited by good lawes ordinances and by the multitude great authority of Officers Counsellors who are aswell neere his person as in sundry places of his kingdom The 12. Peeres the secret priuy councels the Parliament great Councel the Chambers of accounts the Treasorers Generals of charges resemble in some sort the Aristocraty The States yeerely helde in the Prouinces the Mairalties of townes Shreeualties Consulships Capitolats Church-wardens are as it were the forme of a Democraty as Siessel declareth more at large Moreouer the general Estates of the Realme which are woont to be gathered togither to deliberate the king being President of all matters concerning the Estate doe they not sufficiently testifie the happie order therof drawing neere to the gouernment of a good Oeconomist when the king as Aristotle saith commandeth in his kingdome as a good father of a familie ruleth ouer his children with loue and according to right and iustice Wherefore although all the authoritie of Officers Counsellors Parliaments and Estates dependeth as riuers of a fountaine of the onely power of their king and Prince yet of his fatherly and royall goodnes he granteth them such authoritie that hardly could he do any thing that were very violent or too preiudiciall to his subiects And if some such actions may be noted they come rather through the fault of his Counsellors than from his Maiesty Thus let vs conclude with Plato that the royall gouernment and authority ought to be preferred before all others policies as that which draweth neerest to the diuinitie But it must haue a Senate of good men ioined vnto it after the forme of an Aristocratie as our kings haue alwaies vsed to haue of their natural benignitie which maketh them inclinable to all exercises of vertue pietie and iustice Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tyranny Chap. 58. ACHITOB THe varietie of manners and inclinations to diuers things which is we see particularly in euery one from his birth and generally throughout all nations of the world disposeth without doubt the people as they growe in age and iudgement and according to their bringing vp to like one kind of gouernment rather than another But Frenchmen haue euen to these last times caried away the praise of a more naturall and constant disposition loue obedience and fidelitie towards the maiestie of a king than other nations euer shewed to their forme of estate and gouernment For amongst them all there is not one nation to be found that hath so constantly continued in their lawes and ancient customes without any alteration and change as this flourishing Monarchie which hath also gone beyond them all in goodnes and mildnes of gouernment as we may see better my Companions if we compare with it those sundry sorts of Monarchies which haue been heretofore and doe at this day flourish of which many come as neere to a tyrannie as ours is farre distant from it And to make a tyrannie appeere more odious we will consider the pernitious and miserable estate thereof ASER. As it properly belongeth to a royall estate to gouerne and to rule subiects not according to the sensuall appetite and disordered will of the Prince but by maturitie of counsell and by obseruation of lawes and of iustice so it agreeth with a tyrant to raigne by his absolute will without all regard either of lawes or of the precepts of iustice AMANA A tyrant saith Seneca differeth from a king in effect not in name The one seeketh his owne profite onely and the other the profite of the Common-wealth Now let vs heare ARAM who will teach vs to discerne them well by their works ARAM. Amongst all the Monarchies that euer were or are at this daye among men most of the ancient authors and great Politicks haue noted out fiue sundric sortes of which I purpose heere to discourse particularly with briefe examples that the excellencie of ours may the better appeere ouer others especially ouer those that decline much vnto tyrannye whose shame and infamie I will heere display The first and most ancient kind of Monarchy was that which was voluntarily offered by the people for some heroicall vertue appeering in those men whom they iudged worthie to gouerne them iustly and vprightly And when they continued in this sort to declare themselues benefactors of the multitude in gathering them togither in giuing vnto them territories and in distributing lands among them in finding out of arts in making of warre and in the administration of iustice vnto them their authoritie and power did lawfully descend to their successors who had soueraigne power in time of warre and were chiefe in certain solemn ceremonies of their sacrifices Herodotus Demosthenes Aristotle Cicero and many others make mention of this kind of Monarchy After the floud when the number of men increased Noah perswaded his children and others of his posteritie to disperse themselues in diuers countries to till the ground and to build townes and to this ende he assigned to euery one his Prouince by lot Nimrod the sonne of Cush whose grandfather Noah was abode with his men in the land of the Chaldeans and was their first king and the first king of Babylon He was the first that beganne to extend his bounds by force vpon his neighbours sending whole companies of people into many and diuers countries to laye the foundations of other kingdomes as histories doe giue vs certaine knowledge thereof This is the cause why many establish the first Monarchy in Assyria vnder him We read also in good authors that the first and ancient kings of Egypt kept themselues a long time in this heroical vertue which had procured vnto them their dignitie They liued not disorderedly as those doe who bicause of their dominion iudge their owne will to be a iust lawe for them but they followed
the constitutions of lawes aswell in the gathering of their duties and tributes as in their manner of life They vsed the seruice of Noble mens and of Princes children onely who were of the age of twentie yeeres and were instructed in all sciences The reason whereof was that the king being pricked forward with the sight of thē that were about him might beware how he committed any thing woorthie of reproch And truly there is nothing that corrupteth Princes so much as vitious seruants who seeke to please their sensuall desires and affections When the king arose in the morning he was bound first to take and receiue all the letters and requests that were brought vnto him that answering necessarie matters first all his affaires might be guided by order and reason Then he went to the Temple to offer sacrifice to the gods where the Prelate and chiefe Priest after the sacrifice and praiers were ended rehearsed with a loud voice in the presence of the people what vertues were in the king what reuerence and religion towardes the gods was in him and what clemencie and humanitie towards men Moreouer he told that he was continent iust noble-minded true liberall one that brideled his desires and punished malefactors with a more mild and light punishment than the greatnes of their sinne and offence required rewarding also his subiects with graces gifts that were greater than their deserts This done he exhorted the king to a happie life agreeable to the gods and likewise to good manners by following after honor and vertue and therewithall propounded vnto him certaine examples of the excellent deedes of ancient kings thereby to prouoke him the rather therunto These kings liued with simple meates as with veale birds for all dishes they kept very exactly all the lawes and ordinances of their countrie in euery point of their life which was no lesse directed euen in the least things than the simplest of their subiects And truly so long as the kings of Egypt were such zealous obseruers of their lawes and of iustice raigned peaceably among their subiects they brought many strang nations into their subiection gathered togither infinite riches whereby they adorned their countrie with great buildings and sumptuous works and decked their townes with many gifts and benefits The Barbarian kingdomes were the second kinde of Monarchy namely the ancient Monarchies of the Assyrians Medes and Persians whose Princes vsurped Lordlie rule ouer their goods and persons and gouerned their subiects as a father of a familie doth his slaues Which kind of gouernment sauoureth more of a tyrannie than of a kingdome besides it is directly against the law of nature which keepeth euery one in his libertie and in the possession of his owne goods Notwithstanding when by the law of Arms and of iust warre a Prince is made Lord ouer any people they properly belong to him that conquereth and they that are ouercome are made his slaues by the ancient consent of all nations and this maketh the difference betweene the Lord-like Monarchy and a tyrannic which abuseth free subiects as slaues Of this second kinde of Monarchy was the kingdome of Persia as Plato writeth vnder Cambyses Xerxes and other kings vntill the last Darius For vsurping more absolute authoritie to rule than was conuenient they began to contemne their Vassals and to account of them as of slaues and putting no more confidence in them they intertained into their seruice mercenarie souldiors and strangers whereby they made their owne subiects vnfit for warre and so in the end lost their estate when it seemed to haue attained to the top of worldlie prosperitie Such is the estate of the Turke at this day wherein he is sole Lord commanding ouer his subiects in rigorous manner aswell ouer the Musulmans as Christians and Iewes He vseth in his principall affaires which concerne peace and warre and matters of gouernment the seruice of runnagate slaues whom he placeth in authoritie changeth or deposeth as he thinks good without peril and enuie yea he strangleth them vpon the least suspition or dislike conceiued of them not sparing his owne children and others of his blood if they anger him So did Sultan Solyman deale with Hibrahim Bascha who was almost of equall authoritie with him insomuch that he was there called the Seignour king of the Ianitzaries the Bascha and king of the men of Armes Neuertheles in one night wherin he made him stay sup with him lie in his owne chamber he caused him to be slaine and his bodie to be cast into the sea The morrow after he seazed vpon his goods as confiscate and caried them away and yet no man euer knewe the cause of his death except it were this that he was growne too great and consequently suspected of his maister who was a Tyrant rather than a King Likewise he keepeth in his hands all the Lordships of his kingdome which he distributeth to men of warre who are charged to maintaine a certaine number of men of Armes and of horses according to the rate of their reuenew and when it pleaseth him he taketh them away againe Neither is there any man in all the countries vnder his obedience that possesseth Townes Castles and Villages or dwelleth in strong houses or that dare build higher than one storie or than a Dooue-house The great Knes or Duke of Moscouia exceedeth for seueritie and rigour of commanding all the Monarchs in the world hauing obtained such authoritie ouer his subiects both Ecclesiasticall and secular that he may dispose of their goods and liues at his pleasure so that none dare gainesay him in any thing They confesse publikely that the will of their prince is the will of God and that whatsoeuer he doth is done by the will of God The king of Ethiopia is also a Lordlike Monarch hauing as Paulus Iouius affirmeth 50. kings no lesse subiect vnto him than slaues And Frauncis Aluarez writeth that he hath seene the great Chancellour of that countrie scourged starke naked with other Lords as the very slaues of the prince wherein they thinke themselues greatly honoured The Emperour Charles the fift hauing brought vnder his obedience the kingdome of Peru made himselfe soueraigne Lord thereof in regard of goods which the subiects haue not but as they farme them or for terme of life at the most The third kind of Monarchy whereof the Ancients made mention was that of Lacedemonia wherein the king had not absolute power but in time of warre out of the countrie and a certaine preheminence ouer the sacrifices We made mention of their gouernment before The first kings in Rome were sacrificers also and afterward the emperors called themselues Pontifices that is chiefe bishops and those of Constantinople were consecrated as our kings of Frāce are In like maner the Caliphaes of the Sarasins were kings and chiefe bishops in their religion the
the Prince his hart all good order of his Estate dependeth and that his pietie is of great force to awaken his subiects in their dutie namely when they see him followe and cleaue to true religion without faining and dissimulation Therefore he must carefully prouide that false doctrines heresies blasphemies agaynst the name of GOD and his truth with other offences in matters of religion be not openly broached sowne amongst the people but that some publike forme of Christian religion may alwaies be seene in his kingdome which is the sure foundation of euery well established Monarchy But heerein that which I said before is diligently to be noted namely that the Prince through wisedome craued before at the hands of God must be well assured of his diuine iust and eternall will and according to that take order that true pietie may not be publikely violated and polluted by an vncorrected libertie Next we will briefly comprehend all those points which ancient men both Philosophers and Christians haue required in an absolute and perfect Prince in three principall duties and actions that is in ruling iudging and in defending He must rule by good lawes and by good example iudge by wisedome prouidence and iustice and defend by prowes care and vigilancie These duties that excellent greek Orator and Philosopher Isocrates seemeth to haue couertly contained in these words which he wrote to Nicocles the Prince This may prooue vnto thee that thou hast raigned well if thou seēst that the people which is subiect vnto thee encrease in modestie and wealth vnder thy gouernment For good lawes iustice and good example of life make subiects better and prudence ioined with fortitude and prowes richer Now that a good Prince I call him good and iust that imploieth all his power to be such a one being ready to spend his bloud and life for his people may attaine to these excellent qualities his loue and affection towards his subiects is very necessarie as that which is able to preserue the indissoluble bond of mutuall good will betweene them him which is one of the surest meanes to maintaine great Estates and Monarchies Next he is to begin the good ordering of his Estate at himselfe and reforme first of all all disorder in his owne life and maners correct those things that are most secrete in his court knowing that from thence forward he must liue as it were in an open Theater where he is seene on euery side so that his life will be a discipline and instruction of good or ill liuing vnto others Therefore let him striue to excell those whom he ruleth to surmount them as far in vertues as he surpasseth them in riches honor Amongst al those that followe him he must alwaies haue the wisest next his person cal others from al parts neere vnto him not refusing or contemning any man of skill reputation He must often heare them learne of them being a Iudge amongst such as are lesse skilfull striue to go beyōd the best learned through diligence and studye By which kind of exercises he shal knowe how to gouerne the estate of his kingdom vprightly cannot but do such things as are praise-woorthy And forasmuch as common tranquillity publike quietnes is one principal end of ciuil societie the first duty of a good king towards his subiects is to maintaine them in peace concord For it is vnpossible that a Common-wealth should flourish in religion iustice charitie integrity of life briefly in all things necessary for the preseruation therof if the subiects enjoy not an exceeding great assured peace Let the Prince then without intermission seeke after the safest meanes to keepe his kingdome in quietnes rest let him deliuer his subiects from calamitie let him be careful of al things which may be profitable commodious vnto them let him command them with mildnes teach them obedience by the vprightnes of his commandements Let him not suffer his people to be ouer insolent nor yet to be troden vnder foote and oppressed but let him take order that such as are most honest may be preferred to honors offices that the rest may not any way be wronged He must alter those ciuill lawes and customs of liuing which being ill established are preiudiciall to his subiects and ordaine all iust and profitable lawes agreeing with themselues and such as breeding but fewe suites among his people may briefly iudge and decide them according to right and equitie In this point a good Prince must vse great care and diligence that iustice may be well administred to the preseruation of euery mans right and to the punishment of the wicked This is that which the spirite of God so often commandeth namely to execute iudgement and righteousnes to deliuer the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor not to vexe the stranger the fatherles nor the widow to doe no violence nor shed innocent blood And these selfe same things must he cause to be obserued by them that are appointed to exercise iustice in his name Which bicause it was neglected by many kings they lost both life and kingdome as we read of Phillip king of Macedonia a very mild Prince and of an excellent nature who was neuertheles slaine by Pausanias bicause he delaied a long time to let him haue right and iustice concerning an iniurie which an other had offered him Demetrius also lost his kingdome bicause he could not abide to heare his subiects but especially for this matter One day when many supplications were presented vnto him he put them into the plaites of his cloake and passing ouer a bridge he threwe them all into the water and would not once vouchsafe to read them whereupon the people being filled with indignation rebelled against him On the other side a good Prince ought freely and at all howers of the day to heare the complaints of his subiects and to prouide thereafter as one that is truly zealous of iustice clemencie and goodnes which are rather diuine than humane qualities and most proper to him that will conforme himselfe asmuch as may be as it becommeth him to that heauenlye vertue which is alwaies iust and mercifull and as Plutarke saith ruleth all things without compulsion mollifieng the necessitie of obeying by admonition and perswasion of reason Nothing is more conuenient for a Soueraigne than gentlenes for a Prince than clemencie for a King than mercie and yet seueritie and rigour of iustice are no lesse necessarie ornaments for the discharge of his dutie and the good of his subiects Therfore in that which concerneth diuine and naturall right the punishment established for the transgression therof he must alwaies vse iustice and beware least his facilitie in granting fauor dispensations make him a promoter of euill which as Seneca saith if he leaue vnpunished is transferred vnto his posteritie But
when the Prince onely is offended through some light contempt or excusable breach of his Edicts it cannot but be commendable in him to vse pardon pitie These are those strong and mighty chaines which as Dion said to Dionysius the king of Syracusa will preserue his kingdom in a happy flourishing and peaceable estate I meane goodnes and iustice For force feare the multitude of his gard assure not the estate of a Prince so well as the good wil affection fauour and loue of his subiects which he may obtaine by goodnes and iustice They onely said Marcus Aurelius instructing his sonne are to hold a kingdom long time without danger who by good behauiour and iust dealing imprint in the harts of their subiects not a feare of their power but a mutuall loue of their vertue For those subiects are to bee suspected that serue through constraint and extremitie not they that obey being mooued with reason and gentlenes These holie precepts were so well put in practice by this good Emperour Marcus Aurelius that all his subiects had very easie accesse vnto him insomuch that albeit he were a great Monarch yet he neuer had any gard no not so much as a Porter to his Pallace Likewise king Numa put from him those three hundred Archers which Romulus vsed to haue for his gard saying that he would not distrust that people which put their trust in him nor command ouer that people that distrusted him To this purpose when Plato sawe the aboue-named Dionysius compassed about with many souldiours of his Gard he sayd vnto him What Hast thou committed so many euils that thou standest in neede of such a Gard of armed fellowes Nowe it is most certaine that the obedience of the subiect springeth and proceedeth from the loue of his Lord as also that the loue of the Lord increaseth through the obedience of the subiect But bicause the wickednes of men is so great at this day that they which striue to be very gratious are contemned and despised it is very necessary that the Prince should shew foorth a certaine kind of grauitie and seueritie and according to the times places persons and occasions that are offred cause his power and the maiestie of his commandements to be perceiued being alwaies the stronger bicause in matter of Estate a man may holde this for an vndoubted principle that he is maister of the estate who is maister of the forces Thus the gentlenes of the Prince accompanied with seueritie his bountie mingled with rigor and his facilitie with austeritie will be the meanes that his vertue shall attaine to a harmonical iustice which distributeth vprightly that which appertaineth to euery one reward to whome reward punishment to whome punishment belongeth From these duties offices of a good Prince towards his subiects already mentioned proceedeth the fatherly care which he hath of their prosperitie in the preseruation encrease of their cōmodities riches so far off is he from all headlong desire to inuade spoile them He considereth wisely that although he hath authoritie power ouer the goods of his subiects yet not in such sort as he hath ouer his owne demaine or as if the proprietie therof belonged to him but only to this end to demand aide succor for the good profit of the Common-wealth Homer bringing in Achilles offring great iniuries to Agamemnon against whome he was sore incensed saith that he called him Deuourer of the people and contrariwise when he would in other places praise the king he termeth him Sheepheard of the people And truly they are vnworthy of the title of Prince that lending their eares to such as inuent new subsidies impose them daily on their subiects hauing against all humanitie spoiled them of their goods riches consume them miserably vpon pleasures or cruelly in warre when they might aswel suffer their poore subiects to liue in peace When Marcus Antonius was in Asia he doubled the taxe and laid a second charge vpon them that he might haue wherewith to furnish his immoderate expences The Estates of the Countrie sent Hebreas to shewe him howe the case stoode with them who vsing a maruellous freedome of speech spake vnto him in this manner If thou wilt haue power to laye vppon vs two taxes in one yeere thou must also haue power to giue vs two Summers and two Autumns two Haruests and two Vintages Further he added this Asia hath paied thee 200000. Talents that was six score millions of gold if all this summe came not into thy cofers call them to account that haue receiued it But if thou hast receiued it and yet hast nothing left we are cast away and vndone These words ought to be well noted of a prudent Prince that he may throughly consider with himselfe and keepe a register of all that is leauied of the poore people in his name least some few about him fat themselues with the oppression and ouerthrow of many as it commonly falleth out and let him be so carefull of the blood and substance of that bodie wherof he is head that he profit all the members equally Ezechiel crieth out against such Princes as deuoure the substaunce of their Vassals by loanes and taxes Apollonius saith that the gold which is taken from subiects by tyrannie is more vile than iron bicause it is wet with the teares of their poore subiects Artaxerxes said that it was a great deale more seemelier for the Maiestie of a king to giue than to take by polling and to cloath than to vncloath the one belonging to theeues and not to Princes and Kings vnles they will falsifie staine their name King Darius sent for all the gouernors of the Prouinces vnder his subiection and enquired of them among other things whether the taxes and tributes were not too excessiue whereunto when they made answere that they thought them moderate he presently commanded that they should raise but the one halfe thereof esteeming the loue of his subiects a richer treasure than all the heapes of gold which he might haue gathered We may not heere forget to propound to kings the example of that good king S. Lewes the ninth of that name who was the first that raised a taxe in his kingdom but it was onely by way of a necessarie subside during the warre not vsing it as an ordinarie receite Directing his speech to Philip his eldest sonne and successor he vttered these words in his Testament which is yet to be found in the treasorie of France and is registred in the Chamber of accounts Be deuout in the seruice of God haue a pitifull and charitable hart towards the poore and comfort them with thy good decdes Obserue the good lawes of thy kingdom take no taxes nor beneuolences of thy subiects vnles vrgent necessitie euident commoditie force thee vnto it and then vpon a iust cause and not vsually if thou doest
