should make him be so As a painted man which is no man cannot properly be said to be a Man The holy Scripture styles those Hypocrites which doe not administer Iustice for they haue no more in them of Kings then the apparent or outward shew as the Scepter and the Crowne and other their regall roabes and ornaments And it is worthy your consideration and it is no more then what their holy Doctors and learned Interpreters of diuine Letters haue obserued That a good King and Iustice are brothers and sisters and so neerely twinn'd that you can scarce make mention of the one without the other The Prophet Esay representing the feruent desire of all the world and the voyces and cryes of the Patriarkes who with such instance and earnestnesse did call for the comming of tâ—-Sonne of God saith Rorate coeli desuper nubes plâ—nt iustum iustitia oriatur simul Ye heauens send the â—eaw from aboue and let the cloudes drop downe righteoâ—snesse let the earth open and let saluation and Iustice grâ—we forth let it bring them forth together And in another place as if God did answer these the desires of the Iust â—e sayth Ecce dies veniunt dicit dominus suscitabo Danâ—â— germen instum regnabit Rex Sapiens erit faciet udicium et iustitiam in terra Behold the dayes come â—â—ith the Lord that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous â—â—nch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execâ—â— iudgement and Iustice in the earth And in the third bâ—â—ke of the Kings God being willing to grace and autorize the person of Salomon who was the Type figure of the true King of Kings our Sauiour Iesus Christ had no soner the Crowne set on his head the possession of the Kingdom settled vpon him buâ— there was presently offred and put into his hands a great occasion for to shew his prudence and wisedome and his great noblenesse and courage for to do iustice The Case was a common and knowen Case it was betwixt two women that were friends and Companions who leading a lewd and dishonest life were deliuered or brought to bed both at one time and sleeping together in one bed the one of them being oppressed with a heauie sleepe ouer-layd her childe and when she awaked shee found it to be dead And at the same instant without being felt or perceiued by her Companion she puts me the dead childe by her and tooke the liuing childe to her selfe But this theft could not be so couered for all her cunning carriage but that the other knew that the dead childe which was layd by her side was not hers but the liuing The other with a great deale of impudencie and dissimulation deny'de it And because they could not agree vpon the busines they resolued to goe to King Salomon before whom the busines was continued with the like stiffenesse and obstinate contestation giuing each oâ—â—er the Lye and other the like bold and vnciuill speeches as â— vsuall with such kinde of women The King finding no moâ—e proofe nor reason of credit in the one then the other commanded a caruing Knife to be brought into the open Couâ—â—e thaâ— diuiding the liuing childe in the midâ—st the one haâ—â— should be giuen to the one and the other to the other Thereuâ—on the true Mother trembling and quaking and feeling that knife a ready in her owne bowels which was to part her â—â—ilde in twaine besought the King that this his sentence migâ—t not be executed but that the childe might be deliuered oâ—r whole to the other Which being well weigh'd and consiâ—â—red by this wise King and good Iusticer he knew thereby that she was the true Mother and so gaue order that the childe should be restored vnto her And the holy Scripture saith That the same of this notable peece of Iustice was divulged farre and neere and that there grew thence a great respect in all the people of Israel towards this their most prudent King who had with so much iudgement and wisedome administred Iustice. Audiait itaque omnis Israel iudicium quod iudicasset Rex et timuerunt Regem videntes sapientiam Dei esse in illo ad faciendum iudicium All Israel heard the iudgement which the King had iudged and they feared the King for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him to doe Iustice. So that when they saw how iust a King he was and with what a deale of vprightnes he did administer Iustice the people shouted for ioy and cryed out that his wisdome was from heauen and though he were then very young they began to feare and reuerence him very much And therefore if a king will be beloued esteemed and respected of his subiects he must be a iust King For most certaine it is that if Kings will pretend honour authoritie credit estimation and respect they cannot take any better course for it then by giuing to euery one that which appertaineth vnto him with a iust hand Summum in regibus bonum est saith Saint Gregory iustitiam colere ac suae cuique iura seruare It is the greatest goodnesse and highest commendation in Kings to honour iustice and let euery man enioy his proper rightes and priuiledges And so it is that there is not any thing whereby Kings doe more gaine the Common voyce for the augmentation of their authoritie and increase of their Estates or that doth more incline the minds of their subiects to respect obedience then to know that they are wise sincere full of integrity of great zeale in the administratioÌ„ of Iustice. For then all wil willingly obay him heartily loue him liuing in an assured hope that all his actions wil be measured weighed and crownd with Equity and Iustice. Let therefore the Conclusion of this discourse be That according to Plato the greatest prayse that can be giuen to a King is in consideration of this Vertue for as wee will shew you by and by it imbraceth all vertues in it selfe And there is not any Title more honourable or that doth so quadrare so square and sute with a King as that of lust whereby a King is made as it were a God vpon earth and becomes like vnto him in rewarding and punishing Anaxagoras and Homer called Kings Iovis discipulos Iupiters Schollers because in imitation of the Gods they did administer Iustice. And anciently they were tearmed sacratissimi most sacred In effect Iustice is a vertue truely regall and most proper vnto Kings because it appertaines vnto them by Office and doth constitute them in their being of Kings for without it they cannot be And therfore your Aegyptian Theologians with one and the same symbole which was an open-Eye did signifie both a king and Iustice. For neither a king without it nor it without a King can performe their office And therefore Plato calls her the Ouerseer and the Reuenger of all things
and the good will and loue of all men And of Dauid it is sayd Erat rufus pulcher aspectu facieque decora That hee was ruddy and withall of a beautifull countenance and goodly to looke to He was of a louely and gracious aspect milde affable and aboue all a great friend vnto goodnesse and well doing onely with his pleasing presence hee drew the eyes of all the people after him who ioyed in the fight of him And with this did he winne their hearts got their good wills and gayned the kingdome When by a good and painefull industrie and a sweet behauiour the hearts are first seazed on it is an easie matter to conquer Kingdomes In the sacred Historie of the Machabees are recounted the heroyicall Acts which that great Captaine Iudas and his brethren atcheiued in Spaine the Kings and Kingdomes which they subdued the nations which they conquered and made tributary to their Empire and the great treasure of gold and siluer which they purchased And all this they effected by their good Counsayle gentlenesse and patience giuing Kings thereby to vnderstand that if they be of a meeke peaceable and noble condition they shall be Lords and Masters of mens wealths and hearts And this made Polibius to say that a courteous and peaceable King conquers all with quietnesse euery man being willing to yeelde and submit himselfe to a soft and generous disposition that is free from anger and full of clemencie And this is that Legacie which God allotted and left vnto them long agoe in the olde Testament Mansueti haereditabunt terram The meeke shall inherit the earth And afterwards in the new Testament he renewes this promise Ipsi possidebunt terram They shall inherit the earth They shall be Lords of the earth That is of the men vpon earth and of their possessions For by this earth which God promiseth vnto them S. Bernard vnderstands the same earth whereof men are formed And it is vsuall in Scripture to call men earth And thereby is likewise vnderstood that of this world which wee heere inhabit the possessions thereof it 's gouernment Scepter and Monarchie for all this is but a Patrimonie bequeathed to a kinde smooth and louing nature The best Titles that a King can present before God for to pretend the preseruation and perpetuitie of his Kingdome are meekenesse and gentlenesse These Dauid represented vnto him when hee petitioned him that hee would be pleased to continue and confirme his kingdome in his sonne Memento Domine Dauid omnis mansuetudinis eius Lord remember Dauid and all his lowly carriage Whose heart was not haughty nor his eyes lofty but behaued and quieted himselfe as a childe that is weaned of his Mother And presently God collated this benefit vpon him saying Com cumpleti suerint dies tui suscitabo semen tuum post te firmabo regnum eius When thy dayes be fullfilleâ— and thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy bowells and I will establish his Kingdome Such effects doth the smooth breast and soft heart of a King worke And this is so sure a Tenet that for to keepe a Kingdome secure and to be Lord of many moe there needeth no other claime then that which Loue and Gentlenesse maketh For in regard that the heart of man is generous it will not be led by the necke with a halter nor will subiects long indure the yoake of a Tyrannizing and proud Lord whereas on the contrary they are easily led a long by a smooth and gentle hand And reason teacheth vs as much for by how much the more easily is the heart of man moued by conueniences then by menaces by faire meanes then by foule by so much the better is it to gouerne by meekenesse and gentlenesse then by force and rigour Whence we draw this Conclusion That too much sharpnesse and excesse of rigour in a Prince procuteth hatred and affabilitie and clemencie Loue. Which is that which Kings ought most to seeke after as by and by we shall shew vnto you when wee come to tell you that these two qualities of blandure and clemencie so befitting a supreme Lord are quite contrarie to that good expedition of Iustice and that integritie which God doth require in a Iudge whom hee willeth and commaundeth That in matter of iudgement hee shall not pittie the case of the poore According to which Instruction it of force followeth that a King must represent two contrary persons that of a kind and pittifull Father and that of a iust and angry Iudge For if in his owne nature hee be kinde and tender hearted there is not that offender which will not be set free by the power of Intreaties and Teares weapons wherewith the hardest and cruellest hearts suffer themselues to be ouercome And if he be otherwise what can the delinquents hopes end in but death and despaire Againe if he be vertuous and seuere it is impossible that he should not hate the vicious and grow into choller when hee shall heare of their cruell outrages and insolencies Now what remedy in this case is to be vsed Saint Ierom and Saint Austen are of opinion that a King by his owne person is to punish and premiate to execute chasticement with iustice and to mitigate it with mercy Nor is it vnworthy our consideration nor lyable to inconueniencie that a King should represent two persons so contrary in shew as iudging with Iustice and Mercie For two vertues cannot bee contrary And as the Saints and holy Doctors say and they are in the right Mercie doth not hinder the execution of Iustice but it moderateth the crueltie of the punishment And it is very necessary in a good Iudge that hee should haue a true and faithfull paire of balance in his hands and in either scale to put rigor and equitie that hee may know how to correct the one by the other The Kings of Portugall especially Don Iuan the third did vse to iudge Capitall crimes accompanied with his Councell and were alway accounted fathers of the people because with them Iustice and Mercie walked hand in hand shewing themselues iust in punishing the fault and mercifull in mitigating the punishment By which meanes they were of all both feared and beloued And let not Kings perswade themselues that this doth lessen their authoritie and take of from their greatnesse but giues an addition and the oftner they sit in iudgement they shall doe God the more seruice and the Kingdome more good And in conscience the surest and safest course for that reciprocall obligation which is between the King and his subiects For they owe obedience seruice and acknowledgement to him as their Lord and Master And he vnto them Iustice Defence and Protection For to this end and purpose doe they pay him so many great Tributes and Taxes Nor is it enough for him to doe it by others but