all ioyned togither against the house of Fraunce durst not take in hand after the taking of Frauncis the first and the losse of that famous battell Not one of them durst enter into Fraunce to conquere it knowing the lawes and nature of this Monarchie For as a building layd vpon deepe foundations and made of lasting stuffe well knit and ioyned togither in euery part feareth neither windes nor stormes but easily resisteth all assaults and violence so this kingdom will not easily admit any alteration and change as long as all the members continue vnited and ioyned togither vpon the foundation of their lawes Therefore let the king princes their councell great and small euery one in his place take order that God may be truly knowen and sincerely serued according to his iust and righteous will that honest behauiour may be maintained the authoritie of lawes kept iustice administred magistracie duely exercised rewards and punishments distributed equally that vertuous men may be honored and the wicked corrected Otherwise if we cōtinue long diuided into companies with defiances passing repassing if we persist in our wonted inuectiues and riots referre not all our actions to some good ende let vs not looke for lesse than for a generall desolation and pitifull ouerthrow of our countrey appeering already in many places thereof or at least for some horrible mutation and change of the estate Of the causes that breed the change corruption and finall ruine of Monarchies and Policies Chap. 64. AMANA AS long as the Physition knoweth not the cause of his Patients disease it is impossible for him to remedy the same to prescribe a medicine to the sicke partie A disease knowen saith the Prouerbe is in a maner cured So fareth it with Estates and Monarchies that are changed marred and in the end brought to ruine by diuers causes which if they were wel knowen to their princes and gouernors might easily be preuented by prudence and reason and fit remedies then applied to those euils that dispose lead thē to mutation when the natural corruptiō that is in them as euery thing hath his proper inward corruption of which it is eaten and consumed beginneth to spread it selfe to the best parts to marre all Go to then my companions hauing seen the nature of seditions let vs seek out the causes that stirre them vp whereby Estates and Monarchies are changed marred and in the end ouerthrowen ARAM. The diuision that is between subiects of one and the same prince ariseth for the most part of discontentment where-with some are mooued vpon iniurie or contempt or else of feare that men haue of the light or to auoyd some euil or of great idlenesse pouertie and neede ACHITOB. There are as I take it two causes intermingled which breede this franticke Feauer of our Fraunce the one proceeding from the Estate the other from religion But let vs heare ASER to whome the handling of this subiect offered nowe vnto vs belongeth ASER. There is no beginning of any thing whatsoeuer so small which through continuance perseuerance is not soone made great and strong if vpon slight account thereof it be not stayed Euery euill as Cicero saith in the first sproute thereof may be easily stopped but being inueterate is more strong and vneasie to be suppressed So that if it be mette withall before it appeare and breake foorth the danger is lesse although it proceed first from the necessitie of naturall corruption which is in all things that are created and is to be seene euen in things without sense as Mil-dew in wheate rottennesse in wood rust in brasse and iron yea euery thing is corrupted by it own euill howsoeuer it escapeth all outward harmes Therefore as a good Phisition preuenteth diseases and if one part be suddenly touched with raging payne asswageth the present euill and then applieth remedies to the causes of the disease so a wise prince or gouernor of a Common-wealth ought to preuent as much as is possible the ordinarie changes of all estates which ouer-take them either by outward force or by inward diseases When they beginne he must stay them whatsoeuer it cost him and then looke what the causes are of those diseases that are farthest from effect and apply conuenient and apt remedies vnto them Now it is certaine that if a man would throughly meet with all hurtfull things or otherwise cure any such euill when it happeneth hee must know their causes whereof the effect dependeth which is the very entraunce to all good helpes and remedies what so-euer Fore-seene mischiefes as the Poet saith hurt not so much as those that come vnlooked for A wise man premeditateth all that may happen but it falleth out contrary to fooles And if we haue neuer so small an in-sight into the condition and state of worldly thinges wee can not in any wise doubt of this that euery Common-wealth after it is come to the toppe of persection which is the flourishing estate thereof hath but a short tyme of continuance whether hir ouerthrowe proceedeth from the violence of hir enimies when shee thinkes hir selfe safest or whether she waxe olde through long tract of tyme and so ende by hir inward diseases or whether she sodainly decay and fall downe with hir owne waight by reason of some other hidden cause Which chaunges of Common-wealths beyng matter sufficient to make a great booke we are according to the sequele of our discourse to consider chiefly of the causes that for the most part stirre vp sedition and breed the alteration and finall ouerthrowe of Estates and Monarchies The Philosophers propound foure causes of euery thing the efficient the materiall the formall and the finall cause The efficient cause of seditions is double the one neere the other remooued a farre off The neere or next cause are the authors of seditions by whose counsell direction and helpe they are stirred vp and brought to passe By the cause remooued a far off I meane those things for which men are prouoked to raise seditions and of which we are chiefly to intreat in this place They are the matter of seditions against whome they are raised as princes and magistrates who are superiours and sometime their subiectes beyng inferiours The forme of sedition is the stirring vp of the people noyse out-cries batteries murders ciuill warre the taking of townes spoyling of countreys burning and banishment If it bee of subiectes towardes their lordes and superiours it is called rebellion if betweene subiectes or equals it is called a faction The ende of seditions is that for which they are first mooued and stirred vp Aristotle setteth down foure ends of seditions namely profit honor with their contraries losse dishonor For men are commonly mooued to sedition either through hope of profit honor or else through feare of losse and dishonor towards themselues or their friends so that they desire the one
matters before they can passe Officers in France sworne to let nothing passe that is hurtfull to the realme notwithstanding the king his cōmandement Of a tiranny of the name of a tirant The difference between a good king and a tyrant Diogenes girdeth Dionysius Of the miserable condition of tyrants Democles was quickly wearie of the estate of Dionysius A tyrant cannot long continue Tyrants haue commonly an euil end Examples of the extraordinarie deaths of tyrants Rewards appointed for murderers of tyrants It is not lawfull for any to kill his Prince although a tyrant Custome goeth beyond nature in that which is euil The chiefe hope of a prince dependeth next to God of his institution A notable comparison Why great care is to be had in the institution of a prince The kingdom of France goeth only from male to male The barbarous crueltie of Selim The custome of electing of a king in Ethiopia The custome of succession in Calecuth When a prince may best be corrected The best token of remembrāce that a Prince can leaue behind him How a prince ought to liue himselfe and to bring vp his children What teachers a yong prince must haue Two properties requisite in him that teacheth a prince What maner of persons must be about the prince The duty of him that is chosen to bring vp the prince To make a good prince is to do good to all his people The inclination of a yong prince must first be knowen How a yong prince must be taught Deu. 17. 18. 19 The law of God belongeth to the prince When a Common-wealth is happy The agreement between a Philosopher and a Christian Wherin a prince ought to excell others The fault of a Prince is much more hurtfull than that of a priuate man A prince ought to be skilfull by reason and not by vse How a prince is to receiue the praises that are giuen him Good precepts for princes set out by comparisons A kingdome is but a great familie The safetie of Monarchies dependeth of the loue and loialtie of subiects The mutuall duties of the Prince and his subiects What praise a Prince is to seek after The whole world is immortall in respect of substance but not of qualities Excellent titles of a good Prince Examples of former ages must be propounded to Princes Scipio Africanus Menander Traian Agesilaus Aristides Deut. 17. 19. It is as hard a matter to gouerne well as to get an Empire Why Princes are placed in their thrones The good will of the people dependeth of the integritie of religion The sayings of the seuen wise men of Grecia touching the estate of Princes Traians letter to the Senate touching the carefull estate of Princes To what false surmises a Prince is subiect Who is fittest to tule The Prince must giue account to none but to God The first and principall dutie of a Prince is to haue the law of God before his eies Psal 119. The pietie of the prince is of great force with his subiects to stirre them vp to their dutie The Prince must be sure that the religion he maintaineth is the iust will of God The duties of a Prince comprehended in three points Isocrates argument whoreby he prooueth the good raigne of a Prince A Prince must loue his subiects He must begin reformation at himselfe He must haue the wisest next his person The first dutie of a king towards his subiects Good precepts for a Prince What manner of lawes are to be established in a Common-wealth Ierem. 22. 3. Philip lost his life bicause he delaied iustice Demetrius threw the supplications of his subiects into a water A prince must execute iustice vpon the transgressours of the law of God and of nature When it is commendable in him to shew mercie How a Prince may preserue his kingdome a great while without danger Marcus Aurelius stood not in feare of his subiects Numa refused the gard of three hundred archers which Romulus had Plato his speech to Dionysius concerning his gard Grauitie and seueritie requisite in a prince A principle in state matters The effects of harmonicall iustice What authority a Prince hath ouer his subiects goods Hebreas freedome of speech in reproouing Antonius Some gold more vile and base than iron Darius diminished his tributs Lewes the 9. was the first that raised a taxe in France His exhortation to his eldest sonne Liberalitie necessarie in a Prince The difference betweene a reward and a benefit A king must be as good as his word The saying of Theopompus A Prince must discerne wiselie betweene faithfull seruants and flatterers Wisedome necessarie in a King Temperance requisite in a Prince What maner of exercises a Prince must vse A Prince must be skilfull in warre and yet loue peace A Prince must carefully auoid ciuill dissention What Counsellors a Prince must chuse The summe of the dutie of a Prince A common misery incident 〈◊〉 the estate of princes Counsellors are the eies eares of a Prince What counsellors are to be vsed by Princes Counsell is the anchor of the citie The excellencie of counsell All common-wealths consist chiefly of two things What a councel is The profit of a councell A councell or Senate is the soule of the common-welth The Hebrewes compared it to a foundation The councell of the Amphictions The Senate of the Lacedemonians The Senate of the Athenians The Senate of the Romanes The power of the Consuls of Rome The power of the Senate of Rome The power of the people of Rome Of the councel of the Turke Of the councell of the Venetians Of the councel of Rhagusium Of the councel of Genes The councel of Switzerland The councel of Germanie The assemblie of estates in Polonia Of the councel of Spaine Seuen seuerall councels in Spaine Of the councell of England Of the secret councell of France Of the priuie councell of France What matters are handled therein A commendable custome vsed in the priuie councell of France Of the great councell Of the court of Parliament Of the strict councell What it is to hold the estates The name of parliament belongeth to priuate courtes in France Causes of the assemblie of estates The assembly of estates is not aboue the prince Theopompus answer to his wife An excellent comparison The dutie and qualities of counsellors of estate Three things necessarie in a counsellor of estate Counsellors may not be Pensioners to forrain princes Example hereof in Agesilaus Counsellors must not through feare shrinke from their dutie Examples hereof Considius answer to Caesar Solyman hanged a wicked counsellor Good counsell better than many hands Rom. 13. 4. The common breach of lawes breedeth contempt of the magistrate Iudgements are the sinews of an estate A certain token of the ruine of an estate The prince stādeth bound for iustice and must answer before God for the breach therof What iudgementis Magistrats must alwaies haue the law equitie before their eies The diuision of iudgements A rigorous iudgment
no man can fall into this feare least he should not becom vertuous except he be very desirous to be so indeed and none can haue this desire except reason guided with heauenly light and doing her dutie in him had wrought the same but reason thus qualified must needs be an enimy to all perturbations Thus we see that no man through feare of not being vertuous is ouertaken with perturbations The like may be saide of sorrow For albeit a man be greeued bicause he is not vertuous yet his minde is not excessiuely disquieted seeing this desire is neuer in him but when reason commandeth according to hir diuine nature by causing vs to knowe our selues Whereby we perceiue that perturbations neuer arise in vs for that which is the true good of the soule but onely for that which fooles do falsely call good and which the philosophers call the goods of the bodie and of fortune But these being naturally subiect to corruption and as we haue alreadie said inseparably accompanied with vehement desire vnbrideled ioy feare and griefe as we shall see more at large when we handle them hereafter are vnwoorthy to be cared for by the immortall soule neither may or ought they to be called goods bicause they are possessed much lesse euils when they are wanting If we be thus perswaded we shall be masters ouer all perturbations not esteeming that which is mortall and fraile woorthy to be either wished for or delighted in Hereof it will come to passe that our soule and spirit shall be quiet and reason which knoweth how discerne good from euill wil deale with vs as a good husbandman and vine dresser dealeth with his tree and vine when he cutteth off the dead branches and vnprofitable twigs to the end that all noisome sap and moisture may be taken away And thus shall we be taught to desire and do that which we ought and euery contrarie inclination shall be weakened not taking effects and the soule shall fulfill hir dutie in commanding absolutely ouer all the prouocations of the flesh and in quenching them so foone as they do appeere For as they that haue healthful bodies saith Epictetus easily indure both cold and heate so they that haue a staied and setled soule haue the dominion ouer anger griefe ioy and all their other affections Then shall we liue happily not being terrified with any feare nor vexing our spirits with any longing or tedious desires nor being tormented with any lustes and disordred affections and lastly not suffering our selues being drunken with sugred poison to be ouer come and bound vnder the yoke of pleasure This shall we learne by the studie of Philosophie which is a certaine remedie and a sound medicine for euery vice and passion and is able to inrich and cloath vs with reason which is such a beautifull perfect and profitable ornament Of Philosophie Chap. 4. AMANA THe life of man said Pythagoras is like to that generall assemblie of Graecia at the Olimpyan games where manie carried with glorie and ambition presented themselues at those exercises that they might beare away the crowne and prize otehrs led with couetousnes came thither to traffike selling and buying merchandise and a third sort of men more praise worthie and noble came thither also who sought not after vaineglorie or couetousnes but carefully marked whatsoeuer was done in that assemblie that they might reape profit and commoditie thereby So men comming into this world as into a faire or mart some giue themselues to ambition and vaineglorie others to couetousnes and to heape vp treasure But they that are of a more diuine nature sequestring themselues from worldlie affaires meditate vpon heauenlie things and thereupon fasten the scope of their intents desires and wils Diuine Plato ioining action with contemplation in a happie and perfect life saith that next to the glorie of God we must haue regard to do that which is profitable for the Common-wealth Which excellent opinions of these two philosophers are comprehended vnder this onely word of practising philosophie and that art which giueth vs the precepts thereof is called philosophie whose worke and effect as Seneca Neroes schoolmaister said very well is to find out and to knowe the truth both of diuine and humane things Iustice pietie religion yea the whole companie of vertues neuer depart from hir She teacheth vs to adore and serue God and to loue men ARAM. Surely philosophie is the mother and continuall spring of all good knowledge For she teacheth vs to knowe good and euill she prouoketh vs by the vprightnes of reason to flie this thing to do that causing vs to liue as wise and prudent men ioyfull and contented in euery estate whereupon ariseth the sound rest of the spirit Moreouer the excellencie of this knowledge as Plato saith is so great that it is but one and the same thing to be a king a gouernor of a Common-wealth and a philosopher bicause the roiall ciuill and philosophicall arts are compounded of the same matter namelie of iustice and prudence ACHITOB. Philosophie cannot sufficiently be praised seeing that whosoeuer obeieth hir may passe his daies without tediousnes For the true scope thereof is to seeke to glorifie God in his woonderfull works and to teach a man how to liue well and to helpe his neighbor Which perfection cannot be attained vnto without a speciall and heauenlie grace and that after the knowledge of the sountaine from whence all goodnes commeth And this hath beene the cause as I thinke why so many great philosophers knowing certainly wherein the true and perfect felicitie of man liuing in this world consisted namely in the tranquillitie of the soule and labouring continually to roote out or at least to weaken al the perturbations therof by the vprightnes of reason and to engraffe vertue therein yet could neuer perfectly enjoy this souerigne good which they so much desired bicause they were ignorant of the fountaine from whence it proceeded which is the grace and mercie of our God in his beloued sonne And albeit their life was maruellously quiet and void of many vices yet it standeth vs in hand if we be Christians in deed to lead without comparison a more happy contented and excellent life and to exercise philosophie according to that true wisedome which our Lord Iesus Christ teacheth vs. But I thinke ASER is prepared to speake of this matter and to discourse thereof more at large vnto vs. Let vs harken then what he will say ASER. That which presently offereth it selfe to bee handled requireth truely a farre better spirit than mine Notwithstanding that I seeme not to shun those lists into which we entered willingly I purpose according to my weake iudgement to tell you first what philosophie is what good commeth vnto vs by it the meanes to learne it and to profit thereby how a man may know he hath it and how he must shew foorth the fruits thereof and lastly how we
for their maner of life and for that which they spake did and taught In all which things Alexander approching next vnto them went also beyond them in this that they taught men of good vnderstandings namely such as were Graecians as well as themselues and that without great paine and trauell but this monark sustaining infinite labor and cheerefully sheading his bloud did change into a better estate and reformed the rude maners of innumerable sauage people euen of such as were brutish by nature Now let vs speake of Caesar the first Romaine Emperour Was it not prudence especially that prepared the way for him to so mightie an empire first by reconciling together Crassus and Pompey two of the greatest Romaine Senators by whose fauor he obtained afterwardes the dignitie of Consulship When he was placed therin being desirous to win the good wil of the people knowing that he was alreadie well vnder propped of the Senatours he preserred many lawes in their behalfe Besides he was very sumptuous and popular if euer any Romaine was not sparing any cost vpon plaies turneies feastes largesses and other baits to curry fauor with the meaner sort of the people and to gaine the honor and credire of a man that is gratious and charitable towards the poore And when he was sent to take vpon him the gouernment of the Gaules he warred there ten yeeres being guided by an vnspeakable prudence that was accompanied with diligence and forecast so that by vsing all occasions wisely to purpose he subdued there three hundred sundry nations tooke eight hundred townes in manie battel 's discomfited three millions of men The commentaries which he wrote himselfe declare sufficiently that his own vertue wrought more exploits than all his armie Of this also he gaue proofe enough in the beginning of the ciuill warre betweene him and Pompey wherein he vsed such diligence that comming out of Fraunce he made himselfe maister of all Italy in threescore daies without any effusion of bloud and droue away his enimy And Cicero who as some say conspired his death in an epistle calleth him a monster of prudence and of incredible diligence Was it not prudence whereby he noted two faults in Pompey which after were the cause of his ouerthrow The first in an incounter of their armies wherein Caesar being at that time the weaker had the woorst And when he perceiued that his enimy pursued him not but retired to his campe he said The victorie this day was in the power of our enimies but their captaine could not perceiue it The other fault which he noted was at the battel of Pharsalia where Pompey was quite ouerthrowne because he charged his souldiers being ranged in battell to stand still in their places and so to attend their enimies Then Caesar saide that in so dooing Pompey tooke from his souldiers the vehemencie and violence of giuing the onset which is as a spurre vnto them in their race besides the heate of courage which this speedie running forward worketh in theÌ„ We see then how necessarie this vertue of prudence is in feats of warre which caused Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia after great losses sustained by the violence of Epaminondas the generall captaine of the Thebanes to say to his men that they should not greatly care for the multitude of their enimies but bend all their force against Epaminondas onely bicause none but wise prudent men were valiant and the onely cause of victorie And therefore if they could beate him downe they should vndoubtedly haue the rest at their deuotion As indeed it came to passe in that battell which they fought togither wherein the Lacedemonians halfe discomfited one of those that fled being pursued by Epaminondas turned back and slew him wherupon the rest tooke such courage and the Thebans were so dismaied that the victorie remained with Agesilaus Now if in warfare prudence beareth such a stroake who doubteth but that in ciuil and politike gouernment she is as necessarie or rather more Diuine Plato in his booke of a common-wealth saith that if a man woulde do notable acts woorthy of perfect praise in the administration of the common-wealth he must haue prudence and iustice followed of power and fortune But we may further say that onely prudence hath set aloft and preserued many great estates from ruine and subuersion The Athenians being diuided and banded into three contrarie parts and factions Solon being very prudent and wise would not ioine himselfe to any of them but kept himselfe indifferent to all practising speaking whatsoeuer he could deuise to ioine reconcile them togither again Wherein he behaued himselfe so well that being chosen by them all for the onely pacisier and reformer of their estate he placed it in greater glorie than euer it was in before by his prudent and wise lawes which were receiued as inuiolable The prudence of Lycurgus the reformer and lawmaker of the Lacedemonians was the cause of the maintenance of their estate aboue fiue hundred yeeres so that it was the chiefest in all Graecia both for glorie and excellencie of gouernment from whence they fell not vntill such time as they wholy neglected those goodly ordinances and lawes which he left them A prudent man alwaies gineth good counsalle and vttereth the same freely being also a good and willing helpe to innocencie Phocion speaking his minde one day in the counsell chamber of the Athenians against the enterprising of a certain war and seeing that his aduise so greatly displeased them that they would not giue him leaue to vtter his minde he spake freely vnto them in this maner Ye may peradâ—â—nture O Athenians force me to do that which ought not to be done but ye can not constraine me to speake any thing contrary to my opinion that ought not to be spoken or counsailed Demosthenes knowing the innocencie of a poore woman drawne into iudgement with danger of being ouerthrowne saued hir by his great prudence For two strangers hauing giuen hir a good summe of money to keepe with this condition that she should not restore it to the one except the other were also present within a while after one of them came very sorrowfull faining that his companion was dead and bringing some counterfeit token therof with him Wherupon he so perswaded this poore woman who ment simply plainely that she restored the monie to him Afterwards the other came demanding the money also brought this woman before a iudge who being without hope of escaping Demosthencs answered for hir that she offred to giue him the money so that he brought his fellow bicause as himselfe confessed she ought not to giue it to the one without the other The profite which a prudent man draweth from his enimies is in this that he knoweth and taketh them for spies for enuiers at his life and ioint-labourers with him for honor and glory wherupon he is the more carefull that his dooings
countries as the histories of most nations in the world declare vnto vs and namely of the Germaines who in the time of Tacitus had neither law nor religion nor knowledge nor forme of commonwealth whereas now they giue place to no nation for good institution in all things Let vs not then be discouraged or faint by knowing our naturall imperfections seeing that through labor and diligence we may recouer that which is wanting but happie is that man and singularly beloued of God to whom both good birth and like bringing vp are granted together It followeth now to discourse particulerly of the maner of good education and instruction of youth but this will come in more fitely when we shall intreat of Oeconomy And yet seeing we are in the discourse of mans nature I thinke it wil not be from the purpose nor without profite if to make vs more seuere censurers of our owne faults we note that although our behauior be cheefely known by the effects as a tree by the fruit yet many times a mans naturall inclinatiō is better perceiued in a light matter as in a word in a pastime or in some other free and priuate busines wherein vertue or vice ingrauen in the soule may be sooner espied than in greater actions and works done publikely bicause in these matters shame or constraint commonly cause men to vse dissimulation Howbeit this also is true that the more power and authoritie a man hath when he may alleadge his owne will for all reason the inward affection of his hart is then best discouered For such an vnbrideled licence mooueth all euen to the verie depth and bottome of his passions and causeth all those secret vices that are hidden in his soule to be fullie and euidently seene Whereupon it followeth that great and noble men ought aboue all others to learne vertue and to studie to liue well especially seeing they haue all those requisite helps and commodities through want of which most men are hindred from attaining thereunto Let vs therefore learne by our present discourse to knowe that the nature of all men by reason of the corruption of sin is so depraued corrupted and vnperfect that euen the best men amongst many imperfections carry about them some enuie ielousy emulation and contention against some or other and rather against their verie friends This did Demas a noble man and greatly conuersant in matters of estate declare vnto the councel in the citie of Chio after a ciuill dissention wherin he had followed that part which ouercame For he perswaded those of his side not to banish all their aduersaries out of the city but to leaue some of them after they had taken from them all meanes of doing more harme least quoth he vnto them we begin to quarrel with our friends hauing no more enemies to contende withall For this cause we must fortifie our selues with vnderstanding and knowledge through labor and studie of good letters that we may restraine and represse so many pernitious motions mingled togither in our soules Let vs know moreouer that seeing our nature is assaulted and prouoked by a vehement inclination to do any thing whatsoeuer it is a very hard matter to withdrawe and keepe it backe by any force no not by the strength or feare of any lawes if in due conuenient time we frame not within it a habite of vertue hauing first wished to be well borne But howsoeuer it be let vs endeuor to be well borne through custome and exercise in vertue which will be vnto vs as it were another nature vsing the meanes of good education and instruction in wisedome whereby our soules shal be made conquerors ouer all hurtfull passions and our minds moderate and staied that in all our doings sayings and thoughts we passe not the bounds of the dutie of a vertuous man The ende of the fourth daies worke THE FIFT DAIES WORKE Of Temperance Chap. 17. ASER. THe diuine excellencie of the order of the equall wonderful constācie of the parts of the world aswell in the goodly and temperate moderation of the seasons of the yeere as in the mutuall coniunctiō of the elements obeying altogither with a perfect harmonie the gratious and soueraigne gouernment of their creator was the cause that Pythagoras first called all the compasse of this vniuersal frame by this name of World which without such an excellent disposition would be but disorder a world of confusion For this word world signifieth asmuch as Ornament or a well disposed order of things Nowe as a constant and temperate order is the foundation thereof so the ground-worke and preseruation of mans happie life for whom all things were made is the vertue of temperance which conteineth the desires and inclinations of the soule within the compasse of mediocritie and moderateth all actions whatsoeuer For this cause hauing hitherto according to our iudgment sufficiently discoursed of the first riuer of the fountaine of honestie I thinke we ought to set downe here in the second place although it be contrarie to the opinion of manie philosophers this vertue of Temperance saying with Socrates that she is the ground-worke and foundation of all vertues AMANA As a man cannot be temperate if first he be not prudent bicause euerie vertuous action proceedeth of knowledge so no man can be strong and valiant if he be not first temperate bicause he that hath a noble and great courage without moderation will attempt a thousand euils and mischeefes and will soone grow to be rash and headie Likewise iustice cannot be had without temperance seeing it is the cheefe point of a iust man to haue his soule free from perturbations Which cannot be done except he be temperate whose proper subiect the soule is ARAM. Heroicall vertue saith Plato is made perfect by the mixture and ioyning together of Temperance and fortitude which being separated will at length become vices For a temperate man that is not couragious easily waxeth to be a coward and faintharted and a noble hart not temperate becommeth rash and presumptuous Let vs then heare ACHITOB discourse of this Temperance so excellent and necessarie a vertue ACHITOB. Agapetus a man of great skill writing to the emperor Iustinian amongst other things had this saying We say that thou art truly and rightly both emperor and king so long as thou canst command and master thy desires and pleasures and art beset and decked with the crowne of Temperance and clothed with the purple robe of Iustice For other principalities end by death whereas this kingdome abideth for euer yea others are manie times the cause of perdition to the soule but this procureth a certaine and an assured safetie When we haue considered well of the woorthie effects and fruits of this vertue of temperance no doubt but we will subscribe to this wise mans opinion and to as many as haue written of the praises and roialties of that vertue Temperance saith thagoras is that light which
such as wil cause thē to buy the violating of so holy a thing very deerly seeing they spare not him who calleth himself equitie iustice it selfe Further if as histories teach vs some haue been so wretched miserable as to giue themselues to the Art of Necromancie and to contract with the deuill that they might come to soueraigne power and authoritie what other thing how strange soeuer it be will not they vndertake that suffer themselues to be wholy caried away with this vice of ambition It is ambitiō that setteth the sonne against the father and imboldeneth him to seeke his destruction of whom he holdeth his life Henry the fift by force depriued his father from the Empire caused him to die miserably in prison Fredericke the third after he had raigned thirtie yeeres was miserably strangled by Manfroy his bastard sonne whom he had made prince of Tarentum And after he had committed this Parricide he poisoned his brother Conradus lawfull inheritor to Fredericke that he might make himselfe king of Naples Antoninus Geta brothers successors in the Empire to Seuerus their father could not suffer one another to enioy so large a Monarchie for Antoninus slew his brother Geta with a dagger that himself might rule alone Solyman king of the Turkes grandfather to him that now raigneth when he heard the loud acclamations and shoutes for ioy which all his armie made to Sultan Mustapha his sonne returning out of Persia after he had caused him to be strangled in his outward chamber and presently to be cast out dead before his whole armie he made this speech to be published with a loud voice that there was but one God in heauen and one Sultan vpon earth Within two dayes he put to death Sultan Soba bicause he wept for his brother and Sultan Mahomet his third sonne bicause he fled for feare leauing one onely aliue to auoid the inconueniencie of many Lordes These are but of the smaller fruits of this wild plant of ambition in respects of those that cause men to put innocents to death that themselues may take surer footing to growe vp and encrease And no doubt but for the most part iust punishment for example to mē foloweth such an ambitious passion whereof there are infinite examples both in the Greeke and Latin histories Marcus Crassus a Romane Consul and the richest man in his time not contenting himself with many goodly victories gotten by him but burning with an excessiue ambition and desire of new triumphes and being iealous of Caesars glory obtained by his great feats of armes presumed at the age of three score yeeres to vndertake the warre agaynst Arsaces king of the Parthians contrary to the will of the Senate feeding himselfe with vaine hope which led him to a shameful death ioyned with publike losse and calamitie For being ouercome and his armie discomfited he was miserably slaine with twentie thousand of his men tenne thousand taken prisoners Marius hauing passed through al the degrees of honor and been six times Consul which neuer any Romane before was not content with all this would notwithstanding take vnto himselfe the charge of the warre against Mithridates which fell to Sylla by lot euen then when he was weakened with olde age thinking with himselfe to get the Consulship the seuenth time and to continue that soueraigne authoritie in his owne person But this was the cause of his vtter ouerthrow of that slaughter wherby all Italy Spaine were imbrued with bloud by Sylla the popular estate brought in the end to extreme tyrannie Spurius Melius a Senator of Rome was murthered for his ambition and his house rased by Cincinnatus the Dictator because he sought by meanes of a certain distribution of wheate to make himself king of Rome Marcus Manlius was also vpon the like occasion throwen downe headlong from the toppe of a rocke Therefore it appeereth sufficiently vnto vs how pernitious this vice of ambition is in the soules of great men and worthy of perpetuall blame And although the matter be not of so great waight when they that follow this vicious passion are but meane men and of small account yet we are to know that all they depart farre from dutie and honestie who for the obtaining of glorie and renowne shew themselues inflamed and desirous to excel others in all those things which they ought to haue common together for the mutuall aide and comfort of euery one Onely we must seeke without pride and enuie after excellencie and preferment in that which is vertuous and profitable for humain societie contenting our selues notwithstanding with that which we are able to performe so we shall neuer be blamed but iustly may we be condemned if we vndertake that which is aboue our strēgth Especially let our desires and passions giue place to the benefit of the Common-wealth as heretofore Cretes and Hermias two great men of Magnesia delt one towards an other Their citie being besieged by Mithridates themselues hauing before been at great strife for honor preheminence Cretes offered Hermias to let him haue the charge of captaine generall in the meane time he would depart the citie or if he had rather depart that he should leaue that office to him This offer he made lest if both of them should be together their ielousie might breed some mischief to their countrey Hermias seeing the honest offer of his companion and knowing him to be more expert in feats of war willingly surrendred the authority of cōmanding vnto him Now to end our present discourse let vs learne to know their outragious folly who for imaginarie honors and those of so smal continuance that the wise mā compareth them to smoke dispersed of the wind desire nothing more than to run out the race of their days in continuall miseries and calamities trauels and cares depriuing themselues of all libertie and which is worse pawning their soules to an eternall and most miserable thraldome Thus let vs detest ambition which is an infinite euil and companion of pride so much hated of God and men Let vs consider a little that point of Philosophy which we find written by Traian to Plutarke I enuie sayd this good prince Cincinnatus Scipio Africanus and Marcus Portius more for their contempt of offices than for the victories which they haue gotten bicause a conqueror is for the most part in fortunes power but the contempt and refusall of offices and honours consisteth onely in prudence Let vs marke well the example of the emperor Flauius Vespasianus who being admonished by his friends to beware of one Metius Pomposianus bicause it was a common rumor that he should one day be emperor was so farre from procuring him any harme or displeasure or from hating or enuying him as it is the propertie of ambitious men to feare aboue all things least their estate be touched bicause they would raigne alone that
desperate case Briefly to speake in a word Fortitude is the cause that neither for feare nor danger we turne aside from the path waie of vertue and iustice neither yet repent vs of well doing for any torment And thus it belongeth properly to this vertue to command chiefly ouer these two perturbations grounded vpon the opinion of euill namely Feare and Griefe as before we saw that Temperance exerciseth hir power ouer vnbrideled desire excessiue ioy Furthermore bicause they that naturally haue greater stomacks and more excellent spirits are desirous and greedie of honors power and glorie and seeing that an excessiue desire to rule and to excel others commonly groweth with the greatnes of the hart it is necessarie that this vnrulie affection should be moderated by the contempt of such things as are common to all men by nature And this also is a propertie belonging to this vertue of Fortitude which desiring the greatest and best things despiseth those that are base and abiect aspiring to celestiall and eternall things shunneth humane mortall things and iudgeth honors riches and worldlie goods an vnwoorthie recompence for his valiant acts Which is the who cause that whosoeuer hath this vertue of Fortitude perfectly if so great happines could be among mortall wights he remaineth free from all perturbations of the soule to enioy a blessed tranquillitie which togither with constancie procureth vnto him dignitie and reputation For this cause Cicero teacheth vs that they which giue themselues to the gouernment of affaires ought at least asmuch as Philosophers to make light account of temporall goods from whence proceedeth all the rest of our mindes yea they ought to striue to that end with greater care and labor than Philosophers do bicause it is easier for a Philosopher so to doe his life being lesse subiect to Fortune standing in lesse need of worldly Goods than doth that of Politicks And if any mishap befall them it toucheth the Philosopher a great deale lesse But whether it be in war or in ruling a Common-wealth or in the gouernment of a house there are alwaies means enough to exercise the works of Fortitude many times this vertue is most necessarie in things that seeme to be of smallest account Besides that honesty which we seeke after is perfected by the forces of the soule of which euery one hath great need not by those of the bodie I will not say that the firme knitting togither of the members and the good disposition of nature to sustaine manfully the iniuries of wether al kind of paine trauel without sicknes is not a good helpe towards the execution of noble enterprises only I say that it is not so necessarie but that many being troubled with a thousand ill dispositions in their persons especially such as were placed in offices of Captaines and Conductors of armies haue executed infinite great and glorious exploits surmounting all weakenes of their bodies through the magnanimitie of their hart Yea oftentimes they haue as it were constrained their bodies to change their nature that they might be made fit to execure whatsouer their wise spirite iudged to belong to dutie Was there euer any Captaine among the Romanes greater than Iulius Caesar Yet was he of a weake and tender complexion subiect to great head-aches and visited somtimes with the falling sicknes But in steed of vsing the weaknes of his bodie for a cloke to liue nicely and delicately he tooke the labors for warre for a fit medicine to cure the vntowardnes of his bodie fighting against his disease with continuall labor and exercise liuing soberly and lying for the most part in the open aire which made him to be so much the more admired and loued of his souldiers As it may appeere by that which is reported of him that being one daye by reason of great storme and tempest greatly vrged with want of lodging in a plaine where there was but one little cottage belonging to a Peasant which had but one chamber he commanded that Oppius one of his Captaines who was il at ease should be lodged there as for himselfe he laye abroad with the rest saying that the most honorable places were to be appointed for the greatest and the most necessarie for such as were most diseased What shall we say of those who being impotent in some part of their members did notwithstanding not diminish in any sort but augment the glorie of their doings Marcus Sergius a Romane Captaine hauing lost his right hand in a battell practised so well with the left hand that afterward in an armie he chalenged foure of his enimies one after another and ouercame them such force hath a good hart that it can doe more in one onely little member than a man well made and fashioned in all points that hath but a cowardly hart We might heere alleadge infinite examples whereof histories are full of all those effects which we said were brought foorth by the vertue of Fortitude in noble minds but we will content our selues to touch certaine generals that were of notable and politike prowes and valure and constant in their resolutions aswell for shortnes sake as also bicause heereafter we shall haue further occasion to bring others in sight when we handle more at large the parts and branches that proceed from this happie stalke of Fortitude Fabius the Greatest commeth first to my remembrance to prooue that the resolution of a courageous hart grounded vpon knowledge and the discourse of reason is firme and immutable This Captaine of the Romane armie being sent into the field to resist the furie and violence of Hannibal who being Captaine of the Carthaginians was entred into Italy with great force determined for the publike welfare and necessitie to delay and prolong the warre and not to hazard a battell but with great aduantage Whereupon certaine told him that his owne men called him Hannibals schoolemaister and that he was iested at with many other opprobrious speeches as one that had small valure and courage in him and therfore they counselled him to fight to the end he might not incurre any more such reprehensions and obloquies I should be quoth he againe to them a greater Coward than now I am thought to be if I should forsake my deliberation necessarie for the common welfare and safetie for feare of their girding speeches and bolts of mockerie and obey those to the ruine of my countrey whom I ought to command And in deed afterward he gaue great tokens of his vnspeakeable valure being sent with three hundred men onely to encounter with the said Hannibal and seeing that he must of necessitie fight for the safetie of the Common-wealth after all his men were slaine and himselfe hurt to death he rushed against Hannibal with so great violence and force of courage that he tooke from him the diademe or frontlet which he had about his head and died with that about him Pompey who by
the chiefest mens children amongst them being gone out of the citie vnder colour to 〈◊〉 his youth to walke and to exercise themselues along the wals deliuered them into the hands of this Romane Captaine saying vnto him that he might be well assured the Citizens would yeeld themselues to his deuotion for the safetie and libertie of that which was deerest vnto them But Camillus knowing this to be too vile and wicked a practise said to those that were with him that although men vsed great outrage and violence in warre yet among good men certaine lawes points of equitie were to be obserued For victorie was not so much to be desired as that it should be gotten and kept by such cursed and damnable meanes but a Generall ought to warre trusting to his owne vertue and not to the wickednes of others Then stripping the said schole maister and binding his hands behind him he deliuered him naked into the hands of his schollers and gaue to ech of them a bundle of rods that so they might carye him backe againe into the citie For which noble act the Citizens yeelded themselues to the Romanes saying that in preferring iustice before victorie they had taught them to choose rather to submit themselues vnto them than to retaine still their libertie confessing withall that they were ouercome more by their vertue than vanquished by their force and power So great power hath Magnanimitie that it doth not onely aduance Princes to the highest degree of honor but also abateth the hart of the puissant and warlike enemie and oftentimes procureth victorie without battell Truly we may draw an excellent doctrine out of these examples which make all those without excuse that spare nothing to attaine to the end of their intents and deuices making no difficultie at the destruction of innocents but exercising all kind of crueltie so they may ouerthrow their enemies by what meanes soeuer vsing commonly that saying of Lysander Admirall of the Lacedemonians that if the Lions skin will not suffice the Foxe his skin also is to be sewed on But let vs resolutely hold this that treason neuer findeth place in a noble hart no more than the bodie of a Foxe is not found in a Lions bodie Further it is notoriously 〈◊〉 that the Ancients striued to procure all good and profit to their enemies vsing clemencie and humanitie towards them when they had greater occasion and meanes to be reuenged of them Heereof we may alleadge good examples when we discourse heereafter particularly of those vertues that are proper to a noble minded man who ought to hate crueltie no lesse than treason We are therefore to looke vnto the last effect and sound proofe of Magnanimitie Generositie heere propounded by vs which we said consisted in the contempt of earthlie and humane goods Wherein truly resteth the very perfection of a Christian who lifteth vp his desires to his last and soueraigne Good in heauen Now because there are but few that loue not themselues too much in those things that concerne the commodities of this life and fewer that seeke not after glorie honor as a recompence of their excellent deeds and that desire not riches earnestly to satisfie their pleasure in these three points also a noble minded man causeth his vertue to appeere more wonderfull bicause he doth not iudge thē to be a worthie reward for the same but rather altogether vnwoorthy the care of his soule for which principally he desireth to liue This is that which Cicero saith that it is not seemely that he should yeeld to couetousnes and concupiscence who could not be subdued by feare or that he should be ouercome by pleasure who hath resisted griefe but rather that these things ought to be shunned by all possible means togither with the desire of money seeing there is nothing more vile abiect than to loue riches nor more noble than to despise them This also is that which Plato saith that it belongeth to the duetie of a noble hart not onely to surmount feare but also to moderate his desires concupiscences especially when he hath libertie to vse them whither it be in the pleasure of the bodie or in the ambitious desire of vain glory honour and power In this sort then he that hath a right noble and worthie mind will no more waigh greatnes among men and estimation of the common sort than he doth griefe and pouertie but depending wholie vpon the wil of God contēting himself with his works wrought in him he will not that any good thing vpon earth can be taken from him And bicause he aspireth to those things that are best highest and most difficult he abideth free from all earthly care and griefe as being long before prepared for all dolors through the contempt of death which bringing an end to the greatest and most excessiue pangs serueth him for an entrance into eternall rest We haue already alleaged many examples of ancient men fit for this matter which now we speake of and the sequele of our treatises will furnish vs with mo when we shall come to intreat of riches and worldly wealth whereof we are to speake more at large But here we will propound Aristides onely to be imitated who was a woorthy man among the Athenians whose opinion was that a good citizen ought to be alwayes prepared alike to offer his body mind vnto the seruice of the common wealth without hope or expectation of any hired and mercenary reward either of money honor or glory And so with an vnspeakeable grauitie and constancie he kept himselfe always vpright in the seruice of his countrey in such sort that no honor done vnto him could cause him either to be puffed vp in hart or to be more earnest in imploying himselfe as it is the maner of some to do seruice according as they are recompenced neither could any repulse or deniall which he suffred abate his courage or trouble him or yet diminish and lessen his affection and desire to profit his common wealth Whereas now adayes we see that the most part of men with vs vpon a smal discontentment labor to make publike profite to serue their desires and passions in stead of giuing themselues to the good benefit of their countrey Now concluding our present discourse we learne that true and perfect Magnanimitie and Generositie is inuincible and inexpugnable bicause vpon this consideration that death is the common end of mans life and that happy passage to life euerlasting she despiseth it altogither and maketh lesse account thereof than of bondage and vice sustaining also with a great vnappalled hart most cruel torments not being mooued thereby to do any thing that may seem to proceed of the common weaknes and frailtie of mans nature Further we learne that this vertue maketh him that possesseth hir good gentle and curteous euen towards his greatest enimies against whom it suffereth him not to vse any couin
it is a greater point of Magnanimitie to surmount the common nature of men by a woonderfull diuinitie of the soule than to follow after that which beasts are able to do better than we For many of them in this earthly generositie whereof many men make so great account excell surpasse the best of them all In all debates controuersies with our enimies let vs retaine as Cicero counsaileth vs grauitie constancie and chase awaye all choler bicause nothing that is done through perturbation can be done constantly or be approoued of any Let vs not be afraid said Antisthenes to wish all the good in the world to our enimies except valure which may make them rash to venture vpon our life and let vs giue ouer all will to procure them any hurt or displeasure or any maner of reuenge Let vs rather desire not to be spared of them in those things which are blame-woorthie in vs that so we may be more readie to amend and correct them Let vs loue our enimies blesse them that curse vs do good to them that hate and persecute vs ouercomming euill with good and leauing all vengeance to him that hath reserued it to himselfe who by his power directeth the nets swords hatchets instruments and scourges of his wrath all which are our enimies for the amendment of our life and then shall we shew foorth those true effects of the vertue of Fortitude Magnanimitie which our heauenly Father requireth of vs. The ende of the ninth daies worke THE TENTH DAIES WORKE Of Iustice. Chap. 37. ASER. TRue Philosophie saith Socrates is to know and to practise both priuately and publikely those things that are honest iust This is that Prudence which teacheth vs well and nobly to gouerne both domestical and ciuill affaires the name whereof is Temperance and Iustice. By which speech this wise Philosopher taught vs the straight and vnseparable coniunction and knot of the foure Morall vertues being neuerthelesse distinguished by their proper and particular effects Which hauing hitherto offred vs matter wherein to reioice our spirites about the three first riuers flowing out of the fountaine of Honestic there remaineth now for vs to consider of the last of them which although it be but one particular yet in truth it is the very perfection of all dutie and is called Iustice the precepts whereof if we keepe diligently we shall truly become images of God his essence be made according to his likenesse Let vs then begin my companions to intreat of this great and heauenly vertue AMANA Iustice saith Cicero is the mistresse of all the other vertues and as it were their Queene She is the ground-worke of euerlasting glory and renowme and without hir nothing can be praise-woorthie She putteth a difference between the good and the bad which being taken away saith Seneca nothing foloweth but confusion For to reward the wicked and not the good to afflict the vertuous and not to chastice the euill man is to make a gallimaufrey of vice and vertue ARAM. What is Iustice but godlinesse saith Lactantius and what is godlinesse but the knowledge of God our Father Notwithstanding in respect of vs Iustice is commonly taken for an equall distribution of right and of lawes But of thee ACHITOB we shall presently vnderstand the greatnesse and riches of this precious vertue and the vnspeakeable fruites which she distributeth liberally for the profit of all men ACHITOB. No kingdome common-wealth or citie saith Plato can be either well ruled or instituted in the beginning or preserued and kept in a happie estate without diuine or humane Iustice without the counsaile of the aged or without the fauor of the heauenly wisdome Now that is diuine iustice as Lactantius saith whereby we are ioyned to God by deuotion and good will and humane Iustice knitteth vs vnto men by mercie and humanitie Whereby we see that the foundation of all Iustice is grounded vpon that honor seruice which we owe to God whereupon we are induced to be dutifull to our neighbors according to charitie Therfore we must aboue all things loue Iustice and apply all our studie thereunto seeing it is the first and principal point that concerneth the direction of a Christian mans life yea mo are partakers of the fruit thereof than of any other vertue Iustice saith Seneca is the law of God and the bond of humane societie For auoiding therfore of confusion in this matter we say with Plato that Iustice obserued and kept towards God taketh vnto it the name of pietie But we will enter into the handling of that Iustice onely which hath respect to our dealings with men being by the same Plato called an equall distribution towards all the world according to the deserts of euery one and a sure foundation of cities and common-wealths He saith also that Iustice requireth vpright dealing throughout a mans calling and charge and that nothing is more like to the greatnes of God than a man perfectly iust Aristotle calleth Iustice a generall vertue bicause he that hath hir perfectly may boast that he hath within him all the other vertues For he could not know what were iust and vniust nor make choice of the one and flie from the other if he were not prudent to which vertue that thing doth properly belong Neither could he exercise the precepts of Iustice if by temperance he knew not how to moderate all his passions and priuate affections not suffering himselfe to be ouercome either with wine gluttonie lust couetousnes or with any other desires and motions which hinder the vse of reason Besides he could not practise one principall diuine point of iustice which is to succour with all his might the afflicted and oppressed and to prouide that no man be wronged if it lie in his power notwithstanding any danger whereinto he may fall although it be certaine losse of life and of all earthlie and transitorie goods I say he could not practise this if through Fortitude and Generositie he contemne not death the earth and whatsoeuer sauoreth of the world that he may be so farre foorth as his humane nature will suffer a follower of the diuinitie Iustice saith Cicero is a constant and perpetuall will and desire to giue to euery one his right She is the proper vertue of a noble minded man bicause she is profitable to others but to hir selfe fruitles laborious and perilous Yea that man onely may be called iust that profiteth as many as he can but hurteth none that is alwaies at agreement within himselfe and is a friend to God to men and to himselfe Iustice saith Diogenes worketh great tranquillitie and perfect felicitie in our soules For to be afraid of none and not to blush at the sight of any mans person bringeth with it great contentation and is as it were the perfection of life which is proper onely to a iust soule Iustice saith Hesiodus is a