question that hath beene much sifted and winowed amongst your Morall Philosophers as also your Diuines whether Eâ—ection be formally a worke of the Vnderstanding or the Will Gregory Nyssenus saith That it is composed of both partes To wit of the Act of the Will and of the Vnderstanding And hee said well For therein is required both a fullnesse of Knowledge and a freenesse of Will And it is the Doctrine of Diuus Thomas who saith That it is not of the will alone but also of the Vnderstanding because the electiue Act of the Will conference consultation Iudgement is to precede which is the proper Act of the Vnderstanding But the mischiefe of it is That in Elections wee many times see the contrary and what a strange diuorcement and seperation there is heerein from this true Philosophie For that which now a dayes most of all discouers it selfe in these Elections is our proper gust will and affection And therefore to remedy so great a malady it shall be requisite that the Prince who desireth to tread sure to hit the marke he aymes at and to please God in those whom he electeth and calleth to his Counsell that hee follow the Example of our Sauiour Christ written for our instruction by the Euangelists S. Mathew and S. Luke who recounting the Election of S. Peter and of S. Andrew and other the Apostles as his principall Ministers there preceded a long and prolixe Oration or prayer full of feruour of zeale and of the Spirit and retyred himselfe into the desart and there fasted 40. dayes Et erat pernoctans in Oratione Dei And continued all night in prayer vnto God Which as S. Ambrose and other fathers haue well obserued Christ did not doe that hee had any neede of these Dispositions and Preambles for to iumpe right in that Election but to teach kings and all other Princes that if they will hit right in their Elections they are to vse the like Diligences They are by good and pious workes to procure this fauour at Gods hands and to direct all their actions to this end Nor would hee that this Election should be left wholly to the declaration of those Saints for our Sauiour did declare himselfe more particularly in the 10. of S. Luke Where speaking with the 70 Disciples which had nominated them he sayd vnto them Messis quidem multa operarij autem pauci rogate ergo Dominum Messis vt mittat operarios in messem suam The Haruest truly is great but the Labourers are few Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Haruest that hee would send forth Labourers into his Haruest And though in those former times these words were very seasonable yet now in this present age it 's necessitie is better knowne as likewise the truth thereof For the Haruests being so many and so great I meane so great and so many the varietie and multitude of important businesses for the welfare of the Common-wealth the Labourers are very few But to expresse my self a little more fully I say That very few are they that enter or seeke to enter into Offices for to labour and paines but for to liue at their pleasure to heape vp riches that they may increase the more in ambition and more freely take their ease The remedie of this consisteth in that which our Sauiour Christ commandeth vs To wit That we in defatigably pray vnto him that he will be pleased to send forth faithfull Ministers and good Labourers into his Common-wealth Ministers of knowen trust zeale vertue to whom may sute the name of Counsellours and not of Babblers of worthy men not of wordly men And kings to whom properly this Office of Election doth belong must put the more force insist the more in this prayer begging that which the wisest of Kings Salomon petitioned of God Da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam vt mecum sit mecum laboret vt sciam quod sit acceptum coram te omni tempore O God of my fathers send me wisedome out of thy holy heauens and from the Throne of thy Glory that being present shee may labour with me that I may know what is pleasant vnto thee c. This wise and discreete king was not contented with that guide and light which humane wisedome might afford him but had recourse by prayer to that diuine Light and Wisedome which is that that guideth Kings without stumbling or feare of falling into errour For as Wisdome saith of her selfe Per me reges regnant c By me Kings reigne and Princes decree Iustice. As if shee should haue sayd By the hand and Light which I reach forth vnto Kings they goe rightly on in their iudgements and their Elections so that they reigne and conserue themselues in quiet possession of their Kingdomes The drift of my discourse is this That when a King shall come to elect and make choise of his Ministers his first care must be to pray heartily vnto God that hee will direct this his choise and election And so much the more diligence hee ought to vse therein by how much of more importance and of greater qualitie the Minister shall be that is to be imployed After Prayer which is diuine other humane diligences are to bee followed Whereof the chiefest is that the Prince informe himselfe of the good sufficiency the honest life and faire carriage of those whom hee is to choose And that heerein he may not be deceiued it is necessary that with Christ he goe vp vnto the Mount That is To eleuate his Consideration vnto God and to auoide vulgar opinions To strip himselfe of passion and not to strike hands with those that are not Gods friends To forget all kindred and Alliance Not to take in the infectious Ayre of fond affection Not to apply himselfe to that which the importunat intercessions and requests of a fauourite or kinsman shall seeke to draw from him for their priuate benefit Nor to hearken to the negotiation of cunning and subtile pretenders but onely to the good of the Common-wealth and the quicke dispatch of businesses and other the like offices that are to be exercised by men of their place And albeit it was my purpose not to serue my selfe in this discourse but with the Testimonies and Examples of holy Scripture and the Doctors that are Expositors thereupon Yet can I not omit to exemplifie heere in one of King Don Philip the second of this name whose soule doth rest in peace being that for his great prudence and zeale to Iustice and for his good gouernement all the Kings of the world may acknowledge him their Master The case is this A President of his time hauing proposed a Person for a place relating vnto him the qualities which concurred in him for the meriting thereof hee farther added That the Lady Infanta did much desire this prouision should bee made him Heereunto his Maiestie with a great deale of iudgement
Vt iudicent populum justo iudicio nec in alteram partem declinent nec accipiant personam nec munera That they may iudge the people with iust iudgement that they wrest not iudgement nor respect neither take a gift For this briberie and Corruption is that dust which blindes the Iudges and that plague which consumes a Common-wealth Moreouer they must bee wise men cleane and sound at heart and of much truth All of them qualities which all Nations required in their Ministers expressing them in their Herogliffes Of the Aegyptians Diodorus Siculus reporteth That they had their Councell and Audience in a great Hall where there sate thirty Counsellors or Iudges Et in medio iudicandi Princeps cuius a collo suspensa veritas penderet oculis esset sub clausis librorum numero circumstante And in the midst of them sate the President with his eyes shut a number of bookes standing round about him and Truth hanging about his necke curiously cut as Aelian expresseth it in a Pectorall Saphire like vnto that which God fashioned for the adorning of his Minister and President Aaron wherein were ingrauen these words Hurim Thummim Which some interprete to be Iudicium Veritas Iudgement and Truth But S. Ierome would haue it to signifie Doctrinam Veritatem Learning and Truth For these three things Iudgement Learning and Truth are much about one and in them consisteth the whole perfection of a Minister In quibus sit Veritas For in the brest of a good Iudge there must neither raigne passion nor affection but the pure Truth which hee cannot possibly avoyd vnlesse hee will wrong nature it selfe For our soule is naturally inclined to Truth And it is so proper to a wise and prudent Man that hee that doth not say it vnsaies himselfe And certaine it is that the gouernment of a Kingdome is so much the more good or ill by how much the truth therein hath more or lesse place For if businesses be not seasoned therewith as meates are with salt neither the poore shall be defended from the oppression of the rich nor the rich possesse their goods in safety men and womens honors shall runne danger and no one person can promise to himselfe securitie And therefore it is so much the more needfull that a iudge should treate Truth and desire that all should doe the like by how much the more are they that abhorre it and seeke to conceale it an olde disease which was almost borne with vs into the world And if Iudges shall not fauour Truth and plaine dealing treachery and Lying will reigne and beare rule Let Kings take heede how they choose men that are fearefull and timerous to be their Ministers who out of cowardize and pusillanimitie hide the Truth and dare not bring her forth to Light For as shee is the foundation of Iustice and Christian iudgement if a Iudge shall not loue it with his heart tracke the steps of it and draw it out of that darke dungeon wherein shee lyes Iustice will be in danger of being crush't and falshood will preuaile As in that peruerse Iudgement in Christes cause where the Iudge was so farre from being desirous to know the truth that hee did not know what kinde of thing it was And therefore demanded in the face of the open Court Quid est Veritas What is Truth To whom that diuine wisedome made no answer perceiuing him to be such a foole as to be ignorant of the first vndoubted Principle of Iustice and suffring himselfe to be carryed away with false accusitions and feigned relations which had no bulke nor body in them no substance in the world nor any shew saue of a poore shadow to be thus mis-led Librorum numero circumstante The President before specified had a great many of bookes about him To shew how much it importeth that Iudges and Presidents bee Learned and well read in the bookes of their facultie Epiphanius saith That hee saw a Sâ—atua of Truth which in it's forehead had two letters the first and the last of the Greeke Alphabet in it's mouth other two and other two in it's brest and so through aâ—l the parts of it's body to it 's very feete So that this was all enamelled with Letters as the other was rounded with bookes Thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that that Man which is truly the man he ought to be and is to aduise and gouerne others his head hands and feete must be stucke full of Letters He must be learned from the sole of the foote to the Crowne of the head full of Letters hee must bee for in the discourses of the Vnderstanding in the working of the hands and in the moouing of the feete wee may easily guesse whether a man be wise or no Whether he hath studied or doth studie For though a man be neuer so wise neuer so learned hee still forgetteth somewhat So that it is not enough for him to haue studyed but it is requisit that he still continue his study that hee may repayre with that which he learneth the losse of that which hee forgetteth As in a naturall body that by dayly eating and drinking is restored which is by our naturall heate consumed Et oculis esset subclausis His eyes which are the windowes by which Passion enters vnto the soule were shut Because hee should not be led away with the respect to those about him For hee must not haue an eye and respect to the Estate and condition of persons to doe more fauour when it comes to point of Iustice to one then another And for this reason the sayd Aegyptians did ordinarily paint Iustice without a Head The Head is the common seate of all the Sences signifying thereby that by no one sence a Iudge should open a doore to Passion but that he should place them all in heauen without respect to any thing vpon earth And this is not to respect persons but Iustice. Plutarke in his Moralls reporteth of the Thebans That in their Courts of Iustice they had the Pictures drawne of certaine reuerend olde men sitting in their due order and in the midst the President all of them without hands and their eyes fixed on heauen To intimate that they should alwaies stand in the presence of the Lord from whence is to come that Light which is to cleare the eyes of their intentions avoyding to cast them downe towards the ground that the Vapour of humane respects which is raysed from thence may not cloude and darken the sight of their vnderstanding They must be olde and wise because they are to iudge with mature Counsaile which accompanyeth that age And as it is ordred by their Lawes they must haue neither eyes to see nor hands to receiue bribes And if they would cut off their wiues hands too the cause would be the better iustified For in them your bribes finde an open gate and are so easie to be knowne in this kind