chast and reuerent virgine not violated or defiled but lodged alwaies with shamefastnes chastitie and simplicitie Pindarus calleth hir the Queene of all the world Pythagoras teaching by his riddlelike precepts how a man ought to beware of transgressing Iustice saith Go not beyond the ballance If we purpose saith Plato to exercise Iustice perfectly we must make no differēce of men in regard either of their friendship kindred wealth pouertie or dignitie This vertue saith Cicero requireth of vs the forsaking of our pleasures and priuate commoditie that we may procure the benefit of the Common-wealth although it be to our perill and losse And those men command and gouerne very wel who forbid vs to do any thing wherof we doubt whether it be iust or vniust bicause equity is so cleere of it self that when we doubt of any thing we may be assured that there is some iniustice in it Aristotle and Cicero deuide Iustice into these two partes Distributiue and Commutatiue Distributiue Iustice consisteth in giuing to euery one according to his desert whether it be honor and dignitie or punishment Commutatiue Iustice is in keeping fidelitie and in causing it to be kept in promises and contracts in behauing our selues no otherwise to another than we would be delt withall Many parts and particular dueties are also attributed by the Philosophers to Iustice as Liberalitie and sundry other whereof we will particularly discourse hereafter But we must here learne that the end of all Iustice tendeth to the preseruation of the common societie of men For the preseruation of the lawes which are the Gardian and Tutor of good men and a mortall enimie to the wicked is so necessarie for euery estate and condition of life that as Cicero saith the very Pirates thieues robbers could not liue together without some part thereof If we desire to know more of hir vnspeakeable fruits let vs consider that which Paulus the Pythagorian hath written saying Iustice among men ought in my opinion to be called the Mother and Nurse of all the other vertues For without hir no man could be either temperate valiant or prudent the profite wherof will be very euident if we consider all hir effects For the prouidence of God is that Iustice which gouerneth the world and hath the principalitie ouer it In cities and townes Iustice is rightly called Equitie and Peace in particular houses betweene the husband and the wife Vnitie and Concord in respect of seruants towards their masters Good will of masters towards their seruants Humanitie and Gentlenesse and in mens bodies Health and perfection of the members Thus you see that Iustice is the beginning and perfection of all the vertues By these short sayings of ancient and graue personages the excellencie of this holy and sacred vertue Iustice appeereth sufficiently vnto vs. Yea it is so earnestly commaunded by the spirit of God vnto Magistrates in these words of exercising Iudgement and Iustice so often repeated that whosoeuer infringeth and violateth it can not auoid the curse and wrath of the Almightie which will both light vpon their owne heads and also worke the destruction of them that are committed to their charge It belongeth to Iustice to receiue the innocent into protection and safegard to maintaine defend sustaine and deliuer them and to Iudgement to resist the boldnes of the wicked to represse their violence and to punish their offences bicause Magistrats are therefore armed with the sword and with power that publike peace should not be disturbed This also is that which Solon meant to teach vs when he said that the greatnes and preseruation of all Common-wealths consisted in two things in the reward of the good in the punishmēt of the wicked which being taken away the whole discipline of humane societie must needes be dissolued and come to nothing For there are many that haue no great care to do wel if they see not vertue recompenced with some honor although this beseemeth not a noble-minded man who ought to do nothing but onely for the loue of vertue And againe the malice of the wicked cannot be brideled if they see not vengeance and punishment prepared for offenders All these aboue specified considerations did so greatly recommend Iustice to the men of old time and caused them to esteeme so much of it that whensoeuer occasion was offered to maintaine and execute it it was preferred before all things insomuch that the father did not pardon his owne sonne The Egyptians were the ancientest Lawmakers as Historiographers report and were very carefull and diligent obseruers of Iustice In their cities they painted Iudges without hands and the President or chiefe Iustice with his eies blind-folded to teach that Iustice ought not to be either a briber or respecter of persons that is she must neither take any thing nor iudge for any fauour The kings of their countrey obserued this order to cause Iudges when they were installed by them in their offices to sweare that albēit they were commanded by them to iudge vniustly yet they should not obey them Since their time the ancient Grecians and Romanes shewed themselues great true and zealous followers of this vertue of Iustice and that towardes their greatest enimies They iudged it a very noble act to accuse the wicked so it were not vpon any priuate occasion or passion they delighted greatly to see yoong men by way of Iustice to pursue transgressors as grayhounds well flesht follow after wild beasts This caused Solon being demanded what citie seemed to him best gouerned to answer that city wherein they that are not wronged do as egerly follow after satisfaction in the behalfe of another man wronged as if themselues had receiued the iniurie For the truth is quoth he that they which violate and breake lawes do not offend one man alone but the whole Citie and Common-wealth therefore euery one ought to desire and seeke after iust punishment Moreouer the seueritie which the Lacedemonians obserued in their iudgements procured such a publike safety that for a long time they vsed not to put either lockes to cofers or barres to gates Aristotle maketh mention of a certaine countrey where the inhabitants were to assure the safetie of the waies and to repay vnto passengers that losse which they had receiued by theeues and robbers Neither is it long since the like statute was obserued in many places of Italie But I stand greatly in doubt that at this day it is ilfauoredly kept O happie yea an hundred times happy was the golden age of those famous men full of heauenlie spirite bicause vnder their gouernment Iustice was had in such honor and reuerence But let vs rub vp the memorie heereof by some notable examples If any thing causeth Magistrates to commit iniustice it is chieflye the fauour which they beare the bond wherewith they are bound more to some than to others Therefore Cleon the Lacedemonian
minding to deale in publike affaires gathered all his friends togither and told them that he renounced discharged himself of all their friendship bicause friendship many times caused men to yeeld and to step aside from their good and right purposes in matters of iudgement True it is that when we haue none but good men to our friends who are mooued and possessed with the same zeale to vertue that we are as before was mentioned we shall neuer fall into these inconueniences The example of Aristides the Athenian his loue vnto Iustice is woorthie of speciall remembrance For calling into the law an enimie of his after he had set downe his accusation the Iudges were so mooued against the accused party for the impietie of the fact in controuersie that they would haue condemned him vnheard so greatly did they trust to the honestie of the accuser that he had set downe nothing but the very truth But Aristides who for his great and rare vertue had before deserued the surname of Iust went with the accused partie and cast himselfe at the Iudges feete beseeching them that he might be heard to iustifie and to defend himselfe according as the lawes commanded Further one writeth of him that when he was vpon a time Iudge betweene two parties that pleaded before him one of them said my aduersarie hath done thee great wrong Aristides But he foorthwith interrupting his talke made this answer My friend declare only whether he hath wronged thee For I am heere to do thee right and not my selfe shewing thereby that Iustice ought to be executed without any priuate passion reuenge or choler wherewithall many at this day are ouercome Iunius Brutus Consul of Rome condemned his two sonnes Titus Tiberius to be beheaded being conuicted for conspiring the reentrie of Tarquinius race vnto the kingdome of Rome from whence they had been vanquished for wickednes and whoredome Truely a notable example and cleane contrarie to those that are fauourers and accepters of persons Phocion refused to helpe his sonne in law Charillus in iudgement being accused for taking certaine monie vniustly saying vnto him that he had made him his Allie in all iust and reasonable matters onely Alexander the Great vsed this commendable custome as he sate in place of Iustice to heare criminall causes pleaded that whilest the accuser declared his accusation he stopped one of his eares with his hand to the end he might keepe it pure vpright not admitting thereinto as he gaue them to vnderstand any preiudicate or false impression that so he might heare the accused partie speake in his own defence and iustification Truely an example meete for kings and princes that they should not lightly beleeue slaunderers nor giue sentence of execution presently vpō their report and perswasion bicause they ought not to take pleasure or to glut themselues as it were with some pleasant pastime in the corrections and punishments of men which is the propertie of a tyrant Neither ought they after the punishment is inflicted to repent them thereof which is a token of ignorance and basenesse of mind but Iustice must see execution done when reason and iudgement require and that without either griefe or pleasure Augustus Caesar knowing that Asprenas a very familiar friend of his was accused in iudgement and fearing that if he went to the place where the matter was to be heard he should offer wrong to Iustice as also that if he went not he should seeme to abandon his friend as iudging him culpable he asked counsail of the Senate with whom he resolued to be present at the iudgement of his friend but to speake nothing bicause in so doing he should neither do him wrong nor violate iustice Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia deserued likewise great praise for this vertue albeit he were a very assured friend to his friend and of a gentle nature readie to imploy himselfe in the behalfe of all them that stood in need of him Neuerthelesse when a friend of his contended with him about a matter which he desired to obtaine of this prince saying that he had made him a promise thereof If the thing quoth he be iust I haue promised it but if it be vniust I haue not promised but onely spoken it He vsed also to say that he esteemed Iustice as chiefe of all the vertues and that valure was of no valew if it were not ioined therwith yea would be needlesse if all men were iust And when certaine men who were sent vnto him to conferre about some agreement said one day vnto him that the great King would haue it so wherein quoth he vnto them is he greater than I if he be not more iust Whereby he iudged verie well that the difference between a great and a little king ought to be taken from iustice as from a kingly measure and rule according vnto which they ought to gouerne their subiects seeing they were at the first established to do iustice as Herodotus speaking of the Medes and Cicero of the Romanes make mentiō This is that which a poore old woman signified to Phillip king of Macedonia when she came to him to haue hir complaint heard To whom when the king made answer that he had no leasure at that time to heare hir she cried with a loud and cleere voyce Be not then king Whereupon this meeke prince by which name he said he had rather be called for a long time than by the name of Lord for a little while was so touched at the hart with the consideration of his dutie that he returned presently into his pallace where setting aside al other affaires he gaue himselfe many daies to heare all their cōplaints and requests that would come before him beginning first with the said poore woman Another time being ouertaken with sleepe and not well hearing the iustification and defence of one Machetas he condemned him in a certaine summe Whereupon the said partie cried out aloud that he appealed to Phillip after he should be throughly awake Which being noted by the said Prince he would needes heare him againe and afterward declared him not guiltie paying notwithstanding with his own money that summe wherein he had before condemned him that so he might keepe inuiolable the authoritie of his sentence The emperor Traian is iustly commended of Historiographers bicause he alighted from his horse as he was going to warre only to heare the complaint which a poore woman was about to make vnto him And truely nothing doth so properly belong vnto or is so well beseeming a prince of a good and gentle nature as the practise and exercise of Iustice Therefore when the Hebrews asked a king of Samuel they added this To iudge vs like all nations Yea these heads which had the soueraigntie ouer thē before were only in the nature of Iudges It is Iustice only which through the grace of God causeth kingdoms monarchies to flourish
vices namely too little and too much And this may also be noted in the fourth of those vertues whereof we intreated euen now whose defect and contrarie vice is Iniustice and hir excesse and counterfet follower is Seueritie Of which vices according to the order begun by vs we are now to discourse This matter therefore I leaue to you my Companions ASER. They make themselues guiltie of great Iniustice who being appointed of God to persecute the wicked with the swoord drawne will forsooth keepe their hands cleane from bloud whereas the wicked in the meane while commit murder and offer violence vncontrouled But it is no lesse crueltie to punish no offence than not to forgiue any in whomsoeuer it be the one being an abuse of clemencie the true ornament of a soueraigne and the other to turne authoritie into tyrannie Neuertheles Magistrats in the execution of Iustice ought to take great heed least by ouer-great seueritie they hurt more than they heale AMANA As a Goldsmith can make what vessel he will when the drosse is taken from the siluer so when the froward man is taken away from the kings presence his throne shal be established in Iustice Notwithstanding the seate of a Iudge that is too seuere seemeth to be a gibbet alreadie erected But we shall vnderstand of thee ARAM the nature and effects of these vices Iniustice and Seuerity ARAM. None are so peruerse nor giuen ouer so much to the desires and concupiscences of their flesh that they can vtterly deface through obliuion the knowledge of good and euill or the inward apprehension of some diuine nature both which are ioined together in all men Insomuch that by reason of that which vrgeth them within their soules they are constrained to confesse themselues culpable for their vniust deedes before the iudiciall throne of this Deitie Therfore with what impudencie soeuer the wicked outwardly gloze their corrupt dealings as if they gloried in them yet seeing they haue aswell by the testimonie of their conscience as by proofe and experience this knowledge euen against their wils that Iniustice is vnfruitful barren and vngrateful bringing foorth nothing woorthy of any account after many great labors and trauels which it affoordeth them the remembrance of their vnpure deedes abateth their courage maketh it full of trouble and confusion So that although a corrupt and naughty man during the sway of his vitious passion perswadeth himselfe that by committing a wicked execrable deed he shal enioy some great and assured contentation yet the heat thirst and fury of his passion being ouerpassed nothing remaineth but vile and perilous perturbations of Iniustice nothing that is either profitable necessarie or delectable Moreouer this troubleth his mind that through his dishonest desires he hath filled his life with shame danger distrust terror of the iust iudgement of God For these causes the Philosophers speaking of Iniustice said very well that there was no vice whereof a man ought to be more ashamed than of that bicause it is a malice and naughtines that hath no excuse For seeing men haue this inward sence and feeling that their very thoughts do accuse or absolue them before God they ought to make account thereof as of a watchman that watcheth prieth into them to discouer all those things which they would gladly hide if they could This caused Cicero to say that it is more against nature to spoile another man and to see one man to increase his riches by the hurt of another than either death or pouertie or griefe or any losse of goods belonging either to the bodie or to fortune And if a good man neither may nor ought for profit sake to slander deceiue lie or execute any such like thing it is certaine that there is nothing in this world of so great value no treasure so pretious which should mooue vs to forgo the brightnes and name of vertuous and iust Now as we learned before that Iustice was a generall vertue so Iniustice also comprehendeth all those vices whereinto men commonly fall For this is Iniustice not to giue to euery one that which belongeth vnto him In respect of God it taketh the name of Impietie in regard of men of deniall of rights and lawes Our discourse is of this latter which bringeth foorth pernitious effects after diuers manners destroying all duties of honestie But not to stay ouer-long in the kinds of Iniustice we will note this that we are so many waies guiltie of Iniustice as we deny to our neighbours those duties which we owe vnto them and which our vocation requireth of vs as also when we seeke to inrich our selues by their hinderance whether it be openly or by sinister and suttle meanes against christian sinceritie which ought to shine in all our dealings Let vs see how the Ancients hated this vice and spake of the pernitious effects thereof No man saith Socrates ought to commit any vniust act how small soeuer it be for any treasure wealth or profit which he may hope to reape thereby bicause all the treasures of the earth are not to be compared to the least vertue of the soule For this cause all men iointly ought to haue this one end and intent that when they profit themselues they should also be beneficiall to euery one For if all men should haue respect but to their owne their vnitie would soone be dissolued And although it were so said Cato that Iniustice did procure no perill to him that doth practise it yet would it to all others Plato calleth it a corruption of the soule and a ciuill sedition which neuer looseth strength no not in those that haue it onely within themselues For it causeth a wicked man to be at variance within himselfe It vrgeth troubleth and turmoileth him continually vntill it haue plunged him in the gulfe of all vices whereupon afterward he easily ouerfloweth in all impietie not caring for any thing but to satisfie his vnbrideled desires And if it fall out that they who haue the sword in hand to correct Iniustice do either authorize or practise it themselues then is the gate of all miseries opened vpon euery one through the vnrulie licence of the wicked who wallow in all kind of crueltie from whence all disorder and confusion proceedeth to the vtter ruine and finall subuersion of most florishing townes and cities and in the end of empires kingdomes and monarchies Thus doth Iniustice disanull the force of lawes which are the foundation of euery estate it is an enimie to good men and the Gardian and Tutor of the wicked Briefly it bringeth foorth all effects contrarie to those which we mentioned to be the fruits of Iustice and is the welspring of the other vices that hinder dutie Is it not Iniustice that giueth authoritie to murders robberies violent dealings to other damnable vices which at this day are vnpunished and are the cause that of many great goodly welthy
the meane time we will heere note that the deniall of Iustice hath procured to many their death or vndoing Phillip the first king of Macedonia was slaine by Pausanias a meane Gentle-man bicause he would not let him haue Iustice against Antipater who had offered him wrong Demetrius the besieger hauing receiued many requests and supplications of his subiects threw them all into the water as he went ouer the bridge of a riuer whereupon his subiects conceiued such hatred against him that within a while after his army forsooke him and yeelded themselues to Pyrrhus his enimie who draue him out of his kingdome without battell In our time Henrie king of Sweathland striking with a dagger a Gentle-man that asked Iustice of him stirred vp the Nobilitie and people in such sort against him that putting him into prison where he is at this present they elected his yoonger brother to be their king who nowe raigneth But for a more woonderfull matter we might heere rehearse how God to shew vnto vs his detestation of Iniustice hath sometimes suffered his iudgement to fal out in that very howre and time which such as were vniustly condemned did assigne to their vniust Iudges In the liues of the kings of Castile we finde that Ferdinando the fourth of that name putting two knights to death more through anger than iustly one of them cried aloud in this sort O vniust king we cite thee to appeere within thirtie daies before the tribunall seate of Iesus Christ to receiue iudgement for thy Iniustice seing there is no other Iudge in earth to whome we can appeale from thy vniust sentence Vpon the last of which daies he died likewise True it is some man may say that death is so naturall and the hower thereof so vncertaine although determined that no other cause thereof ought to be supposed but onely necessitie But yet when it followeth so neerely some notable wickednes committed and some disquietnes and torment of mind is mingled therewith in the soule as it commonly falleth out we may take such a death for a testimonie and beginning of the Iustice of God who will not suffer the vniust man to rule any longer but exerciseth his iudgements diuersly in due time and season vpon those that are not to giue an account of their doings to men like themselues And as for such as are of meaner estate and lower in degree God suffreth also many times their punishment to be notorious and that sometime by such as are not much better than themselues Heereupon Apollonius that great Philosopher said that in his peregrination ouer three parts of the world he maruelled most at two thinges whereof the first was that he alwaies sawe the greater theeues hang the lesse and oftentimes the innocent And thus it fell out in the time of king Phillip the long wherein a Prouost of Paris named Henrie Lapperell caused a poore man that was prisoner in the Chastelet to be executed by giuing him the name of a rich man who being guiltie and condemned was set at libertie by him But his reward followed him hard at the heeles being for the same accused conuicted hanged and strangled Not long after a President of the Parliament named Hugues of Crecy met with the same fortune for a certaine corrupt iudgement giuen by him Therefore let euery one of vs learne to flie from this pernitious vice of Iniustice namely from euery action repugnant to the dutie of christian charitie and destroying the bond of humane societie through the vtter spoiling of the riuers that flow from the fountaine of honestie And let vs be afraid through such impietie to fal into the indignation and wrath of the Almightie to whome onely as to the author of Iustice and to whome all time is as nothing it belongeth to define and to determine thereof when after what sort and how farre it standeth with reason all which things are vnknowne to vs. If he deferre sometime the punishment of Iniustice let vs know that it is for their greater and more greeuous condemnation who multiplie and heape vp daily vpon their heads iniquitie vpō iniquitie And for an example which great men ought to follow and not suffer Iniustice to be practised according to euery mans fancie or vnder any other pretence whatsoeuer we wil propound vnto them the fact of a Pagan king who shall rise vp in iudgement against them if they do otherwise The Prince I meane is Artaxerxes surnamed Longhand and king of the Persians who being requested by a Chamberlaine of his whome he greatly fauoured to do some vniust thing hauing by his diligence found out that he vndertooke this suit for another who had promised him thirty thousand Crownes called of them Dariques he commanded his Treasurer to bring the like summe vnto him and then said vnto his Chamberlaine Take this mony which I giue thee For in giuing it vnto thee I shall be neuer the poorer whereas if I had done that which thou requiredst of me I should haue beene more vniust Alexander Seuerus the Emperour handeled after another fashion yea more iustly a seruant of his who vsed like a horse-leech of the court to sucke their bloud that had to deale with his master by thrusting himselfe forward and profering his means to fulfill their request for a good reward by reason of the fauour which he bare him which turned to the great dishonor of his imperiall maiestie bicause a Prince ought not to make greater account of any thing than of the grace and fauor of his gifts and benefites This monarch caused him to be tied to a post and choked with smoke making this proclamation by sound of trumpet That they which sell smoke should so perish with smoke Now to enter into the last point of that matter which is here propounded vnto vs we must diligently note that as it is the dutie of all Magistrates and of such as haue authoritie ouer others to chastice to punish euery malefactor so likewise they must beware lest vnder pretēce of exercising Iustice they fall into another kind of Iniustice through ouer-much rigor which is as hurtfull or rather more than that vice whereof we discoursed euen now namely into Seueritie which causeth them to be misliked for crueltie and belongeth rather to a beastly and sauage nature than to the nature of man For clemencie and compassiō neuer ought to be separated from a good iust sentence which is to hold smal faults excused or but lightly to punish thē prouided alwayes that Iustice be not violated Clemencie saith the wise man is the true preseruation of the roial throne And therefore one of the ancients said that it was ill to be subiect to a prince vnder whom nothing was tolerated but worse when all things were left at randon We may alleage here for an example of ouer-great seueritie the fact of Manlius Torquatus a Consull of Rome who caused his