to the redressing of that oppression And I verily perswade my selfe that all good Kings wouâ—d doe the like if they should see their subiects ready to fall into their enemies hands with whom they wage open warre But from those more close and secret enemies which are together with vs subiects Citizens neighbours Countrymen and Ministers of the same Kings and of whom there is held so much trust and confidence who goes about to free the wronged What reparation is there for receiued iniuries Are they not much greater then those that the Philistims offered to Gods people and more remedilesse As for professed Enemies against them we may make open resistance and euery man that is not vnnaturall or a Traytour to his Country will put to his helping hand and seeke to repell force by force reuenge the wrongs that are done them But for these our domestick enemies these our home-borne foes feigned friends who vnder the shew of friendship and vnder cloake and colour of being the Kings Ministers oppresse the poore and such as haue little power to oppose their greatnesse who shall be able to resist them If he that suffers shall pretend to doe it doth he not put himselfe in manifest danger of suffring much more if not of loosing all that hel hath And it is worthy your consideration that in those words related in Exodus it is not said that God went down to see and remedy the wrongs which that Tyrant king Pharaoh did vnto the children of Israel but that which was offred them by his chiefe Ministers Propter duritiem eorum qui praesunt For the hard-heartednesse and cruelty of those which were set in authoritie ouer them As if he should haue said The Affronts and Iniuries done by a Kings principall Officers are not so easily remedyed as those of particular men They require a powerfull hand they require Gods presence and assistance and will craue a Kings especiall care For your Councells cannot doe it nay are not able for to doe it of themselues alone be they the greatest and the highest in the Kingdom be they neuer so zealous of Iustice neuer such true louers thereof and neuer so desirous to doe right And the reason therof in my poore opinion is for that in regard the burthen of ordinary businesses is so great that only they are not able to attend the quitting of those agrauios and greiuances with that speedines and efficacie as were needefull but rather that they themselues without so much as once dreaming thereof doe vse to make them farre greater then otherwise they would bee for want of time and strength of body to cumply with so many and so great businesses And it oftentimes so commeth to passe that those that â—ue for reliefe in stead of being eased of their wrongs receiue further wrong either because they cannot finde fit place and time to be heard or because being heard they are soone forgot or because they that wrong them finde meanes to couer their faultes And if they cannot couer them and so should be lyable vnto punishment yet they that lent them their hand to lift them vp to the place wherein they are will likewise lend them a hand to defend their disorders And it hath beene already and is yet daily to be seene that a Iudge in Commission who for his wickednesse and euill dealing deserued exceeding great chastisement yet for that he hath this Patron and Angel of Guard for in your greater Tribunalls these are neuer wanting the businesse is husht and the party peccant neuer questioned And because he shall not be disgraced if the matter proue fowle against him by putting him out of his place he that tooke him into his protection will intercede in his behalfe to haue him remoued from that Office and preferred to a better A case certainly worthy both punishment and remedy if there be any vpon earth And if there be any helpe to be had it must be by the sight and presence of the King for without this it is not to be hoped for The Courtes of Kings much more then other places are full of humane respects and these haue taken so great a head and are growne so strong that in businesses they ouerthrow that which truth and iustice ought to vphold And therefore my aduise vnto Kings is that being they are men that are or may be free if they will themselues from these poore respectiue considerations and are supreme Lords and absolute soueraignes in their kingdomes they would be pleased to dis-agrauiate those that are iniuryed respecting onely wronged right and oppressed Truth But because such as are wronged and finde themselues agrieued haue not that easie accesse and entrance into Princes Courtes or to their persons either in regard of their great and weighty Imployments or some other lawfull Impediments it shall much importe that in their Courtes they should haue some person or persons of great zeale and approued vertue and prudence to whom those that are agrieued should haue recourse For many suffer much that cannot come to be admitted to the sight or speech of their King whereas if there should be a person appointed for to heare their Complaints they would cry out with open mouth for iustice and should be righted in their receiued wrongs And that person or persons thus deputed by their Maiesties hauing first well weighed and examined the reasons of their Complaints should afterwards represent the same vnto their Kings and giue them true information thereof to the end that they may forthwith by expresse Command put thereunto a speedy and fitting remedie And this I assure you would be a great bridle to restraine the insufferable insolencie and Auarice of Princes Ministers Who questionlesse would carry themselues much more fairely and vprightly when as they shall know that their disorders shall faithfully be represented Whereas on the contrarie it is not to be imagined with what a bold nay impudent daringnes they outface goodnesse when as they conceiue that of their kings which was vttred by that vnwise and foolish Atheist In corde suo non est deus The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Or that which those ignorant and troublesome friends of Iob breathed forth against God himselfe Circa cardines coeli perambulat nec nostra considerat He walketh in the Circle of heauen and the cloudes hide him that he cannot see and consider the things vpon earth Or which those other wicked Villaines vented Non videbit dominus neque intelliget Deus Iacob The Lord shall not see neither will the God of Iacob regard it So in like sorte say these bad Ministers Tush this shall neuer come to our Kings knowledge hee is taking his pleasure in his gardens he is thinking on his Hawking and Hunting or some other sports and pastimes to recreate himselfe withall nor shall Tricks and inuentions be wanting vnto vs to stop vp all the passages to his eares but say open way
in regard of that great vigilancie which Kings ought to haue in executing Iustice and in seeing and knowing what passeth in the kingdome for kingdomes for this cause are content to become subiect vnto them out of a confidence they haue that they shall be protected by them This is the thing saith Osorius that Kings must looke vnto This must be their cheife care and study In studium iustitiae omnes regis curae et cogitationes omnes labores atque vigiliae omnia denique studia consumenda sunt Eâ— namque à principio Reges creauit The doing or not doing of Iustice is that which either sets vp or puls downe Kings And that King must make a new conquest of Kingdomes If those which he hath already gained be not conserued and defended by the force and power of Iustice which is the maine pillar and onely prop to speake of that vpholdeth Kingdomes without which they cannot long last and continue For God will most iustly punish them by taking those from them which they haue if they dissimulate iniustices and if they suffer themselues to be carryed away contrary to all right and reason and permit notorious faults to passe without punishment Other faults are not so much risented in Kings and Kingdomes are content to tolerate them be they neuer so great But should they haue neuer so many other good partes if they be faulty in this which is of so great importance they shall presently see and perceiue a publicke face of sorrow and a generall discontent in all their subiects And God oftentimes makes it a meanes for the punishment and amendment of Kings and Kingdomes It is the saying of Iesus the sonne of Syrach That by Counsaile and Iustice Kingdomes are maintained And for default thereof Scepters and Crownes are lost and Kingdomes transferred from one people to another And those brought to serue which were borne to command But the King that administreth Iustice without respect of persons shall haue his succession perpetuall for that is the very ground and foundation of a Throne royall Aufer impietatem de vultu regis et firmâ—bitur Iustitia thronus eius Take away the wicked from the King and his throne shall be established in righteousnes That is His Issue his House and his Kingdome Iustice is that which foundeth Kingdomes which enlargeth them and conserueth them That which establisheth peace and resisteth warre Without it there is neither King nor Kingdome nor Common-wealth nor Citie nor any other Communitie which can be conserued And all whatsoeuer that haue beene ruined and destroyed hath beene for want of Iustice. For this cause the Kings of Egypt and in imitation of them some others did which all good Kings ought to do sweare their Presidents Ministers and Magistrates that they should not obay their mandatums nor execute their orders and decrees if they found in them that they commanded any thing contrary vnto Iustice and the Lawes of the Kingdome Philip the Faire King of France and his successor Charles the seuenth enacted a Law that the Iudges should make no reckoning of the Kings Letters nor those his royall scedules vnlesse they seemed vnto them to be iust and lawfull The Catholike Kings Don Fernando and Donna Isabella and their Nephew Charles the fift by their well ordained Lawes Magistracies and Tribunals of so much power and authoritie exceeded all before them that fauoured Iustice. Which were augmented and inlarged by King Philip the second who was more particularly zealous of Iustice. And his sonne King Philip the third was a great fauourer and louer of Iustice and obseruer of the Lawes submitting vnto them his person and his goods Who might very well say that which the Emperour Traiane said conferring great power on his Gouernour in Rome Thou shalt vse this sword in our name and for Vs as long as we shall command that which is iust and against vs if we shall command the contrarie For it is alwayes to be presumed of the Intention of Kings that they euermore command Iustice to be done but neuer the contrary though it make against themselues Dauid gaue thankes vnto God that hee had set him in the way of Iustice that is That he had giuen him an vpright heart and informed his vnderstanding with so right a rule that it inclined his disposition to doe iustice though it were against himselfe The cause saith Diuus Thomas why God for so many yeares did inlarge the Empire and Monarchie of the Romanes with so much power so much treasure and so many great victories was for that their rectitude and iustice which they obserued towards all But in that instant that they fell from this their Empire likewise began to fall Of these Examples all Histories both humane and diuine are very full yet all will not serue the turne they doe little or no good Let Gods mercie supply this defect and worke this good And let not the poore bee discouraged and disheartened but let them comfort and cheere vp themselues with this that their righteousnesse and their patience shall not perish for euer God hath spoke the word and he will keepe it The poore saith the Psalmist shall not alwayes be forgotten nor shall the hope of the afflicted perish for euer For he will take the matter into his owne hands and will breake the arme of the wicked and malitious and will helpe the fatherlesse and poore vnto their right that the man of earth bee no more exalted against them Woe vnto those that are rules of the people Woe vnto those that are vniust Kings Which make Lawes like Spiders cobwebbs whereinto little starueling flies fall and die but your fat Bulls of Basan breake through and beare them away in triumph on their homes But that wee may touch no more vpon this string we will here holde our hand and and goe on in treating of Iustice and it's parts A matter no lesse profitable then necessary for Kings and their Ministers CHAP. XXI Of the Parts of Iustice in common and in particular of Iustice commutatiue TO the end that we may proceede with more distinction and clearenesse in this Chapter we are to presuppose with Diuus Thomas and others that Iustice may be sayd to be in Common two manner of wayes First of all vnder this generall name of Iustice is comprehended all kinde of vertue thereof in this sense saith the Philosopher that Iustitia est omnis virtus Iustice includeth in it selfe all sortes of vertues whatsoeuer so that a iust Man and a vertuous man is all one And in this sense Christ conceiu'd it when he said Nisi abuâ—dâ—uerit Iustitia Except your righteousnesse exceede c. And in another place Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibuâ— Take heede that yee doe not boast your righteousnesse before men to be seene of them Of iustice considered thus in the generall we will not now treate of in this place for in rigour and
strictnesse this is not true iustice though it haue some similitude therewith Now Iustice is taken after another manner for a particular virtue To wit that which is one of the foure Cardinall vertues which hath for it's obiect and end as we shall tell you by and by to giue vnto euery man that which is his right and his due Of this which is properly Iustice do we here meane to treate of whose Excellencies all bookes are full and whereof the Ancients said That it is a celestiall and diuine vertue seated by God in the mindes of men Vlpian saith That it is Constans et perpetua voluntas quae tribuit cuique suum A constant and perpetuall Will attributing to euery man his owne Plato he goes a little farther adding that it is singulare et vnicum donum c. The onely singular gift the greatest good that God communicated vnto Mortalls here vpon earth For from thence ariseth Peace Concord This is it's worke the end it pretendeth According to that of Esay Opus iustitiae pax And the worke of iustice shal be peace euen the worke of Iustice and quietnesse and assurance for euer And God himselfe the Author Cause fountain of Iustice the first Title name that he tooke when he created the world before that hee had created Angels men and Beastes was that of Iudge Wherby we are to vnderstand that there was a Iudge and Iustice in the world before any other thing was created For to haue created a world without a Iudge or iustice to gouerne it and to punish humane excesses and disorders had beene to make a denne of Thiefes and Robbers For all Kingdomes and Common-wealths without Iustice saith Saint Austen had beene nothing else but so many Armies of Out-Lawes Rebells and high-way Robbers Remota Iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latroicinia Take away Iustice and what are kingdomes but Latrocinations all kind of theft's spoyles and rogueries Certaine it is that the first Iudge and Minister of Iustice that was in the world was God himselfe who appointed Lawes and Precepts who did rule and gouerne without Kings or other their substitutes till Noahs time who was the first Gouernour of his people to whom he gaue order that he should liue in iustice and righteousnesse doing the like afterwards to Moses and after him to his annoynted Kings And therefore Esay stiles him Legislatorem a Law-giuer Dominuâ— Legifer noster The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law-giuer the Lord is our King he will saue vs. c. And then in those dayes by the sole power hand of their Kings was Iustice administred And they were called Iudges because they did iudge according to the Lawes And they tooke this name from Iustice it selfe Iudex dictus est quasi ius dicens populo non ergò est Iudex si iustitia in eo non est He is called Iudge of iudging the people vprightly And he is no Iudge if Iustice be not in him His Obiect is Ius or that which is iust and lawfull And his office to offend no man to doe right vnto all to giue euery one that which is his and what of right belongs vnto him This Iustice hath power to determine how how much and when the good are to be rewarded and the bad punished it is the harmonie of all good gouernment and whereby the world is sustained and wherewith as with meate and drinke the life of man is preserued And if Iustice should faile the world would presently returne to that Chaos and confusion wherein it was at the first And for that this Vertue is so necessary for mans life Saint Austen saith that your ancient Kings did build and consecrate a Temple thereunto And that on the high Altar there were ingrauen certaine Letters which spake thus Iustice that is vpright and free from loue or hatred is the strongest chaine that a Kingdome hath Which suteth with that which one of the seuentie Interpreters told King Ptolomy as Aristeas reporteth it who being demanded by him how he might sustaine himselfe in his Kingdome and hold concord and good correspondencie with so great a multitude and varietie of men as were therein replyed By preseruing Iustice and giuing to euery one what was fitting and not otherwise And this is so manifest a truth that Plutarch affirmeth That not Iupiter himselfe though the greatest of the Pagan Gods could be a good Gouernor without Iustice. In it saith S. Ambrose is found the Concordancie of all vertues without it there is neither consonancy nor harmony It is the Mistresse of Mans life the extirper of Vice the mother of peace the defence of the Kingdome the treasure of a Common-wealth the ioy of men the comâ—ort of the poore the cure of the sicke and the medicine of the soule Cicero calls her the Queene and Lady of the Vertues Plutarke would haue her to be in respect of the rest as the Sunne amongst the Starres Firmaianus affirmeth that shee is the mother of them all And as the Mother is before the Daughters So Iustice hath the precedencie of all other Vertues Scotus surnamed the Subtile together with Anselmus say that if betweene Gods iustice and mercâ—e there were any precedencie Iustice would haue the prime place In fine it is the foundation and ground of all other vertues and by which all ought to bee regulated and ordered And we cannot indâ—are it more then in saying That if Iustice should fayle all the Vertues would fayle And if that onely be kept there will be liâ—le neede of the other So said King Agesilaus And it is Aristotles Tonent That if Iustice were publickly and truly administred Fortitude and other the Vertues would be superfluous For one not iniurying another all would be peace loue and charitie And it is a vertue very naturall vnto Man who in his owne nature abhorreth Vice and loueth goodnesse and what is honest And therefore amongst other things that are controuerted Cicero saith that there is not any thing more certaine to be knowne then that Man was borne for to doe Iustice. It is she that ordaines things for the common good and the good of our neighbour And by how much the common is greater then the particular So much doth this Vertue exceede others that are ordayned to a particular person or a mans owne selfe Finally it is very necessary for the conseruation of the body and the Saluation of the Soule Diuus Thomas and others whose names I silence say That 24. Vertues side and take part with her which they tearme Adâ—utrices Helpers which doe serue and accompany her in all her Actions And making vse of them as of Counsaylours and Aduisers she determines what is iust the good which is to be followed and the ill which is to be auoided there being nothing that hath not neede of it's fauour and helpe For
to pay all costes and charges and sute of Courte Quodounque iudicaueritis sayth that good King in vos redundabit Whatsoeuer yee shall iudge it shall light vpon your selfes He threatneth that which God deliuereth in the booke of Wisedome to the Kings and Iudges of the earth Audite ergo Roges intelligite Iudices terrae Heare me yee that rule and gouerne the world and yee that glory in the multitude of nations that are subiect vnto you vnderstand that the power that yee haue is from God and that he is to make a Quaere and inquire of your Actions and thoughts And for that being his Ministers ye haue not iudged according to his will nor kept his lawes nor done Iustice Horrendae citò apparebit vobis Horibly and sodainly will he appeare vnto you He that is most low shall finde mercie with him but the mighty shall be mightily tormented All these are the wordes of the wisedome of Salomon and which are not to escape the memorie of Kings and their Ministers And Iehosophat as a remedie vnto all prescribeth vnto his Iudges and Counsellours one good Counsayle and sound aduise which is this That in all the sentences they shall pronounce that they set before their eyes the feare of God For as both Saint Chrysostome and S. Austin affirme it is easie for him to swarue from Iustice who feareth not God in what he doth As likewise that they should dispatch businesses with diligence For there are some that indeauour to eternize sutes And why they doe so God the world knowes Bribery and Corruption are the Remoras that stop the course of Iustice and the cause that sutes are so long depending before they be brought to a conclusion to the confusion and vndoing of those that follow them who are faine by deferring to deferring and putting ouer from hearing to hearing to sell their very clothes from their backs to wage Law And when at last with much adoe they haue sentence past on their side they are neuer a whit the better for it but is conuerted into gall and bitternesse for that his sute hath cost him seuentimes more then it was worth To such Iudges as these suteth that of the Prophet Amos Conuertistis in amaritudinem Iudicium fructum iustitiae in Absinthium Yee haue turned iudgement into gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into worme-wood Furthermore saith that good King Consider that yee occupie Gods place who wrongeth no man nor is an Accepter of Persons Yee must administer Iustice equally to all giuing to euery one that which is his and of right belongs vnto him without any other humane respect For Iustice acknowledgeth neither Father nor Mother nor friend but meere Truth Cleon tooke leaue of his friends when he was made a Iudge And Themistocles refused Magistracie saying That he would not possesse that place where his friends could not be in better condition with him then his foes Lastly he tels them that he would not haue them to be couetous nor receiuers of rewards And therfore are they pictu'rd without hands because they should not haue the faculty and gift of taking Non accipies personam nec munera It is Moses his Aduise in Deuteronomy Wrest not thou the Law nor respect any person neither take reward For the reward blindeth the eyes of the wise peruerteth the words of the Iust. Iustice should be like vnto the sunne whose light costes vs nothing and is neither bought nor solde Non licet indiâ—i saith Saint Austin vendere iustum indicium It becomes not a iudge to sell iust iudgement All this appertaineth to Commutatiue Iustice And to that obligation likewise which kings haue to cumply with whatsoeuer bargaines or contracts haue bin formally made without acceptation of persons for he is not to regard them but the truth To this Iustice appertaineth likewise the giuing and paying of soldiers their reward and their pay For they doe tacitely make a contract with their Prince to serue him in that Ministry for so many Ducatts a month And this is due vnto them in all Iustice right For otherwise there should not be an equalitie betweene a Souldiers paines and his pay Nor ought hee to put them off with delayes remitting the remuneration of their seruice to other Ministers seeing that they serue them in their owne persons and that the obligation is reciprocall And therefore a certaine bolde Soldier tolde Augustus Caesar who thought he had done him a great fauour in recommending him by a fauourit of his to those of the Counsel of warr that they might heare him and doe him Iustice Sir said he when your Honor and Authoritie ran so much hazard and your person put to great perill did I depute another in my place to fight for me And therewith all vnbuttoning his dublet be shew'd him the wounds which he had receiued in his body in his defence By which he obliged him to heare his cause himselfe to giue present order that he should be well and truly payd And when they in the seruice of their king shall do more then they are bound vnto aâ—some which vnder-go braue and noble attempts ieoparding their fifes in such kinde of desperate enterprises howbeit commutatiue Iustice obligeth not to giue them more then their ordinary pay yet in a iust gratification it is required of Kings that they should reward and honour them according to the qualitie of their persons and seruices For a Qiust King ought not to leaue any seruice vnrewarded nor any fault vnpunished For Praemium Pâ—na Reward and Punishment are those two Plummets which keepe the clock of the Common-wealth in good Order But to giue a conclusion to this first part I say That Iustice ought to be in all and with all all equall and compleat And for this cause she is called Flos a flower Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that to all she should be Florida fresh and flourishing Not being like a dry rotten sticke to some and full of sweetenesse to others And as in a tree after the flower followes the fruit So likewise is to be conceiued that in kings and Iudges this Vertue is not true if it consist onely in the leafe and the flower and doe not come to beare fruit And therefore in the sacred Scripture those that doe not as well in deede as in shew truly vprightly administer â—ustice are called Hypocrites for that they haue no more of Kings and Iudges then the bare name Title They ought to be Vina Lex and Ius animâ—tum the very life and soule of the Law that Men may come vnto them not as to a Man but as to equitie and iustice it selfe They must haue their plummet their Lines runne euen and Ieuell towards all Their Vare or rod of Iustice must not be too short for some too long for other some Let Right strike the stroake let no man be deny'd Iustice. For this is to