this is to be farre separated from the commendable end and good vse of riches wherof all that we haue ouer and aboue our necessitie ought to be imploied in the seruice of the common-wealth in relieuing the poore diseased afflicted and prisoners in procuring the good bringing vp of youth and generally in exercising all other deeds of pietie accounting it great gaine to helpe the poore seeing God is the rewarder therof Amongst the ancient Romanes there was a law kept inuiolably That no man should presume to make a publike feast except before he had prouided for all the poore of his quarter And they accounted it a great shame and offence to the common-wealth to see any man beg in the streets Therefore Plato said that where there are beggers in a towne there are also thieues church-robbers Now if we that beare the name of Christians and acknowledge the poore to be members of Iesus Christ are not ashamed to banquet and feast when as in the meane time the needy crie at our gates and almost die of hunger doe we not thinke that these Heathen men shall rise in iudgement before that great and iust Iudge to accuse and condemne vs as thieues and church-robbers and chieflie them that maintaine their delights and pleasure with the goods of the poore towards whom the liberall distribution of our owne wealth especially ought to be extended both by the lawe of God and man We must feede the poore and not kill them but to denie them nourishment or to driue them from vs is to kill them For this cause Epaminondas captaine generall of the Thebanes hauing knowledge of a very rich man that had no care of the poore in the towne sent a poore needie fellow vnto him and commanded him vnder great penaltie to giue presently without faile 600. crownes to that poore man The citizen hearing this commandement came vnto him to know the occasion and cause thereof It is quoth Epaminondas bicause this man being honest is poore and thou which hast robbed greatly the common-wealth art rich compelling him thereupon to be liberall in despite of his teeth So carefull were the ancients to helpe them that had need and to shew thēselues enimies vnto them that made no account of the poore But if we should diligently search all histories and deeds of famous men yet could we not find a more notable example or worthy to be folowed than that of Cimon the Athenian who hauing gottē great wealth honorably both for himself and his country by the taking and ouerthrow of many Barbarians and townes belonging vnto them knew neuerthelesse how to bestow it liberally with greater glory and honor by relieuing all his poore countreymen to whom his house was as an hospitall wherein they were all nourished and fed at an ordinarie that was common to so many as would come thither which was furnished not with daintie and delicate fare thereby to occasion rich folks to seeke it out but with many common sorts of victuals in all plentie and abundance and that for a great number of persons This he did chiefly as he sayd to the end that poore honest men might haue the more leasure to imploy themselues about the affaires seruice of the common-wealth and not be diuerted from that through trauell and care to get their liuing by the exercise of handicrafts Besides he caused all the inclosures hedges and ditches of his lands and inheritance to be taken away that strangers which passed by and his owne countreymen that wanted might take of the fruits that were there according to their necessitie Now if this vertue of liberalitie be praise-woorthie in all persons that vse it well according to their abilitie it is most of all necessarie honorable and profitable for kings and princes heads and captains of armies gouernours of estates and common-wealths as that which procureth vnto them more than any other thing the good will of euery one wherein the chiefe strength and stay of their greatnesse consisteth But withall they haue great need of prudence and iustice especially soueraigne princes to distribute liberally and according to harmonicall proportion their giftes graces and good turnes whether they be estates offices benefices knighthoods exemptions freedoms and other recompences due as rewards to their subiects according as euery one deserueth It belongeth principally to them to keep religiously and from point to point the lawes of liberalitie marking well to whom they giue how much is giuen at what time in what place to what end and their owne abilitie that giue Moreouer a soueraigne must looke that recompence go before gift by rewarding first those that haue deserued before he giue to thē that haue deserued nothing and aboue all things he must measure his largesse at the foote of his power But when the iust rewards of subiects and honest men are distributed amongst the vicious strangers and vnwoorthy persons this is that which oftentimes setteth florishing estates on fire There is neuer any want of flatterers and of impudent crauers about kings whose onely drift is to sup vp the bloud gnaw the bones and sucke the marow of princes and their subiects to satisfie their foolish vnprofitable expences which are such and so great that a man is well at ease to giue them any thing they are alwais so needie and monylesse and sticke not to say that they neuer receiue good of their masters In the meane while they that haue best deserued of the common-wealth are commonly remooued furthest from their maiesties which commeth to passe both by the ignorance of the greater sort who make but a bad choice of seruants worthy their fauour as also bicause the honor credite of good men forbiddeth them by flattery and begging to seek after the rewards of vertue which should be offred vnto them But not to wander farre from our matter subiect let vs now consider of some notable examples of the Ancients concerning this wherof we haue here discoursed It was by his magnificall and incomparable liberalitie that Alexander the great made a way for his noble plat-formes whereby he became monarch of three parts of the world distributing liberally all his demains amongst the Macedonians as before we mentioned But what a notable testimonie of this his liberalitie did he giue a fresh when during the warre he caused this to be published in his armie that all they that were indebted vpon any occasion whatsoeuer should bring their creditors vnto him and he would discharge all their debts Which thing he likewise performed Moreouer who will not admire the liberality which all his life time he exercised towards the learned men of his time We read that he gaue at one time to his maister Aristotle 800. Talents which amount to 480000. crownes as a reward for his paines trauels and expences which he had beene at in describing the nature and propertie of liuing creatures He sent
king or master but holdeth of one only Iesus Christ according to the ministerie of his word the other is to ordaine a ciuil iustice only and to reforme outward maners wherunto the body during this life is wholy subiect rescruing the first estate of man in his freedom according to the diuine rule of pietie we are diligently to looke to this second estate of subiection seruitude which is most necessary for the maintenance of common peace tranquillitie amongst men Now forasmuch my companions as we haue hitherto according to our weak iudgement noted the moral vertues of the soul for the better framing of mens actions to that which is decent honest in this life and folowing the same order haue also giuen rules instructions for the gouernment of a family we are now to enter into this large field of humane policie to consider of the parts that belong vnto it referring the chiefe scope of the handling of this matter which otherwise would be infinite to the ruling preseruing of our French monarchie for the instruction of al estates that are therein And first we wil see what ciuil policie is and intreat briefly of the diuers kinds of gouernments amōg the ancients that we may so much the better attaine to the knowledge of that vnder which we liue AMANA To command and to obey saith Aristotle are not only necessary but also profitable yea some things are borne to obey and others to command whose common end is publike benefit ciuil iustice which are preserued by a wel established policie and right gouernment according to the lawes of nature ARAM. Euery ciuil societie must be kept in order by some policie which is a necessary helpe to cause a man to walke in his vocation But as the elements cannot be intermingled one with another except it be by an vnequall proportion and temperature so I thinke that ciuil policies cannot wel be preserued but by a certaine inequalitie which is to be seene in all countries by diuers sorts of Gouernments But let vs heare ACHITOB discourse to this effect ACHITOB. In all things compounded of matter and forme commanding obeying are so naturall that there is some shew therof euen in things without life as we see in that harmonie which consisteth in voyce in sounds wherein the contra-tenor seemeth to command ouer the base This whole inferiour world obeyeth the superiour and is gouerned thereby through a certain vertue accompanied with light and heate called of many Philosophers the spirit of the world or as Plato saith the soule of the world which descending from the celestiall nature and intermingling it selfe throughout the whole masse of this great body penetrateth quickneth nourisheth and moderateth all chaungeable things vnder the Moone The chiefe minister and disposer of this vertue is the Sunne whom we acknowledge as king among the starres lightning the vniuersall frame with his beames The Moone is as it were the Queene ruling ouer all moistures and among other maruails shewing hir manifest power ouer the flowyng and ebbing of the Ocean seas We see among the Elements that the Fire and Aire through their first qualities are Actiue and that the water and earth are Passiue as beeyng more materiall Amongst all kinds of birdes the Eagle is president amongst beasts the Lion In fresh and salte waters the mightiest fishes rule as the Whale in the sea and the Pike in pooles Man ruleth ouer all liuing creatures and in man compounded of body soule and vnderstanding the soule commaundeth ouer the body and the vnderstanding ouer the desire We haue also seene by proceeding from one particular man to a familie made of many persons how the head commandeth diuersly ouer the partes of his house Euen so it is necessary that euery ciuill societie which is made one of many families tending to a generall good should be kept in by some policie consisting in commanding and obeying In many places of the world there are countries where the cities are not inclosed where there is no vse of learning and where there are no kinges Other people there are that dwell in no houses that vse no money that liue with rawe flesh in a worde that seeme to hold more of the nature of beasts than of men And yet there are none that haue no kind of policie established amongst them or that vse no lawes or customes whereunto they willingly submit themselues Neither are they without some apprehension and reuerence of the diuine nature vsing prayers sacrifices although damnable so straightly are these two things diuine Iustice and humane Policie ioined togither that the one cannot in any sort remaine amongst men without the other Therefore Plutarke saith that a citie will sooner stand without a foundation than ciuil policie can be framed and established without any religion and opinion of God or without the preseruation thereof after it is once receiued Moreouer the first agreement of people forsaking their barbarous and rusticall life to ioine in ciuil societie was to this ende that they might haue a place of religion to keepe them togither Religion surely is the foundation of all common-wealths of the execution of lawes of the obedience of subiects towards their magistrates of their feare towards princes of mutual loue among themselues and of iustice towards others Lycurgus reformed the estate of the Lacademonians Numa Pompilius of the Romanes Solon of the Athenians and Deucalion of all the Graecians generally by making them deuout and affectionate towardes the gods in prayers othes oracles and prophesies through the means of feare and hope of the diuine nature which they imprinted in them Polybius gouernour and lieutenant to Scipio Africanus and taken for the wisest Politician in his time saith That the Romans had neuer any greater means than religion to extend the borders of their empire and the glory of their famous acts ouer all the earth Desiring therfore that religion the truth and the law of God all which are one and published by the mouth of God may continue and dwel amongst vs let vs see what Policie is wherunto it ought chiefly to tend and what sundry sorts there are of establishing it by the contrary kindes of gouernment vsed among the auncients Policie is a worde deriued of this Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the regiment of a citie or common-wealth and that which the Graecians call Political gouernment the Latines call the gouerment of a common-wealth or of a ciuil societie This word Policie hath been taken in many significations amongst the auncients sometime it signified a Burgesie that is to say the participation and enioying of the rights and priuiledges of a towne sometime the maner of life vsed by some politicall person as when one commendeth the policie of Pericles or of Bias that is their kind of gouernment sometime also when they would note some woorthy
haue not onelye infinite testimonies in the Scripture that the estate of Magistrates is acceptable before God but which is more it is adorned with honourable titles that the dignitie therof might be singularly recommended vnto vs. When we see that all men placed in authoritie are called Gods we must not esteeme this title to be of smal importance seeing it appeereth therby that they are authorized by him and represent his maiestie in the ruling gouerning of vs. If the Scripture as that heauenly word saith called them Gods vnto whom the word of God was giuen what is that else but that they haue charge cōmission from God to serue him in their office as Moses Iosaphat said to their Iudges whom they appointed ouer euery citie of Iudah to exercise iustice not in the name of men but in the name of God By me saith the wisedome of God kings raigne and princes decree iustice By me princes rule and the nobles and all the iudges of the earth Moreouer we see that many holye men haue obtained kingdomes as Dauid Iosias Ezechias some gouernments and great estates vnder kings as Ioseph and Daniel others the guiding of a free people as Moses Iosua and the Iudges whose calling and estate was acceptable to God as he hath declared by his spirite Wherefore no man ought to doubt of this that ciuill superioritie is not onely a holie and lawfull calling before God but also the holiest and most honourable of all other whereunto all the people is subiect aswell by the establishment of the right of the estate as by the holie and heauenly ordinance of God And if the Magistrate be perswaded as it is certaine that many Estates haue had that foundation that the cause of his first institution and voluntarie subiection whereunto the people submitted themselues for their cōmon benefit was that excellencie of vertue which appeered in some aboue the rest ought he not to thinke himselfe vnwoorthy of so honourable a title if he want the cause of the beginning thereof But further if the Magistrate know that he is appointed the minister of Gods iustice vnto what great integritie prudence clemencie moderation and innocencie ought he to conforme frame himselfe With what confidence dare he suffer any iniquitie to haue entrance into his seate which he vnderstandeth to be the throne of the liuing God With what boldnes will he pronounce any vniust sentence out of his mouth which he knoweth is appointed to be an instrument of the truth of God With what conscience will he subscribe to or seale any euill statute with his hand which he knoweth is ordained to write the decrees of God To be short if the Magistrate call to mind that as God hath placed the Sunne and Moone in the heauens as a token of his diuinitie so is he also appointed in earth for the like representation and light will he not thinke that he is to imploy and bestow all his care and studie that he may represent vnto men in all his dooings as it were an image of the prouidence defence goodnes clemencie and iustice of God It is certaine that the Magistrate is the same thing in the Common-wealth which the hart is in the body of a liuing creature If the hart be sound and pure it giueth life vnto the whole body bicause it is the fountaine of the bloud and of the spirits but being corrupted it bringeth death and destruction to all the members So fareth it with the Magistrate who is the soule of the people their glasse and the white whereat all his subiects aime If he liue vnder right reason truth and Iustice which are the proper wil of God onely he is not vnlike to a line or rule which being first right it selfe afterward correcteth all other crooked things that are applied vnto it For nothing is more natural than that subiects should conforme them selues to the manners deedes and words of their prince The wise Hebrew Plato Cicero and Titus Liuius haue left this Maxime vnto posteritie as an infallible rule of Estate And Theodoricus king of the Gothes writing to the Senat of Rome goeth yet further vsing these words as Cassiodorus rehearseth them That the course of nature would sooner faile than the people would leaue off to be like their Princes But further as the hart in the bodies of liuing creatures is last corrupted insomuch that the last relicks of life seeme to abide therein so it is meete that if any disease corrupt the people the soueraigne Magistrate should continue pure and sound vnto the end from all that pollution If there be any euill in the soule it proceedeth from the wickednes of the body being subiect to peruerse affections and looke what good thing soeuer is in the body it sloweth from the soule as from the fountaine thereof Now as it would be against nature if the euils of the body should come from the soule the good gifts of the body should be corrupted by the vices of the spirite so would it be very absurd that corrupt manners euill lawes vice and vngodlines should proceede from the Magistrate vnto the people seeing as Plato saith he holdeth the same place in the Common-wealth that reason doth in the soule which guideth the other parts by wisedome And forasmuch as the whole Common-wealth representeth but one certaine bodye compounded of diuers members whereof the Magistrate is the Head and most excellent of all he must also vse such equitie that he profit euery one of them and beware that he be not contagious to the whole publike body through his euil example The people saith Seneca giue more credite to their eies than to their eares that is to say they beleeue that which they see sooner than that which they heare And to instruct the people by precepts is a long and difficult way but to teach them by examples is very short and of greater efficacie Therefore the Magistrate must be more carefull of that which he doth than of that which he speaketh And that which he prescribeth his subiects for a rule as it were by law must be confirmed of him by works and deedes For as he is chiefly bound to follow the lawes of God and nature so he must make all those lawes and statuts which he establisheth in his estate according to that paterne And therfore one of the Ancients said very wel that the prince togither with his subiects had one and the same God to serue one law to keepe and one death to feare We will then briefly comprehend the dutie of the Magistrate in these three things in ruling in teaching and in iudging his people which duties are so neerely knit and ioined togither that the one cannot be well exercised without the other and he that faithfully dischargeth one fulfilleth them all For this cause Plato saith that the arte and science of the King of the
Philosopher and of the Politician is one and the same bicause they consist all three in knowing how to rule to teach and to iudge well He saith also that the only way to procure true quietnes and most happie felicitie in Common-wealths is when by some diuine prouidence the soueraigne authoritie of Magistracie meeteth with the will of a wise Philosopher in one person that vertue may be superior and vice suppressed And if such a gouernour ouer people is to be accounted very happy they are no lesse happie that may heare the excellent discourses good instructions which proceed from his mouth Besides when they see vertue after a liuely sort imprinted in a visible paterne that the Magistrates life is such an example they become wise of their own accord Then is force constraint or threatning needeles to bring them to their dutie as they that conforme themselues to an'vpright good life in friendship charitie concord one with another So that we may boldly say that he is by nature most worthie of soueraigne authority who is able by his vertue to imprint in mens harts the like disposition affection to liue wel vertuously But forasmuch as few vertuous men are found soueraigne Magistrats are not commonly chosen out of that smal number but come to that authoritie for the most part by succession it is no maruell if there be but fewe such Magistrates as we haue here described nay it is rather greatly to be wondered at if any one amonge a great many become very excellent Notwithstanding as their soueraign is nothing lesse ouer their subiects who owe fidelitie obedience vnto them so are they alwaies bound to do their dutie and office towards them which consisteth in ministring iustice counsel comfort aide and protection Moreouer bicause insolencie and rebellious wickednes is alwaies to be found in some corrupt persons who neither by teaching nor by example of good life will be brought to vertue but perseuer in committing a thousand impious vniust actions for the punishment of such the sword is put into the Magistrates hand both by the law of God man that as the minister of God he should serue his wrath take vengeance of them that do euil This is that which is so expresly cōmanded to Magistrats in infinit places of the scripture vnder these words Do iudgement iustice Iustice in deliuering him that is oppressed by force from the hand of the oppressor in not grieuing strangers widowes and orphanes in offering no iniurie to any in shedding no innocent blood and in dealing vprightly with euery one and Iudgement in resisting the boldnes of the wicked in repressing their impudencie and violence and in punishing their faults It is an abhomination to kings saith the wise man to commit wickednes for the throne is stablished by iustice A king that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his cies A wise king scattereth-the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them Take the drosse from the siluer and there shall proceede a vessell for the finer Take away the wicked from the king and his throne shall be stablished in righteousnes Aswell he that iustifieth the wicked as he that condemneth the iust is an abhomination vnto God The people and nations curse him that saith to the wicked thou art iust Yea an offence is to be imputed asmuch or more to him that suffereth it to be done when he may is bound to stay it than to him that committeth the same And if it be a point of true iustice in Magistrates to persecute the wicked with drawne sword let not them that will needes forsooth abstaine from all seueritie and keepe their hands pure from blood whilest the swords of the wicked are drawne out to commit murder and violence I say let them not doubt but they them selues shall be iudged guiltie of great iniustice before the diuine Maiestie It is true that gentlenes and clemencie most of all beseeme a great and excellent man and is one principall vertue necessary for a Magistrate Notwithstanding it must so be ruled that for the benefite of the Common-wealth seueritie and rigor be ioined therewith bicause it is vnpossible to rule gouerne a multitude without this And yet it is not the part either of a wise Phisition or of a good gouernor of an Estate to set hand to the iron except in great necessitie when there is no other remedie For if they do otherwise as there is want of discretion in both so most of all in the Magistrate bicause iniustice also is ioined with crueltie So that it is necessarie both in clemencie and rigor to keepe some honest meane by right reason and prudence to the end that the inconueniences of both may be eschewed This is that which Isocrates speaking of the manner of raigning wel teacheth when he sayth that a man must be seuere in searching out of faults and mercifull in imposing punishments that are lesse than the faults gouerning men more by clemencie and prudence than by rigor and crueltie And seeing it falleth out so that an ouer-seuere Magistrate becommeth odious and that he is contemned despised who is too gratious a wise man must be both ciuill and graue grauitie being comely in commanding and ciuilitie necessarie for him that conuerseth with men For the conclusion therefore of our discourse we learne that both by the establishment of euery estate and policie and by a holie heauenly decree we are subiect to the soueraigne Magistrate who is lawfully ordained to rule to teach and to iudge vs in all things that respect this present life and the preseruation of ciuill societie We learne that seeing he is the image of God vpon earth he must conforme himselfe asmuch as he is able to the perfection of all goodnes and iustice that he may bring on them that are committed to his charge to godlines and vertue by his example that it is his dutie to honor the good and to punish the euill declaring thereby that he is the protector and preseruer of publike tranquillitie honestie innocencie and modestie and appointed to maintaine the common safetie and peace of all men Of the Law Chap. 55. ARAM. AS wee note in the vniuersall frame of the world that many vnlike motions are contained within one heauenly motion which is alwaies like to it selfe all causes by the first cause and as in euery liuing creature many sundry members distinct in office are comprised brought into vnion and agreement by the soule hart so in euery Common-wealth compounded of many differing parts necessary for the establishment thereof the law is the blood that giueth vertue and life vnto it the bond that reduceth all the parts therof to vnitie and the firme preseruer of ciuill societie Therefore seeing my Companions we haue discoursed of the first part of euery