he must also doe it by himselfe For neither that great Gouernor of Gods people Moses nor any other after him is in all the whole body of the Bible to be found that euer yet condemned the occupation of iudging the people to bee vnworthy royall Maiestie nor contrarie to the reputation of a King I know no other preiudice in it saue that it is impossible for one sole man to vndergoe so great a taske And this impossibilitie ariseth from the multitude of subiects and in that case they aduise That a King should not wholly take away his hand from the doing of Iustice but that the lesser and more ordinary businesses hee should remit and referr them to different Ministers and the weightier causes take to his owne charge and be present in person when they come to be sit vpon and determined as formerly haue done the wisest and greatest Monarkes that euer were in the world Who did euer equall King Salomon in wisedome greatnesse and Maiestie yet did hee hold it no disgrace vnto him to humble himselfe to heare suitors iudge their causes and to doe them Iustice. The Kings of the Hebrew people were called Iudges because they did glorie in nothing so much as to heare and iudge the people And in all Nations this hath alwayes beene the principall Office appertaining vnto Kings And the Holy Ghost saith That the King that faithfully iudgeth the poore his throne shall be established for euer §. III. That it much importeth Kings to haue the good Loue and affection of their Subiects KIngs as already hath beene sayd are the Heads of their Kingdomes Their Estates serue them as Members Without which it is impossible they should be that which their name speakes them And therefore it is not onely conuenient but necessarie that they should seeke to gaine the good wills of all suting themselues though they force their owne to the nature of their subiects and beholding them as if they were his children Which is the best course to keepe them well affected and contented and to be beloued and obayed by them Which they may easily doe if they will but thinke themselues that they are sheepheards and fathers of those people which God hath recommended vnto them easing them of those wrongs and grieuances which they vniustly suffer laying no more vpon them then they are able to beare suffring them when reason shall require to take their ease and their quiet and helping to sustaine them when they grow poore and are decayd Plato tells vs That for a Prince to be good and to be beloued of all hee must bestow all his loue and his whole heart vpon the Common-wealth his will on the Gods his secret on his friends and his Time on businesses For by thus reparting himselfe with all he shall haue a part in all by all of them comming to vnite themselues with him Onely in this good Correspondency of Loue betweene Kings and their subiects wise Periander placeth all the safetie and good fortune of Kings and Kingdomes Agesilaus King of Lacedaemon was once askt the question How a King might liue secure For that it is oftentimes seene that neither multitude of seruants nor a guard of Halbardiers can defend them from violence To which demand hee returned this answer Si suis populis ita imperet vt parentes filijs If he so rule ouer his people as a father doth ouer his children The King that loueth his subiects and is againe beloued by them neede no guarde they are his guard For Loue where it is true and faithfull plainesheth the knottiest peece of timber smootheth the roughest and most vnhewen disposition and makes all faire safe and peaceable It is a most strong wall and more durable yea then Kings themselues With this no difficulty can offer it selfe vnto them which they may not ouercome no danger whose impetuousnesse they may not oppose no command which they will not obay For as Kings desire no more of their subiects but to be well serued by them so subiects pretend nothing from their Kings but to be beloued by them And indeede the one dependeth on the other For if a King loue not his subiects he shall neither be well serued beloued nor obayed by them And as little if he loue himselfe too much For the more care he takes of himselfe and attends his owne particular so much the more his subiects loue departs from him For the harmonie of a Common-wealth consisteth in that all should liue by the Kings fauour and they by their subiects loue For they ought to be vigilant in all that belongs to their seruice and Kings most watchfull in that which concernes their generall good So that none is to haue lesse part in the King then the King himselfe And because it is impossible to content all by reason not onely of their different but contrary natures it is necessary at least to content the most There are two differences of States or two sorts of people to be considered in a Kingdome The Citizens or which comprehendeth all the common people Or your Peeres and such as either are persons of Title or aspire to be It shall be good discretion prudence to procure to content the people especially in a Kings first entrance into his raigne in that which is reasonable and honest And if their demaunds shall be otherwise to dissemble with them and to take time to consider of it and so by little and litle let their blood goe cooling This was the Counsayle of your olde Counsailours Which had it beene followed by that young King Rehoboam his people had not rebelled against him nor hee in the beginning of his Empire before he was scarce warme in his throne haue lost ten Tribes of the Twelue The Common people are alwayes grumbling and complayning and ready to runne into rebellion as being fearelesse in regard of their multitude and carelesse for that they haue little or nothing to loose The Minor Plinie after that hee had made a large Catalogue of the naturall vertues of the Emperour Traiane after that he had shewen what great account he made of the Common people he sayth Let not a Prince deceiue himselfe in thinking that hee is not to make any reckoning of the common people for without them he cannot sustaine nor defend his Empyre And in vaine shall hee procure other helpe for that were to seeke to liue with a head without a body which besides that it were monstrous it must needes toter and tumble downe with it's owne weight because it hath nothing to beare it vp And if Kings will needes know what kinde of thing the Common people is and what able to doe vpon all changes and alterations let them take into their consideration that which passed at the arraignment and death of our Sauiour Christ where there was not that Rule of reason of State in the vilest manner which was not then practized And the first stone that the Princes of the
all kingdomes had euermore a desire to haue but one Prince And that all prudent and wise men haue in reason of State held this gouernment to be the best and surest and that it was not fit that the vniforme body of a commonwealth or kingdome should bee subiect and obedient to two Heads To wit that one should enioy the name and title of King and the other possesse the power And that it were better that all should obey one that had wisedome and experience and that had beene bred vp in businesses and the mannaging of State-affaires whereby to gouerne them in peace and Iustice. And sithence that in Pipine these qualities did concurre and that on him all the businesses of importance did depend it were good that hee should bee their King and that Childericke should take his ease and pleasure Hereupon they treated with Pipine who though hee gaue eare vnto what they said yet would not rashly aduenture himselfe to accept of the Crowne vnlesse Pope Zacharias might first be consulted therein Whereupon they sent their Embassadours who had instruction to render such reasons to the Pope that might moue him to approue thereof and iudging Childericke to bee vnfit for the gouernment might absolue the French of their oath which they had taken and that obedience which they ought to their King and that he should depriue him of the kingdome and further declare That since Pipine did rule and command all and had so many good indowments that hee might likewise be inuested with the title of King And the Archbishop of Maguncia was the man that was nominated to set the Crowne on his head and to declare him to bee King of all France Being thus back't they summoned a Parliament degraded the poore seely king and thrust him into a Monastery and Pipine was sworne and proclaimed King of those so many kingdomes and Signories as were then subiect to the Crowne of France Hence had it's first beginning and that hand and power giuen vnto Popes in so great a businesse as the setting vp and pulling downe of Kings and which is more of creating new Emperours and depriuing the old ones of their Empire Whereof there are many examples And that which this Pope did with that King who had no more then that vmbratill and apparent power other Popes afterwards did the like with Henries and Fredericks and other Tyrants of great puisance and power The one offend in the more the other in the lesse The one out of the ambition that they haue to bee Kings that they may command and doe all loose all and so go to hell And the other go the same way for that they will not bee as they should be Kings but giue themselues wholly vnto idlenesse It was the Emperour Galba's vtter ouerthrow that he had put the whole gouernment into onely three mens hands which he brought along with him possessing them with so much power that hee was not Master of himselfe depending still vpon their wil and through that great authoritie which they had they ouerthrew all whatsoeuer their King did ordaine thrusting their armes as we say vp to the elbowes in all affaires and making vse of their present fortune And for that this vnfortunate Emperour could take notice of no more then what hee had from them for none without their permission could or see or speake with him they made him to do that which that other Potter did who going about to make a pot to boyle meate in made a larre to put drinke in And he thinking to substitute Iudges that should administer Iustice appointed theeues in their place which robbed the Commonwealth All which was imputed vnto him And for that Vanity is the mother of so many vices all this their great fauour serued to no other vse but to cause their Soueraigne to commit many actions of iniustice and indiscretion and of vnheard of and vnthought of wrongs violently breaking through the ordinary course of Iustice. By which exorbitant proceedings this imprudent Emperour grew to be hated and abhorred of all and not being able longer to beare with him they depriued him at once of his life and Empire And these kinde of Caterpillars said the Emperour Sigismund make those Kings vnfortunate that put their affiance in them At this carelesse ward liued at first Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians though afterwards like a wise Prince hee did rectifie this errour And the case was this Hee let his friend and Fauourite Lisander carry a great hand ouer him and did honour him in all that he could expressing alwayes much loue vnto him Lysander puft vp herewith tooke great state vpon him being attended with a great traine and manifesting in his very gate a kinde of extraordinary grauitie and Maiestie and all did so farre forth serue and obey him that it seemed he had vsurped the dignitie royall and the Empire leauing good honest Agesilaus onely the bare Titulary name of King Which his Maiestie taking into his consideration to the end that the people might not say that hee raigned by Lysanders helpe he withdrew the dispatch of businesses fromforth his hands and would not remit any thing vnto him and if he spake to him touching this or that businesse he made as if he did not heare him or not well vnderstand him dispatching all himselfe to the good contentment of his Subiects Hereupon Lysander began to cast vp his accounts with himselfe and forbore from that time forward to conferre fauours or to promise Offices and told such suiters as came vnto hâ—m that they should go themselues to petition the King and would by no meanes permit that they should accompany him to Court as before And yet notwithstanding all this he assisted very carefully in all such seruices as were by his Maiesty recommended vnto him without any the least shew of discontentment Within a while after occasion was offered vnto him to speake with the King and talking with him hee told him O King how well hast thou learned to make thy friends lesse yes quoth the King when they will make themselues too great The King played his part well so did the Fauourite and all ought to doe the like Kings must bore a hole in that ship with their owne hand to stop it's course when it hoyseth it's sayles too high and goes with too still a gale For the taking notice of their Fauourites ambition is that ballast which doth secure them against those their windes and puffes of vanitie Let then the first aduice and which is of greatest importance for Kings and Christian kingdomes bee that which amongst other the Catholicke King of Spaine and Emperour Charles the fifth left vnto his sonne King Philip the second wherein with many indeared and effectuall words he recommends vnto him the obseruing augmenting and defending of the Christian faith in all his kingdomes States and Signiories seuerely punishing with all rigâ—ur and iustice without exception of persons all such as
POLICIE VNVEILED VVHEREIN MAY BE LEARNED The Order of true Policie in Kingdomes and Common-wealths The Matters of Iustice and Governement The Addresses Maxims and Reasons of STATE The Science of governing well a People And where the Subject may learne true Obedience unto their Kings Princes and Soveraignes Written in Spanish and translated into English by I. M. of Magdalen Hall in OXFORD LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Richard Collins and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Three Kings 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IAMES HAY EARLE OF Carlile Viscount Doncaster Lord HAY of Sauley Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber to our Soueraigne Lord King CHARLES Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuy Councell Right Honourable KNowing no man better verst in publique affayres then your selfe I could not more fitly addresse this Discourse then to you without the rifling of any particular mans merit for I may ascribe as much to the praise of your exercise as any can assume to his priuate Notions or Publique Obseruations To speake the story of your true and ingenious acts in forraigne and in those forraigne the most subtile and actiue parts would rather seeme a Tract then a Dedication of a Booke but here you are onely Patron though I know you might by your naturall gifts and obseruations be Author of a farre better piece You haue been long the intrusted seruant of your Prince which should employ you the darling of his people and truly you ought to bee so whilst Truth relates the story of deseruing men or Honesty reads their merit What and whose worke of politique gouernment this is your eyes may at leysure looke ouer while your quicker eyes I meane your discerning minde may perhaps correct yet I hope not chide his labour who was willing though not able to serue you in a piece worthy your obseruation If in the translation there be any thing that hath forsaken the Originall it was intention and not negligence of which there needs no accompt My good Lord there is nothing left but to implore your pardon for the preferring this worke which if it shall appeare vnworthy your graue perusall yet at the least forgiue his intention who conceiued it a direct way of expressing himselfe to be Your Honours truely deuoted EDWARD BLOVNT THE AVTHORS EPISTLE DEDICATOrie to the King of SPAINE Sir THe cause why the Ancients by fire signifie Loue is for that this Element is the hardest to be hid For the more a man seekes to couer it the more it discouers it selfe and blabbs the place where it is Of this quality is Loue and truly participateth of the nature of fire I came saith our Sauiour Christ to put fire into the world And the holy Ghost which is the true God of Loue came and shewed it selfe in the shape and figure of fire So that Loue is a kinde of extraordinary actiue fire Nor can it where soeuer it be be hid or idle Operatur magna si est saith Saint Gregory si autem non operatur amor non est Loue will be alwayes in action alwayes in working it worketh by benefits it worketh by good workes and by friendly offices and charitable seruices And when it cannot worke what it would or when the subiect whereon it would worke hath no need thereof it supplyeth that defect with good desires and words God who needeth not the seruice of any contents himselfe with this in those that are his seruants accepting when they can no more the will for the deed And the Kings which here vpon earth represent his person doe not require tribute and seruice saue onely in that which euery one is able to giue That which I am able to affoord and doe here offer vnto your Maiestie forced thereunto by the loue of my seruice howbeit my desire hath euermore had a larger extent is onely a parcell of words which if they proceed from the soule and come truly and sincerely from the heart are of some worth and estimation and perhaps vpon occasion may proue likewise profitable and aduantagious Howsoeuer it may serue at least to expresse that my seruice and deuotion which euer hath beene is and shall be ready prest to serue your Maiestie And I am willing to shew it in this little that I may not wholly seeme vnprofitable And therefore with this affection of Loue sutable to my subiect ouercomming those feares which are wont and not without reason to withhold those that treate with great Kings Princes and Monarckes and write of such and the like subiects I presume to aduertise them and in this paper to propone vnto them that which I finde written of those that are past and gone and seemeth very fit and conuenient for the conseruation and augmentation of the authoriâ—y and greatnesse of those that are now liuing and present amongst vs and will with all possible breuity procure a full resolution and distinction herein And as Seneca saith Totum comprehendere sub exiguo To comprise much vnder a little For as that is the better sort of money which in the matter is the lesser but the greater in value so likewise that Learning is the best which is briefe in words and large in sentences It is Maximus his counsell that Multa magna breuiter sunt dicenda Matters that are many and great are briefly to be deliuered For this breuities sake therefore as also for the greatnesse of your Maiesties employments and the great burthen of so many weighty businesses that lye vpon you I will not here interpose any large discourses and long disputations wherewith to entertaine and spend the time but briefe certaine and generall Doctrines such as are of most profit comprehend most subiects and may be applyed to particular both persons and things all taken out of the Politicks the law of nature and men that are Statists and no way contrary to the Law of God and Christian Religion As likewise out of ancient Philosophers and wise men both Lawyers and Law-makers Accompanied wholly for to giue credit to the cause and that the subiect may not be disesteemed as an egge of mine owne hatching with the examples of Kings and Emperours if the examples of Kings may moue Kings and with those which cannot but moue bee esteemed and beleeued being drawne out of the holy Scripture Which being well obserued and put in execution by Kings they shall obtaine that end for which they were intended To wit to maintaine and preserue their Kingdomes in peace and iustice Reade it therefore I beseech your Maiestie and take it to heart for it is a piece of worke that is directed to the seruice of Kings of their Fauourites and Ministers And let them not say that they are Metaphysicall and impracticable things or in a manner meere impossibilites but rather that they are very conformable to our possibilitie and practised by our
Predecessors Princes of famous memory for their wisedome and prudence and in Kingdomes and Common-wealths of great Concernment Artifice and Policie in matter of Gouernement and reason of State And viewing those with these times and that which then was with that which now is it will appeare vnto vs that your present Princes doe not come much behinde their good Predecessours And that which is good stands alwayes in a way or degree of ablenesse to become better and that which is not so may be bettered in the end Time is a great proficient it attaineth to all and can doe all And your Maiestie whom God preserue may likewise in time doe the like if you will really and resolutely affect the same and that you will be pleased to put in execution what in these Aduertisements shall seeme good in your eyes And seeme they or not seeme they good vnto you sure I am that my desire in these in the rest and in all shall indeuour to hit the marke whereat it aymeth God direct it as I desire For mine owne part I rest well contented with my paines and hold my selfe well paid for my labour in hauing put them into your Maiesties hands And that you shall vouchsafe to dwell a little vpon them For matters of State Iustice and Gouernment and of things of this high nature is a King-craft and a knowledge or science that deserues your care and discourse Let others doe as they list particular men may follow their particular pleasures and delights But this well becommeth Kings The Argument of this Booke is the Head of Mans body beginning at the vnderstanding till we come to the last of the senses For therein and thence they haue the principium or beginning of their operations And as in mans body so in the mysticall body of a Common-wealth Kings are the Head to whom Regiment Gouernment belongs and what choyce they are to make of those who are to assist them therein the qualities which they ought to haue and how they should carry themselues towards them How they shall come to discouer the humours affections mindes and dispositions of their Ministers And in a word how they ought to behaue themselues in all and with all I search not into the secret closet of any mans bosome nor touch vpon any particular person it being the least part of my intent and purpose I treate onely in the generall and manifest vnto all that what I write being certaine and true and grounded vpon principles and certaine causes may serue to reforme amend and correct and if neede bee alter those fashions and customes they finde to bee amisse This I am bold to vtter vnto your Maiestie and dedicate the same with that securitie and confidence which mine owne knowledge doth promise and prompt vnto mee being not ignorant that I talke and discourse with mine owne proper King and Lord whom I humbly beseech that hee will bee pleased out of his great prudence and naturall pietie to runne all this ouer with his eye and to cast his cloake ouer my faults And though no doubt his Maiestie may meete with some yet my minde telleth me that he may likewise light vpon something in this Treatise that may be of some profit for the seruice of his Maiestie and for the conseruation of that authoritie and greatnesse of place which he so iustly possesseth and for the good of the Common-wealth For there is not that Booke saith Seneca so vnprofitable whence some good may not bee gathered And though this in supposall or it 's owne nature may be small and of little or no price yet is it of no lesse noble and royall a condition to receiue a little louingly and with a gratious acceptance then to giue much liberally All this your Maiestie doth with all and I assure my selfe you will likewise doe the like with me For the naturall Loue which I beare vnto your Maiestie meriteth no lesse nor the minde wherewithall I doe it And herewith I shall in some sort satisfie my desire which is to hit the marke I ayme at and that obligation wherewith I was borne to serue you whom I shall neuer willingly offend And euermore in all my prayers and sacrifices I shall humbly on my knees beseech the Almighty God to preserue your Maiestie to giue you many and those most happie yeares and that hee will conserue you in his diuine grace and humane Greatnesse with much augmentation of Estate both Temporall and Eternall Amen Your Maiesties seruant and Chaplaine Fr. Iuan de Sancta Maria. A Table containing the Chapters and Paragraphes of this Booke Chap. 1. VVHerein it is briefly treated what is comprehended in this word Republicke together with it's definition Chapter 2. What the name of King signifieth Chapter 3. Whether the name of King be a name of Office Chap. 4. Of the Office of Kings Chap. 5. Of the reason and vnderstanding of Kings and of their wisedome Chap. 6. How Kings ought to carrie themselues in those businesses which their vnderstanding comprehendeth not Chapter 7. A prosecution of the former Discourse shewing how Kings are to take Councell And what signes they are to marke and obserue for their better knowledge Chap. 8. Of the diligences which Kings are to vse in the Election of their Ministers and Councellours Chap. 9. Of the qualities which Kings one to consider in those whom they are to make choice of for Ministers and Councellours Chap. 10. Hee continues the discourse of the Qualities of Ministers and Councellours Chap. 11. Of other Courseâ— and Meanes which Kings may take for the notice of such persons in whom the said Qualities concurre Chap. 12. How Kings ought to carry themselues towards those Ministers whom they finde sufficient for the Gouernment both of Peace and Warre Chap. 13. The Author prosecutes the same Subiect and shewes how Kings ought to carry themselues with their Councells and Councellours Chap. 14. It is demanded by way of Question Whether Kings ought inuiolably to obserue the foresaid Order Chap. 15. Whether it be fit for Kings to vse much the remitting of businesses Chap. 16. Of the sence of the â—ightâ—that is of those businesses which Kings ought to reserue for their owne view and to dispetch with their owne â—ands Chap. 17. 〈◊〉 prosecuteth the same matter and shewes How Kings ought to carry themselâ—es towards those that finde themselues aggrieued Chap. 18. Of the sense of Hearing And the Audiences which Kings ought to giue Chapter 19. He goes on with the same Matter treating of the Audiences of Ministers and Councellours Chap. 20. Of the vertue of Iustice the naturall sister and Companion of Kings Chap. 21. Of the parts of Iustice in Common and in particular of Iustice commutatiue Chap. 22. Of Iustice distributiue Chap. 23. How and in what sort limitation in giuing may sute with the greatnesse of Kings Chap. 24. Of the repartment and diuision which is to bee vsed in the conferring of offices And of the