bicause it nourished the Iewish Church in the reuerence of God and yet was distinct from true pietie in like maner albeit their Iudiciall law tended to no other ende than to the preseruation of the selfe same charitie that is commanded in the Morall law yet it had a distinct propertie which was not expresly declared in the commandement of charitie As therefore the ceremonies were abrogated and true religion and pietie I meane Christian substituted in place of the Iudaicll law so the Iudiciarie lawes were cancelled abolished without violating in any sort the dutie of charitie So that all nations haue libertie to make for themselues such lawes as they shall thinke expedient for them called of vs ciuill lawes which must be squared according to the eternall rule of charitie and differing onely in forme they must all haue one end commanding alwaies honest vertuous things and contrariwise forbidding those that are dishonest and vitious Nowe of these ciuill lawes there are two chiefe kindes amongst vs The first consisteth in lawes that are ratified established vpon which euery Monarchie and publike gouernment is first grounded and hath his beginning which ought not in any wise to be infringed or changed such are those which we call the lawes of the French-men namely the Salicke law established by Pharamond who was the first that tooke vpon him the name of king ouer them Such lawes also are annexed and vnited to the crowne and therefore the Prince cannot so abrogate them but that his successor may disanull whatsoeuer he hath done in preiudice of them much lesse are subiects permitted to attempt any such matter Yea all those that go about it seeke nothing but to mooue sedition in the estate and to cause subiects to reuolt from their superiours As for the other ciuill lawes as constitutions ordinaunces edicts and customes which haue beene made and receiued according to the condition and circumstaunce of times and places they are in the power of the soueraigne Prince to change and to correct them as occasion shall serue And yet in the general and particular customes of this Realme none haue beene commonly chaunged but after the lawefull assemblie of the three generall Estates of France or else of the particular Estates of euery Prouince not as if the king were necessarily bound to stand to their aduice or might not do contrary to that which they demand if naturall reason and iustice stand with his will And then whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to like or dislike to command or forbid is held for a law an edict and decree and euery subiect is bound to obey it But to speake generally of the lawes of an Estate the changing and gain-saying of them is a very pernitious plague in euery Common-wealth This ancient rule and Maxime of wise Politicks is well woorth the marking That nothing is to be changed in the lawes of a Common-wealth which hath a long time preserued it selfe in good estate what apparant profite soeuer a man may pretend And for this cause in the popular gouernment of the Romanes vnder Publius Philo the Dictator that Athenian edict was receiued and past by force of lawe whereby it was not lawfull for any to present a request to the people without the aduice of the Senate But there was a farre more strict and seuere decree amongest the Locrians For it was to this effect as Demosthenes rehearseth it that euery Citizen that was desirous to bring in a newe lawe should come and declare it publikely before the people with a halter about his necke to the end that if his newe lawe was not thought meete to be receiued and very profitable for the Common-wealth he might presently be strangled as a woorthie reward for his rashnes In euery societie sayth Aristotle that is well instituted and ordained by lawes great care is to be taken that no part of the lawe although neuer so little be diminished or changed yea most heede is to be had of that which is done by little and little For if resistance be not then made it falleth out in the Common-wealth as in the diseased bodie of a man wherein the disease if speedie remedie be not vsed in the beginning thereof increaseth by little and little and that which might easily haue beene cured through negligence is made incurable Men neuer beginne sayed Paulus Aemilius the Romane Consul to alter and chang the estate of a Common-wealth by making their first entrance with some notorious resisting of the lawes And therefore we must thinke that the preseruation of the principall foundations of a politike Estate is left at randon when men neglect the care of keeping diligentlye the constitutions thereof howe light or of small importance soeuer they seeme to be For seeing the lawe is the sure foundation of euery ciuill societie if that fayle it must needes be that the whole politicall building will fall to ruine Therefore Bias the wise sayd that the Estate of that Common-wealth is happie wherein all the inhabitants feare the lawe as a seuere Tyrant For then whatsoeuer it requireth is vndoubtedly perfourmed After the lawe is once established and approoued saith Isidorus we must not iudge of it but iudge according vnto it That is the beste policie sayde Chilon one of the Sages of Graecia where the people hearken more to the lawes than to the Oratours This also was the cause that Pausanias the Lacedemonian made this aunswere to one who demaunded of him why it was not lawefull in their countrie to alter any of their auncient lawes The reason is quoth he bicause the lawes must bee Mistresses ouer men and not men Maysters ouer the lawes Moreouer the antiquitie and profite of lawes are so euident that it is needeles to make any long discourse thereof heere Moses was the first lawe-maker of the Hebrewes Mercurius Trismegistus of the Egyptians Phoroneus the Kinge of the Graecians Solon of the Athenians Lycurgus of the Lacedemonians Anacharsis of the Scythians Numa Pompilius of the Romanes Ten notable men were chosen by the Senate and people of Rome to translate and to expound the lawes of the twelue tables We haue already declared how Pharamond made ours The greatest and best part of the lawes of Germanie was established by Charles the great Emperour and king of France And so all regions haue had diuers lawmakers according to the condition and circumstance of time place and countrie True it is that before the publishing of the law of God there was no law-maker of whome we haue any knowledge and surely not so much as one word of a law is to be found in all the works of Homer or Orpheus or of any before Moses But Princes iudged and commanded all thinges by their soueraigne power which kind of gouernment being more tyrannicall than kingly could not be of any continuance or assurance bicause there was no bond to knit the great with
liuing bicause Princes ordinarilye take delight in changing and in remoouing almost all things that men might speake of them which manye tymes bringeth great discommodities to their subiects But if this were not so and the Prince as wise as hart could wish yet the alliances and leagues made by a mans predecessor end with him which is the cause that the alliances ending the neighbours betake them to armes and the strongest assaulteth the weakest or else prescribeth him lawes For many maintaine that the successours of Princes are not bound to the treaties and obligations of their predecessors if they be not their heires An other inconuenience to be feared in a Monarchie is the danger of falling into ciuill warre through the diuision of those that aspire to the crowne and namely if there be right of election which oftentimes draweth after it the ruine of the estate But put the case there were no strife for the Monarchie yet if the Monarch be a childe there will be diuision for the gouernment of him betweene the moother and the Princes or betwixt the Princes themselues Also when God purposeth to be reuenged vpon nations he threatneth to giue them children for Princes And although the child hath a Tutor by the appointment of the predecessor or by custome yet is there danger of making himselfe soueraigne Lord of which thing histories set downe many examples before our eies If a yoong Prince freed from Tutors come to the crowne his gouernment is no lesse to be feared For being then set at libertie when his lusts are most violent you shall see nothing in his Court but fooleries maskings and loose behauiour If he be warly he will hazard his subiects his estate and his person to make triall of his valure Briefly a craftie and wicked Monarch will establish a tyrannie a cruell man will make a slaughter-house of the Common-wealth a whore-maister will make it a stewes a couetous wretch will pull off both haire and skin from his subiects a prodigall Prince will sucke the blood and marrow to glut a dozen of horse-leaches about his person a foolish and ignorant Prince will do woorse falling easily into the most of these vices for want of iudgement to knowe and to make choice of counsell necessary for the gouernment of his estate These are the chiefe reasons of them that mislike a Monarchie Now we will alleadge the other reasons in the defence of it and begin with Darius his declaration vpon the speeches of his companions rehearsed by vs in the generall Councell of the Persians bicause it is well woorthy to be remembred according vnto which the Monarchie was concluded of in the Councell In my iudgement said he to the assemblie Megabyses said well concerning the multitude but ill in that which belongeth to an Oligarchy For although there be three kinds of Policies a Democraty an Oligarchy and a Monarchy and all good yet I say this last is farre better than the other bicause there is nothing so good as the gouernment of one vertuous man alone who iudging thereafter gouerneth his people without reprehension I will not speake of the councels which he taketh in like manner against his enimies and ill-willers But in an Oligarchy where many busie them selues with publike affaires great enmities arise betweene them from whence proceede seditions and from seditions murders and by murders some one attaineth to a Monarchye Whereby you may easily knowe how much better a Monarchy is As touching the people it is impossible but that where they rule there should be much wickednes which increasing in the euill gouernours of the Common-wealth breedeth not hatred betweene them but great friendship For they that are euill affected towards the Common-wealth hide one anothers counsell vntill some one man being set ouer the people cause them to giue ouer Then is that man admired and therewithall made a Monarch whereby also it is euident that a Monarchy is best Wherefore my aduice is that seeing we haue beene set at libertie by one onely man we should maintaine that Estate otherwise we shall disanull the lawes of our countrie that are already well established which will not turne to the best for vs. Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in his antiquities of Rome affirmeth that the like speech was vsed before Romulus when he first established the gouernment in Rome where Amulius concluded for the Monarchy as Darius did among the Persians The same question was deliberated of by Augustus amongst his friends bicause he desired nothing more than to liue in rest and to giue ouer the Estate but it was then concluded that a Monarchy was best for the Common-wealth and the cuent prooued the same For before the Romans could not liue ten yeeres without ciuill warre or sedition whereas Augustus preserued them almost 50 yeeres in perfect peace which continued also long time after his death Demosthenes in his first Olynthiacke oration sheweth the Athenians what aduantage a Monarch hath in the deliberation and execution of great enterprises speaking in this manner It is greatly auaileable for the speedie and commodious execution of warlike exploits when one man alone hath the ouer-sight of all enterprises both secret and open withall is Captaine Lord Treasurer alwaies present at the affaires But who can deny that it is not a great deale better for great and mighty nations to be gouerned Monarchically to the end that they may maintain themselues in vnity at home abroad in reputation Especially those nations where there are Princes Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons other gentlemen who possesse in the highest lowest midle sort of iustice Villages Boroughs Townes Castles with vassals holding and relying of them by fealtic and homage as namely in France Spaine and other countries wherin the Monarch by absolute power and force when need is holdeth in the greater sort with the lesse staying the insolencie of the one releeuing others from oppression Otherwise if they were diuided into many heads disagreeing among themselues and acknowledging no soueraigne Lord who doubteth but that they would be continually troubled with ciuill warres set vpon by strangers and spoiled of all sides Italy prooueth this sufficiently vnto vs which commanded the greatest part of the world when it was vnited in onâ— but being now diuided into many Potentats and Seignories after vnspeakeable calamities of ciuill wars which it hath suffered a long time it is yet without doubt exposed for a praie to all the neighbours if they were not staied with other warres If we consider the antiquitie of the royal gouernment how it hath been practised of all nations almost either wholy or in part to their great honor felicitie we shall be constrained to prefer it before all others to account all those happy that liue vnder a Monarchy As men liued in old time saith Aristotle vnder Kings so they thought that the gods had a king All nations saith Cicero obeyed
according to his will that he may enioy prosperitie in this world and eternall felicitie in the blessed life to come Let him be taught to loue vertue as the only good and to hate vice as the onely euil let him know that the one is folowed no lesse with shame and dishonor than the other with glory and honor especially in a prince in whom if vertue take place as it were in a high watch-tower it shineth so cleerely that the brightnes thereof remaineth long after his death As for all worldly pompe antiquitie of petigree images and riches they are but meere vanitie and folly not woorthie to be cared for or to be admired by a vertuous prince Let him be perswaded that dignitie greatnes and maiestie are not to be sought after by the helpe of fortune or by humane means but by wisdome integritie of life maners and by vertuous and noble deeds Plato saith not without cause that a Common-wealth will neuer be happie vntill princes play the Philosophers or Philosophers take the rudder of the Empire in hand Now his meaning is not to cal him a Philosopher that is learned in Logike in naturall Philosophie and in the Mathematicks but him who with an vntamed hart despiseth the vaine shadowes of things and followeth after true goods A philosopher and a Christian differ but in name and a prince wel instructed in piety is truly both the one and the other Therefore he ought to learne nothing sooner next to the law of God than the morall philosophie of the auncients which teacheth all vertue Is there any thing more foolish than to esteeme highly of a prince if he vaute well if he play well at tennise if he be stoute and strong briefly if he be cunning in some things which peraduenture a peasant would doe better than he and in the meane while he is puffed vp with pride he polleth his people and sporteth himselfe in all kind of dissolutenesse and pleasure What honor is it for a prince to go farre beyond the common sort in precious stones gold purple traine of seruants and in other ornaments of the body and in euery thing that is falsly called good and in the meane while to be farre inferior in the true goods of the soule to many of his people and those of lowest calling These opinions as holy and inuiolable lawes must bee ingrauen in the hart of a young prince and must bee as it were the first lines that are to be drawen in the voide table of his soule namely that he must striue that none excell him in the goods of the soule in wisdome magnanimitie temperance and iustice Frugalitie modestie and sobrietie in other men may be attributed either to pouertie or to niggardlines but in a prince they cannot but be a note of tēperance I meane when he vseth goods modestly who hath as much as he will Ancient men called that prudence miserable which was gottē by the experience of things bicause it is bought with publike losse calamity But such kind of experience ought to be farthest off from a Prince bicause the longer it is a learning the greater cause is it of many euils vnto al his people If Scipio Africanus had reason to say that this speech I had not thought it did not beseem a wise man how much more vnseemely is it for a Prince who cannot vtter the same without his great harme and greater to the Common-wealth For as in a voiage the fault of a common Mariner saide Agapetus doth but little hurte whereas the slip of a Pilot bringeth shipwracke so in monarchies the offence of a priuate man is more hurtfull to himselfe than to the Common-wealth but if the prince begin to faile he hurteth euery one This is the cause why the mind of a prince must especially be instructed with good resolutions sentences to the end he may be skilfull by reason and not by vse For then the counsel of aged men will supply that experience of things which is wanting in him He must be giuen to vnderstand that his life is in the face of all the world that he can do nothing that will be hid and therfore if he be good it must needs turne to the great benefit of many if wicked to their hurt likewise bicause the prince is always the very portrature after which subiects conforme themselues He must know that the greater honour is giuen vnto him the more he is to striue that he may be woorthie of it looking more to his owne doyngs and actions than to the prayses that men giue him which he must beleeue and receiue according as he behaueth himselfe For if hee rule well they are due vnto him if ill he is honoured and praised either through constraint or of flatterie or els it is to shew him vnder hand what he ought to bee Let him know that as God hath placed the Sunne and the Moone in the heauens for a resemblaunce of his diuinitie so a prince is the like representation and light in a kingdome as long as he hath the feare of GOD and the obseruation of iustice imprinted in him For these two things make their life diuine and celestiall that are placed in high degree of power and authoritie as contrarywise the contempt of pietie and iustice maketh it beast-like and sauage As God the giuer of all things standeth not in neede of any mans seruice to receiue a good turne of him so it is the dutie of a worthie prince who representeth the figure of the eternall king to profite euery one with-out respect of his owne commoditie and glory As God is not touched with any affections or passions but ruleth and gouerneth all thinges perfectly by his prouidence so after his example a prince laying aside the perturbations of his soule must follow reason onely in all his dooings As there is nothing more common than the sunne which imparteth of hir light to all the celestiall bodies so a Prince must be alwaies readye to profite the Common-wealth and haue within him the light of wisedome to the end that if others loose their brightnes yet he may neuer be ouertaken with darknes As the Sunne when it is highest in the Zodiacke mooueth slowest so the higher that a Prince is lift vp in greatnes and authoritie the more gentle and gratious he ought to be keeping himselfe from dooing any thing that beseemeth not a Prince Therefore let him thinke that nothing is more vile and abiect than for him that is called a king and Prince of free men to become a slaue to riot choler couetousnes ambition other vices of like qualitie which are most vile and cruell maisters He must be so affected towards his subiects as a good father of a familie is towards those of his houshold bicause a kingdome is nothing els but a great familie and a king the father of a great many For although he passe them in greatnes and
authoritie yet he is of one and the same kind with them a man commanding men and free ouer those that are free not ouer beasts or slaues as Aristotle saith very well And if he would haue that excellent title which we giue to God the Prince of all men calling him Our father he must procure it not by threatnings and feare but by good deedes by meekenes and humanitie which will stand him in steede of a sure Gard to preserue his estate For the loue and loialtie of his subiects will greatly encrease thereby of which the assurance of Monarchies dependeth When the nobilitie and common-people vse to feare not him but for his sake that commandeth them then he seeth with many eies heareth with many eares and perceiueth a farre off whatsoeuer is done Let the Prince haue this saying of Plutarke alwaies engrauen in his soule That nothing heere below pleaseth God more or draweth neerer to his diuine nature than to rule well in all iustice and equitie which is the chiefest charge of his vocation and that vnto which he is straightly bound in respect of his subiects For as the subiect oweth obedience aide and reuerence to his Lord so the Prince oweth iustice defence and protection to his subiects When a Prince sheweth himselfe vpright indifferent and true of his word to all it is the greatest felicitie that can happen to a Common-wealth and that which crowneth the Monarch thereof with greater glorie and honour And truly a Prince ought to be more carefull to obtaine that praise and reputation which proceedeth of goodnes and vertue than that which commeth of strength and power For as the diuine nature vnto which kings must endeuour to conforme their woorks and actions excelleth all other essences and natures chiefly in three things that is in immortalitie power and goodnes so a Prince must striue to excell his subiects not so much in the immortalitie of his name or in power as in goodnes which vertue is certainly much more venerable and draweth neerest to the diuinitie For to be incorruptible and immortall the fower Elements and the whole frame are indued with that qualitie as naturall Philosophers maintaine And as for strength and power earthquakes lightnings tempestuous whirlewinds flouds and inundations of waters are full of force and might but nothing is partaker of iustice vprightnes and equitie except it be diuine and that by the meanes of reason and vnderstanding So that as the same Plutark saith we only are capeable of that Good of vertue that commeth from God To be short let the Prince be diligently taught whilest he is yoong and labour to knowe how he may adorne his name with works answerable to those excellent Epithits and titles wherewith Iulius Pollux who was gouernour to the Emperour Commodus in his yoong yeeres setteth foorth a good king He calleth him Father gentle acceptable mercifull prudent iust curteouus noble-minded free a contemner of monie not subiect to passions but commanding ouer himselfe one that ouercommeth pleasures and vseth reason quicke of iudgement sharpe prouident good in counselling iust sober godly and full of good religion carefull ouer the welfare of men constant firme no deceiuer minding great things decked with authoritie industrious a quicke dispatcher of affaires carefull ouer those whome he commandeth a Sauiour ready to do good slow to reuenge alwaies one and the same without turning aside inclining greatly to iustice easie to haue accesse vnto curteous in speech gentle to them that haue to deale with him plaine a louer of vertuous and valiant men who neuertheles are not desirous of warre a louer of peace a peace-maker a precise obseruer thereof borne to correct the manners of people skilfull in discharging the dutie of a king and Prince hauing knowledge to make good lawes borne to profit euery one and of a diuine forme A Prince of noble birth shall feele himselfe greatly prouoked to desire and seeke after these excellent gifts and graces through the consideration of examples propounded vnto him concerning the liues deeds of so many famous and woorthy men as are at this day after innumerable ages reuiued againe by meanes of histories And it cannot be but he will be greatly pricked forward to conforme himselfe vnto them thereby to giue like occasion to good wits to write singe and publish his praises What Prince will not burne with a iealous desire of vertue when he heareth that the onely fame thereof in the person of Scipio Africanus allured and rauished theeues and robbers with such an admiration that when they vnderstood that he was in a house far from any towne they did beset it round and as he stood in his defence to driue them away they threw downe their weapons assuring him that they came thither onely to see and to reuerence him as in deed they did What prince will not be possessed with ioy when he heareth that Menander king of the Bactrians was so beloued of his subiects for his iustice and vertue that after his death the cities were in great contention which of them should haue the honor of his buriall for the appeasing of ẇhich strife order was taken that each of them should make a tombe Who wil not be mooued with loue towards the goodnes of Traian Emperour of the Romanes when he heareth his Panegyricall Oration wherein Plinie after he had extolled him to heauen concludeth thus That the greatest happines which could come to the Empire was that the Gods tooke example by the life of Traian Who will not desire the honour that king Agesilaus receiued when he was fined by the Ephoryes bicause he had stolne away the harts and wonne the loue of all his Citizens to himselfe alone Who will not wish to haue the surname of Aristides the iust as diuine and royall a title as euer king could obtaine rather than as many vse to be called Conquerours Besiegers Thunderers Briefly vnto these examples oppose the reprehension and marke of perpetuall infamie which histories set vpon euill Princes and it cannot be but that a Prince well brought vp and exercised in the loue and studie of vertue will be very desirous to shew foorth the fruits and effects thereof especially if he be well instructed in the feare of God and knowledge of his dutie whereof he shall haue perfect vnderstanding in the law of God which he is commanded by the soueraigne king of all to haue with him to read in it all the daies of his life and to obey it to the end he may raigne happily in earth and finally in heauen Of the office and dutie of a King Chap. 60. AMANA AVgustus Caesar hearing some rehearse that Alexander the great after he had finished most of his conquests at two and thirtie yeeres of age said that he tooke great care to know what he should do afterward I woonder said this wise Monarch at the speech of that great