your meaner sorte of people are gouerned more by their owne vnruly appetites and womanish longings then by reason and discretion And your base and cruell Vulgar which vpon the least occasion suffers it selfe to be led away by hatred and reuenge presently falls to taking of stones in their hands tearing vp the pibbles in the streetes as Cicero sets downe vnto vs that in the popular assemblies of Rome it so fell out that oftentimes they drew their naked swordes that the stones were seene to flye about their eares on all sides And when this head strong multitude hath once broken the reines there is no keeping of them in nor can the wit of man deuise how to bridle them In a Monarchy the Monarke In an Aristocratia your Noble men are supreme Iudges and Arbitrators and by this their supreme and absolute power they many times compose the differences of the subiects But in a Democratia and Popular Estate they are the supreme power and they themselues bandy one against another the fire of faction setting them in a consuming flame without acknowledging any superiour to decide the quarrell and compose their differences And therefore Aristotle sayd That there was not any Tyrannie either greater or more pernicious then that of an intire Communaltie which of it selfe is inclined to crueltie The Monarchy or Kingdome is freer from these burning feuers and by all is ranked in the best place and is stiffely maintained by the grauest Authors Of this onely shall I treate at this present It is called a Monarchy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Greeke signifieth One and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with Prince which is as if we should say a Principalitie or a Kingdome where one alone is hee that commands and gouernes and the rest all obey All these three kindes of Popular Aristocraticall and Monarchicall gouernments were vsed in Greece and more particularly in Rome But Rome neuer came to be Mistresse of the World till shee was reduced to a Monarchie in the time of Caesar Augustus There are found therein 8. differences of States Husbandmen Trades-men Merchants Souldiers Iudges Cleargie-men the Nobility and the King which to speake more properly and as in diuers places it is deliuered by the blessed Apostle S. Paul is a Misticall Body which we call a Kingdome with it's Head For a king is the supreme Lord subiect onely vnto God That in S. Augustines and Diuus Thomas his opinion as also sundry other Authors of diuers faculties amongst which are Aristotle and Plato the most excellent gouernment is that which acknowledgeth a Superior one King and one Head For all naturall and good gouernment proceedeth from One and that which comes neerest vnto Vnitie hath most similitude with that which is diuine and is by much the most perfect By God Kings reigne according to that of the wise man Per me reges regnant Per me Principes imperant By me Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice And God being one and most simple in his Being and Nature the Head of all the whole Vniuerse by Whom and Which all is gouerned with admirable and ineffable prouidence and is the Idea of all good and perfect gouernment it is not a thing to be doubted but that that shall be amongst vs the best which is most agreeable with his And if the Members of the body being many and bearing different Offices therein admit to be gouerned by a Head and that God and Nature hath so ordained it Why should not a Monarchicall gouernment be the best Most certaine therefore is it that it is mainely to be preferred before the other two Some will haue this Monarchicall gouernment to be the most ancient and that it had it's beginning from Cain Adams eldest sonne who was the first that did gather people together built Cities and did shut them vp and fortifie them with walls After the stood Nimrod the sonne of Chus and nephew vnto Cham a man of valour and amongst those of those times the most able and strongest man was the first that reduced men to liue in a Communitie and to be obedient to one only King possessing himselfe of the Kingdome and Signorie of the World And before these euen in the very beginning of the Creation God began to establish this gouernment forme of a Commonwealth For as S. Paul saith God would that all Mankinde should descend from one Man And Gods chosen people did euermore maintaine a Monarchie and did ordaine that the Supreme power should reside and remaine in One. The first gouernours of the world were Monarkes did gouerne with this Title all the Common-wealthes of the World haue generally desired to be gouerned by one king As appeareth by those of the Gentiles euery particular state hauing his peculiar King And were it not a great monstrousnesse in nature that one body should haue two Heads Much more were it that one kingdome should be gouerned by two persons Vnitie is the Author of much good and Pluralitie the causer of much ill The Roman Commonwealth did suffer much miserie and calamitie not because all would not obey One but because many would command All. And therforein their greater necessities they did create a Dictator so called because all did obay whatsoeuer he dictated and sayd vnto them For they knew well enough and did clearely and plainely perceiue That in the Empire of One the authoritie was the greater greater the obedience freer their determinations firmer their Councells speedier their resolutions and more prompt the execution of their designes In a word Command Signorie and Supreme power does better in one head then in many And therefore all doe vnanimously and vndoubtedly conclude That the Monarchie is the ancientst and the durablest of all other and it 's gouernment the best yet would I haue it to helpe it selfe with the Aristocratia in that which may be vsefull for it's aduantage That in regard of it's strength and execution doth by it's greater Vnion and force excell the rest This other which is composed of a few noble wise and vertuous persons because it consistes of more hath the more intirenesse prudence and wisedome and by conioyning and intermixing the one with the other resulteth a perfect absolute gouernment So that a Monarchy that it may not degenerate must not goe loose and absolute for Command is a madd-man and power Lunaticke but must be tyed to the Lawes as far forth as it is comprehended vnder the Law And in things particular and temporall must haue reference to the body of the Councell seruing as the brace or ioyning peece of timber betweene a Monarchie an Aristocracie which is the assistance and aduise of the chiefer and wiser sort For from a Monarchy not thus well and orderly tempred arise great errours in gouernment little satisfaction to the State and many distastes amongst those that are gouerned All men that haue had the
estimation of â—ound iudgements and accounted wise in all kind of faculties haue held this to be the best and perfectest gouernment and with out it neuer Citie nor kingdome hath beene taken to be well gouerned Your good Kings and great Gouernours haue euer fauoured this Course whereas on the contrarie your bad kings and euill Gouernours transported with their pride haue runne another way And therefore in conformitie heereunto I dare confidently affirme if a Monarke be hee what he will be shall resolue businesses alone on his own head how wise soeuer he thinke himself without hauing recourse to his Councell or against the opinion of his Counsellours although he do Acertar and hit right in his resolutions yet therein he breakes the bounds of a Monarchie and enters into those of a Tyranny Of whose Examples and the euill successes insuing thereupon the Histories are full But one shall serue instead of many And that shall be of Tarquinius Superbus taken out of the first Booke of Titus Liuius who out of his great pride and haughtinesse of minde that he might rule all himselfe and haue none else to haue a hand in any businesse made it his Master peece to weaken the authority of the Roman Senate in lessening the number of Senatours Which he purposely did that he wholy and solely by himselfe might determine all whatsoeuer that occurred in the kingdome In this Monarchie or Kingdome there are three parts or parties to be considered of whom principally we are to treate The King The Ministers and the Vassalls And if in a humane body the Anatomie consideration of the Head be the nicest subtillest and most difficult what difficultie will it not be and what a daintie hand will it not require to touch talke and treate of a king who is the head of the Commonwealth And hence I inferre that for to treate of Kings and to prescribe them Precepts and Documents touching a Kingdome he ought to be such a wise King as was Salomon Who considering the difficulties and dangers which may in this matter offer themselues aduiseth all without any difference that they should not seeme to be desirous to seeme wise before their Temporall kings For no man howsoeuer fulfill'd with wisedome is speaking in his kings presence secure and safe Penes Regem noli velâ—e videri sâ—piens Boast not thy wisedome in the presence of the Kiâ—g The reason is for that he that is the supreme soueraignâ—â—n Temporall power whom all acknowledge and obey as their Superiour risenteth it much to see himselfe inferiour in a thing of so greate esteeme as is wisedome and discretion Xenophon laying his foundation on this opinion introduceth Cambises instructing his sonne Cyrus King of Persia how he ought to carry himself in his Kingdome As also Alexander who receiued his Militarie Precepts from his father Philip and not from any other that was inferiour vnto him It is written of Agasicles king of the Lacedemonians that he refused to learne Philosophie of a famous Philosopher of those times it seeming vnto him that being a king it was not fitting he should be his Scholler whose sonne he was not As if he should haue sayd That he onely by a naturall obligation acknowledged him alone and that he contented himselfe with that which he had learned from him and would not acknowledge any other inferiour vnto him in birth though neuer so much before him in learning and knowledge But this difficulty I purpose to ouercome by proposing in this my Treatise vnto kings not mine owne Reasons nor those which I might draw from great Philosophers and humane Histories but from the words of God and of his Saints and from Histories Diuine and Canonicall whose Instructions kings may not disdaine nor take it as an affront to submit themselues thereunto be they being Christians neuer so powerfull neuer so supreme because the Author that dictates these Lessons vnto them is the Holy-Ghost And if I shall at any time alleage the Examples of heathen Kings and shall make some good benefit of Antiquitie and serue my selfe with the sentences of Philosophers that were strangers vnto Gods people it shall be very sparingly and as it comes in my way and as one that ceazeth vpon his owne goods if he fortune to light vpon them and taketh them from those that vniustly detaine and possesse them CHAP. II. What the name of King signifieth THis name of King in Diuine and humane Letters is very ancient and so old as is the first Man For in Gods creating of him euen before that there were many Men he made him King ouer all the beastes of the field And it is a most noble Appellatiue and that which is better and more neerely representeth vnto vs the Maiestie of God who very frequently in the holy Scriptures and with much propriety is called King And it is the common opinion of the Wisest that it signifieth one that rules and gouernes being deduced from the Latine word Regere which is to rule or gouerne Reges a regendo dicti sunt saith S. Isidore Ideò quilibet rectè faciendo regis nomen tenet sed peccando amittit And considering with more attention this it 's true Etymologie he is properly sayd to be a King who ouer mastring his passions doth first rule and gouerne himselfe cumplying as he ought with the obligations of his Estate without offence either to God or his neighbour and next hath a care to rule others and to procure all he can that all may doe the like And he that shall do the contrary laying his foundation on humane wisedom and reason of State regardeth more his own temporall commoditie and proper Interest then the good of the Commonwealth This suteth not with the name he holdeth nor may he be called a king neither is he so for himselfe nor for others because he neither knowes to rule himselfe nor others Malus si regâ—et saith S. Austen servus est He hath the Appellation and honourable name of a king but in very truth see how many vices reigne in him so many times is hee a servant nay a very slaue It was the aduice of Agapitus to Iustinian the Emperour that he should haue an eye ouer himselfe and looke well to his actions for albeit he were a King and a great Prince yet the Title of King did then convene to him when he should be Master of himselfe and curbing his unruly appeâ—ites should of a King become a Vassall to Reason and Iustice. Hee that is good and iust is a God vpon earth and from thence is the name of King deriued vnto him and is his Vicar in all causes for to maintaine his Subiects in Justice and Truth by his Empire and Command and to sustaine all things in Order Policie and Peace And therefore a Law of the Partida sayes thus Qâ—â—el â—ey â—s Vicario de dios para hazer iusticia en todos los cosas That a King is Gods Vicar for to doe