infringe the decrees of the Senate Since that time according to the sundry alterations of their estate and gouernment the councell varied in forme Augustus established a particular councell of the wisest Senators those but few in number and after that another strict councell of Mecaenas and Agrippa with whom he decided the chiefest matters In Turkie the councell is kept foure daies in a week by the Bassaes wheresoeuer the prince soiourneth If it be in time of peace at Constantinople or in some other towne within his dominion if in warre it is kept within his pauilion In this councell called Diuan where audience is open to euery one they consult of embassages and of answers to be made vnto them of matters of estate and of soueraigntie of the meanes how to prouide for decaied prouinces of murders and condemnations The suppliant complainant or suter speaketh without an aduocate and is forced to answer presently to the obiection of his aduersarie if he be present or to prooue his sayings by witnesses and foorthwith the definitiue sentence is giuen which may not be reuoked When the councell hath continued 7. or 8. houres the Bassa Visir maketh true relation to the prince of all that hath been handled if he lie it is present death For the prince oftentimes listeneth at a window called daungerous right against the Diuan which is made in such sort that he may heare and see and not be perceiued and although he were neuer there yet they thinke that he is alwayes there After he hath heard the discourse and aduise of his councell he seldome gainsaieth but confirmeth or moderateth the same These things being thus ordered they are written and registred by officers appointed thereunto Concerning his treasure the Bassaes meddle not there-with but two generall treasurers are ouer-seers and chiefe dealers therein the one being of Romania the other of Anatolia Two Cade lisquers haue the administration of all iustice who sit with the Bassaes in the Diuan neither doth any other sit there but the twelue Bellerbeis the Prince his children beyng Presidents in their fathers absence The Muphtie is chief of the religion and looketh vnto matters of conscience At Venice the generall assemblie of Lordes and gentlemen is called the great councell which hath the soueraigne power of the estate and of which the Senate and the authoritie of all their magistrates dependeth Besides this great councell and Senate compounded of threeskore persons there are foure other councels that is the councell of Sages for sea matters the councell of Sages for land matters the councell of tenne and the councell of seuen where the Duke maketh the seuenth and this is called the Seignorie If there arise any hard matter among the Sages it is referred to the councell of tenne and if they be diuided the councell of seuen is ioyned to the councel of tenne But if the matter be of great waight the Senate is called and sometime also albeit rarely the great councell of all the Venetian Gentlemen in which the last resolution is made At Rhagusium they create a President from moneth to moneth who dwelleth in the pallace and hath twelue counsailors which assembly is called the little councell There is also an other councell called the councell de Pregadie into which a hundreth of the ancientest citizens may enter Next there is the great councell at which all the nobilitie aboue twentie yeeres of age are present At Genes the whole common-wealth is gouerned by them that are borne of eight and twentie families neither is any man called to beare any office whatsoeuer vnlesse he be of this assemblie which they call an Aggregation Out of this are taken foure hundreth which make the great councell that hath all the power and authoritie of the estate and is chosen from yeere to yeere They create the Duke and the eight gouernours of the Common-wealth who are renued from two yeeres to two yeeres In Switzerland there are two councels in euery Canton a little one and a great one But if any great matter fall out that is common to all the leagues they hold their generall councell called a Iourney or a Diet. The like is vsed in Almaigne where the Emperour can ordaine nothing that concerneth the common benefite of Germanie or the authoritie and preseruation of the Empire without the counsell and consent of all the estates especially of the seuen Electors Hee may not of him-selfe vnder-take any warre at his pleasure neither leuie tributes nor rayse souldioures of that nation nor call in any forraine souldioures They haue also a councell established at Spira which is called the Imperiall chamber beyng as it were a Parliament of Almaignes for the administration of iustice among them In Polonia there is an assemblie of estates euery yeere especiallie for these two causes the one to administer iustice in soueraigntie vnto which are brought appeales from all the iudges of the countrey the other to prouide for the defence and safetie of the Countrey against their next enimies namelie the Tartares who make often incursions vppon them None is receyued for a Senatour amongst them if hee bee no Palatine Bishop Gouernour of some Forte or other Captaine or hath not beene Embassadour In Spayne there are seuen councels besides the priuie councell which are alwayes neere the King in seuerall Chambers vnder one roofe that the king may be the better infourmed of all affaires Their names are these the councell of Spayne of the Indies of Italie of the lowe Countreys of Warre of the Order of Saint Iohn and of the Inquisition In the Realme of Englande there is a priuie Councell which neuer exceeded the number of twentie persones The first establishment thereof was but of fifteene although it appeareth by the conclusion of a peace made betweene Lewes the ninth and Henry king of England that seuenteene of the priuie Councell sware vnto it namelie one Archbishop Chauncellour one Bishop six earles and six other lordes besides the high Treasurer and the two magistrates whom they call the chiefe iustices of England Frō three yeeres to three yeeres they hold a parliament where all the estates are called togither to deliberate about the affaires of the kingdom But enough of strangers Let vs now come to the establishment and institution of the councell in this French Monarchie where we shal see that it is not inferior if it go not beyond them in excellencie and good order to all that are alreadie set downe or that euer were First we know that the king hath all soueraigntie by right of the estate as heretofore we haue discoursed The first councell neere about him is the strict or secret councell called the councell of state affaires which is commonly held in the morning after his maiestie is vp None haue entrance into this but a fewe whom the king iudgeth wisest of greatest experience and most trustie to his maiestie with whome
he communicateth his waightiest affaires as they fall out and determineth with them of such principall matters as were deliberated of before in the priuie councell and in the councell of the treasurie if they be such as deserue to bee brought thither In the secret councell the letters of princes of embassadors of gouernors and captains are opened resolutions and matters agreed vpon are commended to the Secretaries of the estate gifts rewards granted with the rolles and records thereof letters and commaundements signed with the kings hand The priuie councell is compounded of diuers great personages called thereunto by his maiestie either for the nobilitie of their bloud and greatnes of their house or for their woorthines wisedom knowledge and experience who haue places and deliberatiue voyces in the councell as long as it pleaseth him Sometime the king sitteth among them when any great matter is in question in his absence the first prince of the bloud is President The Constable and Chancellour two chiefe officers of the crowne haue great authoritie therein the one being principall of warre the other of iustice They sit on each side in equall degree being alwayes one right before another This councel is held either for matters belonging to the treasurie or for other things concerning state-affaires of the kingdom and then none enter therein but the Secretaries of the estate the Treasurer of the priuie treasure the Ouer-seers of the treasures appointed to take knowledge of the leuying and laying out of money and the Secretaries belonging to the same or else it is held for parties that is for the affaires of iustice depending of the soueraigntie Then the maisters of the Requests seruing in their turns enter therin who bring in requests informations suites called thither by Iniunctiōs and other waightie matters which the king hath reserued to his owne knowledge or such as cannot be decided else where Somtimes also the parties themselues are heard or else they speake by Aduocates This is greatly to be commended therein that euery one that hath entrie into the councell although peraduenture he hath neither deliberatiue voyce nor place may bring in any mans request aduertise the councell of that which is profitable for the Common-wealth that order may be taken for the same And many times their counsell is first demaunded then the aduice of the counsellours of estate so that the greatest lordes giue their opinion last to the end that freedom of speech may not be taken away by the authoritie of the princes especially of factious and ambitious men who neuer suffer any contradictions but against their wils By this means also they that haue consulting voyces onely prepare the way and make it easie for them that haue deliberatiue voyces to conclude of matters and many times furnish the councell with good and forceable reasons and if they erre at any time they are brought backe againe by the residue without ielousie This priuie councel deliberateth finally determineth vnder the soueraigne will of the king of the complaints of priuate men in matters concerning the estate of the suites of towns and prouinces iudgeth of the appeales made from Parliaments considereth vpon extraordinary dayes of the decrees of Parliaments concerning their order discipline how it is kept dealeth with the transporting of wheate of wines also with all marchandises either brought in or caried out of the realme and with the impostes laid vpon them taketh order for the currant and finenesse of money hath regard to the demaines of the crowne to lones and taxes and other reuenues of the king and to the chief customs prolonging their yeeres abating the rentes of Farmers or discharging thē altogither taking knowledge of their cause and of former informations ioyning therewith the aduise of the Treasurers of the Generals of those charges All matters whatsoeuer being agreed vpon appointed to take effect must be signed by one Secretarie at the least and somtimes also by one of the masters of Requests before it be sealed by the Chauncellor who ouerlooketh and examineth narrowly all matters concluded vpon which maketh his authoritie very great somtimes odious The great councell which at the first institution therof was seldom imploied but about state-affairs was made an ordinarie court of 17. counsellors by Charles the 8. and Lewes the 12. made it vp 20. besides the Chancellour who was President of that court but vnder king Francis another President was appointed This coūcell had the knowledge of extraordinarie causes by way of commission sent from the priuie councell and ordinarily of appellations made from the Marshal of the kings house The court of Parliament was the Senate of France in old time and erected by Lewes the yong according to the truest opinion to giue aduise to the king in which twelue Peeres were established so that the name of the court of Peeres remaineth with it to this day But Phillip the faire made it an ordinarie court and granted vnto it iurisdiction and seat at Paris but tooke from it the knowledge of state-affaires For as we haue alreadie declared there are no counsellors of estate amongst all the magistrates of Fraunce but those that are ordinarie of the priuie councel But besides the councels specified by vs Princes haue alwayes had a strict councel of two or three of the dearest and trustiest about them wherin the resolution of the aduises and deliberations of other councels is had yea many times of the greatest affaires of the estate before others haue deliberated of them Neuertheles this auncient custome of calling the general estates of the realme togither when they saw it necessarie hath been always obserued by kings and princes Our first progenitours the Gaules before either Romanes or kings ruled ouer them assembled togither out of Aquitane out of the prouince of Narbone of Lyons and of other quarters about the number of threeskore nations to take aduise and counsell of their generall affaires Since that tyme our ancient kings of France haue vsed oftentimes to hold the estates which is the assemblie of all their subiects or of their deputies For to hold the estates is nothing else but when the king communicateth his greatest affaires with his subiects taketh aduise and counsell of them heareth their complaintes and griefes and prouideth for them according to reason This was called in olde time the holding of a Parliament which name it retaineth yet in England and Scotland But at this day the name of Parliament belongeth onely to priuate and particular courtes of Audience consisting of a certaine number of Iudges established by the king in sundry of his Prouinces and the publike and generall courtes of Audience haue taken the name of estates The estates were assembled for diuers causes according as matters were offred either to demaund succour and money of the people or to take order for iustice and for men of warre or for the reuenues of the
iudgements of the Romanes were for a long time in the hands of three Orders or Estates namely of Senators Knights and Tribunes of the treasure Neuertheles the same persons did not alwaies iudge but the Pretors who were annuall Iudges and chief amongst them tooke a certaine number of Iudges by lot out of those three Estates And if they that were first taken were refused by any one of the parties others were chosen by an after-lot who being agreed vpon and sworne were distributed by decuries or tens There were three sorts of Pretors the Pretor of the Citie who tooke knowledge of particular causes namely of ciuill and criminal matters amongst the citizens of Rome the Pretor established for matters betweene strangers citizens the Pretors appointed for publike causes The Senators were once the only Iudges of all processes but Tiberius Caius Gracchus being popular persons to diminish the authority of the Senate and to encrease the peoples power ioined vnto them 300. Knights according to the number of the Senators brought it so about that the iudgmēts of al causes were diuided betweene these 600. men Vnder Sylla all authoritie of iudging was restored againe to the Senate but Pompey after that brought in the Knights againe all iudgements were equally communicated vnto the three Orders aboue mentioned Afterward when Caesar was Dictator he reduced them to two Orders only that is to Senators to Knights Buda in his annotations vpon the Pandects hath obserued many good things belonging to the Romane iudgements which curious spirits may looke into among the rest of the great respect honor that was giuen to Magistrats Concerning which matter we may vse as a good testimony that which we read in Plutark of Fabius Maximus his son who seeing a far off his father come towards him on horse-backe that his sergeants in regard of fatherly reuerence had not caused him to alight commanded him to set foot on ground Which the father presently obeied imbracing his sonne made greater account of him than if he had done otherwise The same author writeth that one Vectius was presently slaine bicause he arose not whē the Tribune of the people passed before him And Valerius Maximus saith that the Censors did note with ignominy withall disfranchised a citizen of Rome bicause he breathed yawned a little too loud in their presence But what Estats dignities were then giuen to vertue not to him that offred most And often times the places of iudgement were necessarily and as it were by force laid vpon Iudges being more honourable than profitable yea very incommodious to such as would discharge themselues vprightly therein I remember an excellent iudgement giuen by Archidamus the Lacedemonian when he was chosen Arbitrator to decide a certaine contention betweene two friendes After he had brought them both into the Temple of Diana and made them sweare vpon the aultar that they shoulde obserue precisely whatsoeuer he determined wherunto they yeelded I iudge then quoth he that none of you depart out of this Temple before you haue ended your strife Thus were they both constrained to agree among themselues and Archidamus freed from perill of loosing one of their friendships against whome he must needes haue giuen iudgement By this meanes he put in practice that saying of Pittacus That a man must not be ludge or Arbitrator in the controuersie of two friendes least by iudging profitably for one he loose the friendship of the other But let vs speake of our own Estate In old time as many histories report iudgements were so well administred in France that strangers did willingly submit themselues vnto them Frederick the 2. submitted to the iudgement of the king and his Parliament the deciding of many contentions and controuersies betweene him and Pope Innocent the fourth In the time of Phillip the Faire the Earle of Namure did the like albeit that Charles of Valoys the kings brother was his aduerse partie so great confidence had he in the equitie of those Iudges At the same time Phillip Prince of Tatentum willingly accepted for Iudge the king sitting in his Parliamēt about the controuersie that he had with the Duke of Burgundye for certaine charges which he should defraye towardes the recouerie of the Empire of Constantinople The like did the Duke of Lorraine in the suite which he had against Guy of Castillon his brother in law for their diuision of lands And in the yeere 1402. the Kinges of Castile and of Portingale sent an agreement made and past betweene them that it might be published and proclaimed in the Court of Parliament to haue greater authoritie thereby Truly these testimonies are as famous for the glorie of iustice vsed in France as any that can be alleadged by the Grecians or Romanes for the proofe of their iust iudgements of the reputation of their lawes and renowne of their Magistrates But let vs consider how farre iustice is fallen at this day from that ancient opinion and credite iudgements being now brought to that length and intangled in so many formalities that it is a thing greatly to be pitied and full of calamitie to see this Realme so infected as it were with a generall contagious disease wherein such an innumerable companie of men liue by that miserable exercise of pleading called Practice Plato saith that it is an euident token of a corrupted Estate where there are many Iudges and Phisitions bicause the multitude of Iudges is maintained by the vnfaithfulnes and contention of men and the great number of Physitions by idlenes daintie fare and gluttony There was neuer any nation of which this might be more truly spoken than of ours as it is notoriously knowne to euery one Paulus Aemilius writeth that in the beginning Frēch men behaued themselues simply and plainly in matters of iudgement resting in the determinations giuen by the Bailiffs and Seneshals who had the administration almost of al right and iurisdiction and thinking it vnseemely and void of honestie to seeke a farre off for right by meanes of appeale But after that slanders arose amongst them and suites were multiplied soueraigne iustice began to be exercised once a yeere and that for a few daies togither afterward twice a yeere alwaies changing the place In the end it was determined that the chiefe iudgements should be held in a certaine place and that a house should be built for that purpose at Paris the principall citie of the kingdome Whereupon in the raigne of Phillip the Faire the Pallace was erected according to that greatnes and magnificence wherein you now see it with hals chambers into which were distributed by certaine companies those Iudges that gaue the last sentence frō which no appeale might be made both in ciuill and criminal matters The erection of this Parliament into an ordinarie Court doth giue vs to vnderstand that there should be one or two Presidents The first
President was the Earle of Burgundy a Prince of the blood as in the Imperiall Chamber the President is alwaies one of the Princes of the Empire And it was a custome for a certaine time that the chiefe President should be a man of warre as in deede to this day he taketh vpon him the estate of knight Besides there were eight Clearks and twelue Lay men foure Princes of the blood for Requests two Chambers of Inquiries where there were eight Lay men and eight Clearks Iudges and foure and twentie Relators They were called Clearks that wore long gownes whether married or vnmarried and the others Lay men At this day there is the great Chamber which is the first and chiefest and is called the Pleading place where first of all matters belonging to the Peeres and to the King are decided and ordinarily those verball appellations that are made vpon the Pleas of the Aduocats or if they cannot be readily determined they are remitted to the Councell for which there is a Chamber appointed Next there are fiue Chambers of Inquiries wherein processes in writing are examined and determined There also is the Tournel or place where criminall actions are iudged and the Treasure-chamber for causes touching the kings reuenues There is the court of Requests wherin chiefly matters of priuiledges belonging to the kings traine and to others are iudged There is the Auditorie of the maisters of Requests for the houshold who iudge of the titles of offices the Chamber of the Generals of the iustice of the Releefs and the Chancery On the other side is the Chamber of accounts and that of the generall Receiuers Some of the counsellours are married others are Ecclesiasticall persons and are diuided by Chambers according as the Court is furnished In the great Chamber there are for the most part foure Presidents vnto whom the necessitie of times haue added two others who may be suppressed when there is no need of them In the other Chambers there are but two Presidents Moreouer there is one Procurator for the king two Aduocats to looke to the kings prerogatiues and to all such matters two Scribes to collect inroll and to deliuer both ciuill and criminall deedes foure Notaries and Secretaries to ease them besides a great number of other writers Budaeus a very skilfull man and a diligent searcher out of all antiquitie hath obserued in his first annotations vpon the Pandects that there were three sorts of Iudges in the time of Phillip the Long. In the first bench which was properly called the Parliament of Prelats and Barons vnto whome certaine Lawyers were assistants or other learned men called Clearks and Lay men three Prelats and three Barons were Presidents and iudgment was not giuen so much by the pluralitie of voices as by the sufficiencie of those that gaue their verdicts He saith also that the Lay-counsellors were taken from amongst Gentlemen and others of whome it was not required that they should be Graduats in the lawe but it was sufficient if they had indifferent skill in other learning as we see that some short gowned men haue They did not then studie the Romane lawes as they haue done since whereupon they haue erected at this day Vniuersities of the lawe in the best Townes of France from whence many thinke that the multitude of suites haue proceeded bicause they learne by this meanes the occupation or craft of pleading as the Lorde Chancellour de l'Hospital declared in his second Oration which he made to the Estates at Orleans We read that when Ferdinando king of Spaine sent Pedrarias as gouernour into the West Ilands newly discouered he forbad him to take any Lawyer or Aduocate with him that he might not cary the seede of suites thither where there were none at all Cicero complained of his time that many notable decrees of lawes were corrupted and depraued by the curious heads of the Lawyers What would he do if he were now aliue and sawe the great heapes and piles of bookes with our practise in the lawe If he sawe that holie Temple of lawes so vilely polluted miserably prophaned Where a thousand cauils and quiddities are continually coined by such writings according to the saying of that Comicall Poet That through craft and subtiltie one mischiefe is begotten vpon another Moreouer in those happye daies of which we made mention there were few statuts edicts bicause meÌ„ thought that good maners were the best laws that naturall sence holpen with an vpright conscience and ioined with due experience was the â—â—ghtest rule to iudge by But after that men became so skilfull in suites and that offices of iustice from honorable but finally profitable being freely giuen to those that deserued them came to be gainefull free from yeelding any account of their dooings and set foorth to sale as marchandice for them that bad most and offered last after that men began to spice their suits with great summes of monie and to forsake that ancient plainnes which consisted in giuing of a fewe iunckets to the Iudges after that profite began to grow by determining of by-matters and such as happen before the maine cause and by deciding of suites by Commissioners after that Presidents and Counsellors began to take delight in this that they were followed sollicited and sought to by sutors contrary to the custome of the Areopagites who iudged by night and in the darke and contrary to the opinion of Marcus Cato who said that it was not seemely for a man to recommend his right to the Iudges or to pray them to commit no iniustice bicause these two things ought to be deerer to the Iudges than to the parties who can loose but mortall and vading goods whereas the others pawne their soules to hell fire that lasteth for euer after that gifts were receiued of both sides against expresse prohibitions giuen out by publike lawes and statutes wherein the Switzers may serue vnto vs for a notable example amongst whom it is forbidden vnder paine of life to take any thing either directly or indirectly for iudging after that Aduocats began to coÌ„sider sleightly of causes not hauing so much patience to end one matter bicause they would speedily to another whereby they giue occasion many tymes to their Clients to saye as a Peasant saide not long since to three famous Aduocats whose counsell he had vsed Truly quoth he ye haue laboured faire for ye haue left me in greater doubting than I was in before after they began to write in sheetes with seuen or eight lines on a side and to disguise matters with friuolous answers that lay open their griefes with contradictions replications admonitions after that 〈◊〉 who in former times were to be had for nothing and appointed for certaine causes became hirelings and perpetuall yea at this day their offices are set to sale after that Sollicitors were suffered in middest of them all to be as it were the skum-gatherers of
they are to the great preiudice of the whole Common-wealth We are therefore to wish that all valuing and sale of offices especially of iudgement and iustice may be abolished and disanulled that all meanes of fauor and ambition may be taken away that the ancient and happie ordinances of our kings may be restored especially that decree of S. Lewes the king whereby he enacted that all publike offices should be bestowed vpon the election of three persons chosen by the Officers and Citizens of those places to one of which so elected the king was to giue freely without monie the office then void This holie ordinance hath since that time beene often renued by king Phillip the Faire Charles the Wise Charles the 7. Lewes the 11. and Charles the ninth that dead is when his Estates were held at Orleans So that if the King and his Councell would aduisedly consider of these things in the establishing of Iudges and Magistrates in his kingdome and would strengthen them in the execution of their iudgements the obedience of his subiects would be greater and the foundation of all good order and policie more sure Of Seditions Chap. 63. ARAM. AS it is necessarie that all things which haue a beginning should end which encrease should diminish and waxe olde some sooner others later according to the disposition of that matter whereof they are compounded and through the influence of the heauenlie bodies from which nature woorking in them by hir author this continuall and mutuall succession of generation and corruption proceedeth so are publike estates first instituted encreased maintained lessened changed destroied turned returned one frō another by the disposition of God Those that are best grounded in religion and iustice haue their power most assured and are of longest continuance but none are perpetuall although their policie and manner of gouernment be neuer so good For we see them al corrupt in processe of time and in the end perish through their own vices that follow and accompanie them being first mooued and stirred vp by nothing so much as by sedition and ciuill warre This bringeth to light all euill that lurketh in those members of the politike body that are most pernitious vntill the infection be wholy spread and hath taken hold of the noblest parts thereof whereby it is brought to extreame miserie without hope of remedie Nowe although euery one of vs haue sufficient feeling heereof in himselfe by his owne harme yet we may know it better by taking occasion vpon this subiect to discourse of the nature of seditions of their common effects that we may haue them in greater detestation and bring euery one of vs his hart and mind to helpe this Estate if there remaine neuer so little shewe or meanes whereby the subuersion thereof may yet be kept backe But I leaue the discourse of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. All sedition is euill and pernitious although it seemeth to haue a good and honest cause For it were better for him that is author of sedition to suffer any losse or iniurie than to be the occasion of so great an euill as to raise ciuill warre in his countrie ASER. Nature saith Empedocles vseth no other meanes to destroy and to ouerthrow hir creatures than discord and disiunction and sedition as Thucydides saith comprehendeth in it all kind of euils Let vs then heare AMANA who will prooue this sufficiently vnto vs. AMANA If we consider how God minding to punish Adam for his ingratitude and disobedience made his owne members rebell against the spirite vnto which they obeied before whereby he became captiue vnder the lawe of sinne no doubt but we may say that after the same manner he chastiseth Kings Princes and Heads of Common-wealths that haue no care to obey his commandements and to cause others to keepe them by the rebellion of their owne subiects not without great danger of depriuation from all authoritie by them and of receiuing the law at their hands to whome they should giue it as it hath beene seene practised in many Estates and gouernments Religion and the loue of God bringeth with it all vnion and concord preserueth Kingdomes and Monarchies in their integritie and is the nursing mother of peace and amitie amongst them But the contempt of religion bringeth discord and confusion ouerturneth all order treadeth vertue vnder foote giueth authority to vice and soweth quarrels and dissentions amongst men from whence seditions and priuate murders proceed and in the end ciuill and open wars which are as flaming fires to take hold of and to consume most flourishing Estates For without doubt if men had in them the true loue and feare of God which cannot be without the loue of our neighbour no such effects would euer proceed from their works and actions Politicks haue labored infinite waies to maintaine the people in peace and to cause ciuill iustice to flourish They haue made many Lawes and Edicts many Statutes appointed many punishments to bridle the boldnes of seditious fellowes to represse extorsions wrongs and murders but bicause they built without a foundation that is without the feare of God all their labour taken therein was fruitles It is the feare of God onely that causeth swords to be broken and turned into mattocks and speares into siethes as Isaias and Micah speake that is to say which breedeth humanitie and gentlenes mollifieth mens harts and causeth them to suffer much to auoide strife and debate in a word which is able to vnite in one with vs most strange and barbarous nations Besides it is the profession of godlines to suffer and not to offer violence neither can it bring foorth euill effects contrarie to their cause This deserueth to be handled at large but our present subiect leadeth vs to discourse of the nature of seditions and to set before our eies the euils that proceede thereof both by reasons and examples referring the consideration of their causes vnto some other time heereafter Sedition then being taken generally is nothing else but ciuill warre so hurtfull to all Estates and Monarchies that it is the seede of all kinde of euils in them euen of those that are most execrable It engendreth and nourisheth want of reuerence towards God disobedience to Magistrates corruption of manners change of lawes contempt of iustice and base estimation of learning and sciences It causeth horrible reuenging forgetfulnes of consanguinitie parentage friendship extorsions violence robberies wasting of countries sacking of townes burning of buildings confiscations flights banishments cruell proscriptions sauage murders alterations and ouerthrowes of Policies with other infinite excesses and intollerable miseries pitifull to behold and sorrowfull to rehearse Sedition armeth the father against the son the brother against the brother kinsman against kinsman men of the same nation prouince and citie one against another Heerupon the fields which before were fertile are left vntilled sumptuous and rich houses
chosen thereunto The speedie punishment of wicked and condemned persons all delaie set aside is a good remedie to preserue policies For when they see that for their offences and mischieuous dealings they are daily taken examined put to the torture condemned and executed according to their deserts if before their execution they haue any leasure and respit through the negligence of Magistrates they seeke by all meanes to mooue sedition and trouble in the Common-wealth hoping thereby to saue their liues and to auoide that punishment vnto which their consciences iudge them to be indebted The equall proportion and measure of all and euery particular part in a Politike bodie according to the degrees of callings and persons is necessarie for the preseruation of Estates and Monarchies that there may be equalitie not of thinges but of proportions and that degrees may be kept As for example albeit the Diuine Lawyer Captaine Counsellor Treasurer differ one from another yet they must of necessitie agree and be made equall not in their calling but by a like proportion that euerie one may execute his office without the hinderaunce of another Therefore Plato saide that the publike Estate is in good case if it be instituted according to Geometricall proportion and all benefites bestowed accordingly If the Kinge giue the office of Chauncellourship to a wise and learned man that loueth iustice and publike quietnes the office of Constableshippe or of the Marshalshippe of Fraunce to good Captaines and such as are experienced in State affayres the gouernment of the Church to a Diuine of good life and manners and one that is well skild in Ecclesiasticall gouernement the office of iustice to an honest Lawyer the keeping of the treasure to a Treasurer of an vpright conscience Then if euerie one keepe his owne place and perfourmeth his dutie without encroching vppon another or hindering of him to the ende that publike conueniencie and agreement may not be troubled this order wil make an equalitie betweene vnlike persons For we find two sortes of equalitie namely equalitie of quantitie and of proportion Equalitie of quantitie is requisite in commutatiue iustice that euery one may take as much as he ought Equalitie of proportion is requisite in distributiue iustice and in rewarding men according to their desert This equalitie sayth Plato giueth the greatest honours to them that excell most in vertue and the lesser places of dignitie to such as are inferior in vertue and learning distributing to both that which belongeth vnto them by reason Besides the meanes alleadged alreadie by vs for the preseruation of Estates and Monarchies Aristotle setteth downe these that followe Let nothing sayth he be doone against the lawes and customes which as before we discoursed are the chaines and bondes of all Empires Powers and Common-wealthes Let remedie bee vsed against the beginning of an euill howe small soeuer it bee For often-times of a small occasion as it were of one sparkle a great fire of troubles is kindeled in the Common-wealth And as great stormes and tempestes proceede from exhalations and vapours that are not seene so seditions and ciuill warres beginne for the most part of verie light matters which a man woulde neuer thinke shoulde haue such an issue Let no credite be giuen to craftie and suttle deuices inuented to deceiue Common-wealthes withall These are meanes commonly practised by forraine and domesticall enimies to Estates who thereby disguise the truth of matters whereof we haue had good experience in France when in the Councell of our Princes information hath beene giuen cleane contrarie to the truth insomuch that we haue felt the cruell hand of strangers before euer we would haue beleeued that they had taken horse in their owne countrie And therefore amongest such nourishers of our miseries this prouerbe is rife That a lie is alwaies good how little a while soeuer it be beleeued Let those that are placed in the offices of Magistracie behaue themselues modestly both towards those that deale not at all in publike affaires and towards them that meddle therewith offering no iniurie to the one sort and liuing friendly with the other Let them that are to care for the safetie of the Estate watch alwaies and stand vpon their gard and often times propound causes of feare to make the subiects more attentiue and heedefull to that which they should doe Let there be no contentions or quarrels betweene the Nobles and let others be preuented that are not yet ioined to those dissentions before they enter into them This is the chiefest thing at this day whereunto our kings and Princes ought especially to looke For amongest their traines there is nothing but leagues and part-takings from which nothing will proceede in the end but trouble and hurt to their Estate Therefore they must take away all occasions of hatred and quarrelling remooue such farre from their Court that loue contentions bicause that as quarrellers of themselues tarye not long in seruice so by their meanes Princes loose other good seruants And if they will not or are afraid to put them from the Court at least-wise let them take knowledge of all their enmities factions and discontentments that are amongst them and labour to end them not in outward shew onely but by some good effect Let them content such as are not well pleased if they can iustly doe it let them grant meanes of safetie to them that say they haue cause to distrust others and let them reconcile professed enimies But aboue all things let not the Prince make himselfe a partie in the contentions of his subiects if the occasion of their strife be not grounded vpon the Estate For in steede of keeping to himselfe the place of soueraigne Iudge he shall be onely the chiefe of a faction and so bring his estate and life into danger The punishment of rebels is one meane also to preserue Estates and Common-wealths to preuent seditions whereby they are altered and changed But regard must be had according to the counsell of Hippocrates that medicines be not applied to incurable diseases For when all the people or the most of them are culpable to punish all is as much as to ouerthrow the common-wealth It is also a good mean and most vsuall for the auoiding of seditions to take from the people their armour and to haue fortresses fensed and furnished with all things necessarie for them For the neglecting of this giueth occasion to troublesome heads and to such as desire nouelties to execute their wicked purposes and to trouble the estate and the libertie of armour maketh them more fierce and insolent therein Moreouer we may comprehend that which is requisite and necessarie for the preseruation of euery good Common-wealth vnder fiue things namely let it be loued faithfully defended manfully adorned with nobilitie ordred profitably and gouerned prudently It is naturally ingrafted into
Demosthenes Plato Lysander The limits that are to be vsed in hating the wicked Scaurus How Agesilaus made his enimies his friends Augustus The Venetians Pontinus The prudence of Dionysius in punishing euill speakers Antisthene counsaile Math. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 19. What true Philosophie is The fruits and effects of Iustice What Iustice is Three things necessary in euery common-wealth The ground of all Iustice The distinction of Iustice Whosoeuer hath Iustice perfectly hath all the vertues The praise of Iustice Respect of persons is not to be vsed in the practise of Iustice The diuision of Iustice The difference between Commutatiue and Distributiue Iustice The end of Iustice The necessitie of Iustice Diuers names agree to Iustice in diuers respects Ierem. 21. 12. 22. 3. What Iustice and Iudgement are The Egyptians were zealous of Iustice How they painted Iudges The Grecians and Romans What citie is best gouerned Examples of the loue of Iustice Cleon. Aristides I. Brutus Phocion Alexander Augustus Agesilaus Prowes without Iustice is worth nothing The difference between a great and a little king Phillip Traianus â— â—am 8. 5. What causeth kingdoms to flourish God is the author of Iustice What maner of men magistrates ought to be One meane wherby the abuse of Iustice may be taken away The inconuenience that commeth by setting offices to sale Exod. 18. The saving of Alexander and Lewes the 12. Against buyers of offices Aurelianus A meane to preserue policies A pretie comparison Euerie vertue is in the midst of two vices How the thrones of kings may be established in iustice All men haue some knowledge of good and euill and some inward sence of a diuine nature The fruits of Iniustice in the wicked Vertue is to be preferred before all worldlie things Iniustice is a generall vice How many waies a man may be vniust The effects of Iniustice Pericles A notable example for euery ciuil Magistrate Why the life of the wicked cannot be happy A comparison A comparison The wrong conceit which men haue of the wicked that prosper The punishment of sinne is equall with it both for age and time All things are present with God A sure token of a desperate common-welth The miserable estate of France The deniall of Iustice dangerous Phillip Demetrius Henrie king of Sweathland A notable historic of the death of Ferdinando the 4. Notable Iniustice committed by a Prouost of Paris Hugues of Crecy Artaxerxes Alexander Seuerus The punishment of one who sold his masters fauor Of Seueritie Clemencie preserueth a prince his throne Prou. 20. 28. M. Torquatus Ausidius Most cruell seucritie of Piso Augustus Caesar Ier. 22. 3. 5. 2. Chr. 19. 6. Matth. 7. 2. Of the corruption of our age When vertue seemeth to be out of season What Faith and Fidelitie is Of the violating of faith Leuit. 19. 12. Deut. 5. 11. Matth. 5. 34. Whether a forced promise is to be kept A wise man must neuer promise any thing against dutie Psal 15. 4. Lysander a forsworne and deceitfull man We must keep promise with our enimie Of the neglect of fidelitie commeth a custom of lying It is wickednes to conceale the fault of that which a man selleth Lying in a prince is most odious The promise of a prince is tied with a double bond Of the word faith of a prince Of Treason Notable examples A. Regulus Demaratus Augustus Cato Periurie and faithles persons haue alwaies had ill successe Tissaphernes Cleomenes Caracalla The Corinthians Iustinianus the Emperor Rastrix Duke of Cleaueland The cause of the present miserie of France Examples of the entertainment which the ancients gaue to traitors Lasthenes Rymetalces Agis Pausanias Ariobarzanes Iustinian a Genâ—an cause of the taking of Constantinople A famous and heroicall fact of Sultan Solyman Cato commended for his truth Ephes 4. 25. Luk. 10. 37. The memorie of euill things is fruitfull but of good things barren Ingratitude the cause of the sin and death of man No mans life void of Ingratitude The life of the ignorance is vnthankfull God disposeth all thiâ—gs by Iustice The vapors wherwith the eyes of the mind are dimmed Of the ingratitude of great men Reward and honor nourisheth vertue Artes. Impudencie Ingratitude are companions The description of impudencie Dutie and profit are two distinct things A law against vnthankful persons The Storke a gracefull bird The fruits of ingratitude Examples against ingratitude Pyrrhus Circerius A notable historie of an Arabian Turke Baiazet A mean to keep vs from ingratitude Another meane for the same Artaxerxes thankfully accepted a litle water Vertue is a sufficient recompence to it selfe The sleepe of the spirite is woorse than death What Liberalitie is Riches 〈…〉 the waters How riches may be well vsed Aristotles opinion concerning a happie life destitute of bodilie and outward goods A poore man may be liberall Luke 16. 9. How princes passe the limites of liberalitie When the inferior sort passe the bounds of liberalitie About what we are to bestow the ouerplus of our wealth A notable law amongst the Romanes How Epaminondas compelled a rich man to be liberall CimoÌ„ a notable paterne of the true vse of riches Liberalitie most necessarie for princes and great men The lawes of liberalitie A common mischief which foloweth the greater sort The liberalitie of Alexander To the Macedonians To all debtors in his armie To Aristotle To Anaxarchus To Perillus. To an Egyptian Caesar a liberall Prince Antonius a magnificall Prince but voluptuous Archelaus gaue not to the vnwoorthy How Antigonus denied one that was importunate Titus a good liberall Prince A notable precept of Phocylides Ptolemaeus the Thebane Denys the elder Cyrus Pertinax Matth. 25. No wicked thing ought to be iudged profitable Couetousnes hath ouerflowen all Couetousnes will neuer be satisfied Conetousnes like to a dropsie Stratonicus derided the superfluitie of the Rhodians Couetous men compared to Mules The miserable life of couetous men 1. Tim. 6. 10. The fruits of couetousnes How prodigalitie and couetousnes may in some sort be linked togither in one subiect Couetous men compared to hogs Couetous men compared to rats and cundit pipes It is better to be the sheepe than the sonne of a couetous man Examples of the fruites of couetousnes and of prodigalitie Muleasses Polymester Caligula Nero. Against the superfluitie of sumptuous buildings An Italian Monke A cruell murder of a Gentlewoman and of hir houshold Mauritius depriued of the Empire for his couctousnes The Nobilitie of Switserland destroied for the same cause Lewes 11. Calipha How Dionysius punished a couetous wretch How Darius his couerousnesse was beguiled C. Licinius strangled himselfe to leaue his goods to his children Hermocrates bequeathed his goods to himselfe A ratte sold for 200. pence Couetousnes caused Crassus to play on both sides Wonderfull riches Pompey abhorred couetousnes The great couetousnes of a cardinall The cruel punishment of a couetous curate 1. Tim. 6. 10. What magistrates are best liked of couetous princes 1.
commoditie thereof A notable law for the common instruction of children Of Gymnastick or bodilie exercise The end of Musicke The vse of painning Fower things to be vsed in the institution of youth Instruction which consisteth in six precepts 1. The first precept The first thing that youth must learne is to worship God We can do nothing without the grace of God 2. The second precept Youth must not glorie in transitoric goods Nor in bodilie beautie The fruits of true knowledge and vertue 3. The third precept The common diseases of youth Modestie is the best remedie for them 4 The fourth precept hath fower branches 5. The fift precept 6 The sixt precept Of admonition Of promises Youth is to be drawne on with the promises of eternall life Of praises and threatnings Hope and feare are the foundation of vertue Adolescencie is the age betweene 14. 28 Place and time are to be considered in all things All kind of behauior not conuenient in all ages Of the diuision of the ages of man The number of seuen accounted a perfect number Of the climactericall yeere of 63. The whole age of man diuided into six parts Of Infaucie Of Childhood * He meaneth not common naturall infirmities but malitious offences Two things requisite in a Schoolemaister skill and bonestie of life The benefit that commeth by good Schoolemaisters A strang custom vsed by the children of Rome The reason oâ— this word Iuuentus Of adolescencie The fruits of adolescencie being left to it self Aurelius exhortation to his sonnes gouernours Concupiscence raigneth most in Adolescencie Who are to be accounted free Knowledge and iudgement are the gard of adolescencie Catoes sonne banished for breaking an earthen pot And Cinnaes sonne for gathering fruite without leaue How the Romanes taught their yoong men to forsake the follies of their first age The dutie of yoong men A moderate youth maketh a happie old age Examples of vertuous young men Alexander a paterne of vertue in his youth Bucephalus Alexanders horse Pompey Papyrius Of 〈◊〉 maâ—s estate The dutie of a man at the perfection of his age Clitomachus M. Aurelius Solon learned to the hower of his death Socrates learned musick being old T. Varro and M. Cato learned Greeke when they were old Iulianus Alphonsus Of old-age Psal 90. 10. Prudence is the ornament of old age What Senate is and froÌ„ whence it came What vse is to be made of a white beard Epaminondas salutation vsed to men according to their ages Cato What breedeth authoritie in a man Sophocles To whom old age is not grieuous The soule is not subiect to mans iurisdiction Gal. 3. 18. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 1. 13. Rom. 13. 1. 2. All power is of God The beginning and preseruation of policies is from God Of commanding and obeying Policie is the bond of all societie There is shew of commanding and obeying in all things As in harmonie The superior part of the world ruleth the inferior The Sunne is king and the Moone Queene among the starres The Moone ruleth ouer all moistures The Fire and Aire chiefe among the elements The Eagle Lion whale and pike ouer their kinds No people without all policie Diuine iustice humane policie always linked togither Religion is the foundation of all estates The auncieâ—â— law makers established then ordinance through the means of religion Religion the greatest means of inlarging the Roman empire What Policie is and from whence the word is deriued The diuers significations of this word Policy Of the end of policie Ciuil ordinance ought to maintaine the worship of God Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts of the magistrate the law and the people When common-wealths are right and when corrupt The good or euil estate of coÌ„mon wealths dependeth of the magistrates next vnder God The diuision of common-welths in generall The subdiuision of them Of a monarchie Of a tirannie Of an Aristocratie and what it signifieth The Lacedemonian estate was an excellent paterne of this gouernment Why the Senate of Lacedemonia was first instituted What power the kings of Lademonia had The policie of Polydorus and Theopompus to get the power out of the peoples hands Why the Ephories were appointed in Lacedemoniâ— Of an Oligarchâ— How an Oligarchie is changed into a tirannie with examples thereof Of a Timocraty * His meaning is that it is ruled by some lawes taken from ccb of these Of a Democratie Fiue kinds therof according to Aristotle in his 4. booke of Politi ca. 4. Athens a Democratical estate Of a mixt kinde of common-wealth Examples hereof The perfectest distinction of common-wealths There is difference between the estate and the gouernment of a common-wealth Examples of the popular estate Of the Aristocraticall Of the Monarchicall What right is The foundation of euery estate is the soueraigntie therof Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts The magistrate is the image of God The wisest must rule Why God distributeth his gifts diuersly to diuers men A well gouerned familie resembleth the kingly regiment Gen. 10. 10. Of the originall of kingdoms Cicero his opinion therein What soueraigntie is A little king asmuch a Soueraigne as the greatest Monarch Of the name of Magistrate The Dictator of Rome was called Magister populi The calling of Magistrates prooued to be lawfull Psal 82. 6. Iohn 10 35. 2. Chron. 19. 6. Prou. 8. 15. 16. The calling of the Magistrate is most holie He is the minister of Gods iustice Good counsell for Magistrats The Magistrate compared to the hart of a liuing creature And to a Carpenters rule The Magistrate is in the Common wealth that which reason is in the soule The example of the Magistrate is the best way to teach the people Whereunto the Prince is bound aswell as his subiect The dutie of the Magistrate consisteth in three things The art Royall Philosophicall and Politicall is all one Who is most woorthie of soueraigne authoritie Why there are so few vertuous Princes Wherin the dutie of the chiefe Magistrate consisteth Why the sword is put into the Magistrates hand Ier. 22. 3. What is meant by this precept Do Iudgement and Iustice Prou. 16. 12. 20. 8. 26. Prou. 25. 4. 5. He that suffreth euill is culpable aswell as he that committeth it Seueritie and clemencie are to be linked togither in a Magistrate Ciuilitie and grauitie must be ioined both togither in a Magistrate The dutie of the Magistrate Al motions contained vnder one and all causes vnder the first The law is the blood and bond of the Common-wealth The law is the spirite and soule of the common-wealth All creatures are sociable by nature The prerogatiues of men aboue other creatures What a citie is The diuers ends of the three good Common-wealths A king must line vnder a law albeit he be not subiect to the lawe The marke of a soueraigne Wisd 6. 3. How far Princes are subiect to lawes Wherein the absolute power of Princes consisteth The definition of the law The diuision