the Father of the Common-wealth Which was more then Caesar or Augustus and whatsoeuer other name most glorious in the world whether it were conferr'd vpon them either for to flatter them or to oblige them to those great effects which this name Father tyes them vnto In conclusion by this word Father it is giuen Kings to vnderstand what they ought to doe To wit That they are to rule gouerne and maintaine their Common-wealths and Kingdomes in Iustice and in Peace That they are to feede like good shepheards these their rationall sheepe That they are like skilfull Physitians to heale and cure their maladies And that they are to haue that care of their subiects as fathers haue of their children watching ouer them with prudence and with Loue respecting more them then themselues For Kings are more obliged to the Kingdome and the Common-wealth then vnto themselues For if we shall but looke into the Originall and Institution of a King and a kingdome we shall finde that a King was ordained for the good of the kingdome and not the kingdome for the good of the King CHAP. III. Whether the name of King be a name of Office LEt vs not detaine our selues in the ill apprehension of those who conceiue that the name of King is a Title onely of Honour and Dignitie and not of Charge and Office For if as wee said before in our 1. Chapter a King in a Common-wealth holdes that place as the Head doth in a humane body where all the Corporall Members haue their particular Offices and euen the most and most principall then most certaine it is that a King in his kingdome is to be the most Eminent in the Gouernment so that we are not only to acknowledge that a King is an Officiall but euen the greatest of all Officialls and that of all Offices his is the chiefest and of greatest dignitie Etenim sayth S. Chrysostome imperare non solum dignitas est imò ars est â—rtium omnium summa To rule is not onely a dignitie but an Art also and of all Artes the greatest Diuine Plato Diuus Thomas likewise affirme Inter omnes artes viuendi regendi ars amplior superior est The Art and office of gouerning a Common-wealth and a kingdome is a Regall knowledge a Princely science and which particularly appertaineth vnto Kings it is an Arte of Artes the most difficile to learne and the most dangerous to practise And Nazianzene renders the reason Quia inter omnes animantes homo maximè moribus varius voluntate diuersus Because amongst all liuing Creatures man is most various in his maners and most diuerse in his will He is most mutable in his opinions most deceitfull in his words of more colours foldings and doublings then any other creature whatsoeuer worst to be knowen and hardest to to be ruled and aboue all most ingrate and vnthankfull vnto him that is set in authority ouer him And Plato more particularly tells vs that he held it in a manner a thing impossible for any one to haue such a Wit that alone of himselfe he should be sufficient to gouerne well it being so hard a matter to do though a man haue neuer so good partes and abilities to performe that function Ptolomy King of Aegypt considering the great difficulties which accompanie gouerning and reigning began to weigh the qualitie of each difficultie and comparing some with other some he knew not which to ranke formost or to preferre before his fellow It seemed wonderfull hard vnto him to know the Talent and parts of persons for the conferring of Offices and places vpon them a businesse whereon good gouernment mainely dependeth Hee likewise found it as difficult to make good Lawes and Statutes As also to rule so many Townes and so many people as are listed vnder a Crowne and name of King As likewise to dresse so many dishes for so many different palates so many things to the gust and content of so many sundry wills and a thousand other difficulties which daily offer themselues in the ruling and gouerning of men For as Seneca saith Nullum animal maiori est arte tractandum quam homo There is not that creature like vnto Man for whose gouernment more Arte more prudence more wisedome more discretion and sagacitie is required No man can denie but that to beare on his shoulders the weight of a kingdome with obligation to attend on such and so great a diuersitie of things as of Peace and Warre and of so many graue and weightie businesse and of so great importance without fayling one point or tittle therein is an intollerable trouble a most heauy burthen and most difficult Office And in this respect so few haue there beene that haue knowne perfectly to cumply therewith And it is worthy our consideration that there being so many Histories and Bookes of the Liues of Kings and Emperours of the Gentiles there is not one amongst them all to be found who hath not bin noted of many faults Alexander the Great who for his famous Acts great Courage had the sirname giuen him of Great had many things in him worthy reprehension and vnbeseeming royall dignitie And howbeit Xenophon in his Cyropedia would giue vs to vnderstand that King Cyrus had all those vertues and greatnesses which are there represented vnto vs yet many wise men are of beliefe that that was no true History which he wrote of that King but an Idea or Patterne that Kings might draw from thence what they ought to bee Like vnto those Bookes of Cicero which he wrote de Oratore Who painteth forth the properties which hee that will be a good Orator ought to haue though that man was neuer yet found that had them Besides if we shall turne our eyes towards those ancient Kings of Gods people the sacred Scripture doth dis-deceiue vs. For out of the whole packe of them hee picks out but three onely that were good Praeter Dauid Ezechiam Iosiam â—omnes Reges peccatum commiserunt Excepting Dauid Ezechias and Iosias all the rest of the Kings committed sinne Not that these three had not their sinnes for the holy Scripture taxeth them of some and those no small ones but because they had not sinned in the Office of Kings And because in it's administration it is an Office so full of difficulties the Apostle S. Paul admonisheth all the faithfull that they alwayes make earnest Prayers for them which is still vsed to this day in all your Catholike Churches Moreouer that the name of a King is the name of an Office it is confirmed by that common saying Beneficium dâ—tur propter Officium And therefore Kings being so greatly benefitted not onely by those great Tributes which are giuen them by the Common-wealth but likewise by those which they receiue from the Benefices and Rents of the Church it is an vndoubted truth that they haue an Office and of Offices the greatest
sences As Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting Touching and other faculties and vertues wherewith the life of man is sustained and gouerned And therfore S. Ambrose calls it Imperialem Aulam the Imperiall Court because therein resides the Imperiall power or that Empresse the Will which ruleth and Commandeth all those powers and faculties as being obedient and subiect vnto her And wee may also stile it Regalem Aulam the Princes Pallace for therein abideth assisted by it's operations the Vnderstanding as a King in his Court. For if the Will bee tearmed an Empresse of it's Empire and rule The Vnderstanding is called a King because it directeth and gouerneth in Man and vnto Man all his operations guiding them to their due and fit ends Lactantius contrary vnto Galen sayth of the Head that it is the first member that is formed in Man and hath the Primacie ouer all the rest And is for this cause called Caput which is the same with Principium as some Doctors doe expound it And in the Spanish tongue they call the first lines of a Processe Cabeca de Processo the head of the Processe or the beginning of it And it carryes the same signification in the Latin In capite libri scriptum est de me id est in principio Libri And for this we haue not onely Varro's but also Robertus Stephanus his Confirmation Caput dicitur quod inde initium capiant Sensus It is called Head because from thence the sences haue their Head and Beginning As also for that the Head is the Well-head of Mans life From it haue their originall and in it do all the Sences liue It Sees Heares Smells and Tastes not onely for it selfe but for the whole body that is for the good and benefit of all the members and parts of the body Hence it followeth that the Institution of the State-royall or of a King which is represented in the Head was not ordained onely for the Kings owne vse and profit but for the generall well-fare of his Kingdome And therefore hee ought to See Heare Taste and vnderstand not only by him selfe or for himselfe but by all and for all He ought not onely to haue an eye to his important affayres but likewise to the good of his Subiects Being that for them and not for himselfe onely a King was borne to the World Aduerte saith Seneca to the Emperor Nero rempublicam non esse tuam sed te reipublicae Consider that the Common-wealth is not thine but thou the Common-wealths Those first men who leauing solitude assembled themselues to liue in a Community knew full well that naturally euery one careth for himselfe and his owne people but no man that taketh care for all in generall And therefore they did agree amongst themselues to choose one of more especiall valour and worth to whom all might haue recourse And that he who among them all should be most renowned for his vertue prudence and fortitude should preside ouer all the rest and should rule and gouerne them that he should be watchfull ouer all of them that he should be solicitous of the common good and profit of them all and to be as carefull of them as a father would be of his children or a Shepheard of his sheepe And weighing with themselues that such a kinde of Man as this ought to be imploying himselfe not in his owne but other mens businesses could not be able to maintaine himselfe and his familie for then all did eate of the labour of their owne hands and the sweate of their browes they did ioyntly resolue to finde his house and to sustaine and maintaine him that hee might not be withdrawen by other by businesses but apply himselfe wholy to those of the Common good and to publicke gouernment For this end were they established This was the beginning that Kings had and it ought to be the care of a good King to care more for the publike then his owne particular good All his Greatnesse is at the cost of a great deale of care trouble vexation and inquietude both of Soule and Body He is wearinesse to himselfe to others he is their ease their sustenance and their defence Like vnto your fayrest flowers and fruits which although they beautifie the tree they are not so much for it or for it's owne respect as for others Let not any Man thinke that all the good doth consist in the beauty and brauery wherewith the flower doth flourish and in the goodly shew wherewith the Great ones of the world doe gallant it your powerfull Kings and Princes are flowers but flowers which fade and wither wast their life to preserue others drawing care vpon themselues and affording comfort vnto others others more inioying the fruit then they themselues For as Philon Iudaeus saith A King to his Kingdome is that which a wise man to the ignorant a sheepheard to his sheepe a father to his children light vnto darkenesse and that which God heere on earth is to all his creatures For this Title he gaue vnto Moses when he made him King and Ruler ouer his people Signifying vnto him that he was to be as God the common father of them all For to all this doth the Office and dignitie of a King oblige him Omnium domos illius vigilantia defendit omnium otium illius labor omnium delitias illius industria omnium vacationem illius occupatio His subiects houses are guarded and secured by his Vigilancie their ease procured by his labour their delights inioyed by his industry and their merry vacations by his painefull imployments And therfore the Prophet Samuell sayd vnto king Saul anon after he was annointed King ouer Israel declaring vnto him the obligations of his Office Behold Saul now that God hath annointed thee King ouer all this Kingdome that thy Office ties thee to it 's generall gouernment Thou wast not made King to sleepe and take thine ease or to honour and authorize thy selfe by the dignitie Royall but that thou shouldest gouerne and maintaine the people in peace and iustice and that thou shouldest protect and defend them from their enemies Rex Eligitur non vt sui ipsius curam habeat sayth Socrates et sese molliter curet Sed vt per ipsum ij qui eligerunt bene beatéque viuant Kings are not chosen that their whole care should be for themselues to pamper the flesh and to liue nicely and daintily but that by him they who had elected him might liue well and happily vnder him They were not created nor introduced into the world for their owne commoditie and their owne pleasure and that all the good morsels should be for their owne trencher for if it should be so no man would willingly be subiect vnto them but for the publicke profit and common good of all his subiects for their happy gouernment for their safe protection their augmentation conseruation and in a word for their seruice and without
any vnmannerlinesse we may well tearme it so for albeit in outward appearance the Scepter and the Crowne haue the face of Empire and Signiory yet in strictenesse and in rigour it is but the Office of a Seruant Servus Communis siuè Servus honoratus The Common-wealths seruant or a more honourable kind of Seruant This is the attribute which some giue vnto a king Quia à tota republica stipendia accipit vt serviat omnibus Because he receiues stipends from all that he may serue all And the Pope of Rome holds it no dishonour vnto him to be stiled Servus servorum Dei The Seruant of Gods seruants And howbeit anciently this name of seruant were infamous yet after that our Sauiour Christ had in his own person taken it vpon him it hath since beene accounted honorable And as it is not repugnant and contradictory to the Essenceand nature of the sonne of God no more is it any preiudice or disparagement to the Maiestie and greatnesse of Kings And this was well vnderstood by Antigonu◠King of Macedonia who reprehending his sonne for carrying too hard a hand ouer his Subiects thus checkt his immoderate Empire An ignoras fili mi Regnum nostrum nobilem esse seruitutem Wootst thou not my sonne that our kingdome is a Noble seruitude Answering to that of Agamemnon We liue saith hee in the opinion of the world in much greatnesse and in high Estate but in effect are but seruants and slaues to our Vassals This is the Office of good Kings to serue in this honourable manner For in being Kings their Actions depend not on the sole will of their owne persons but of the Lawes and Statutes which they haue giuen and allowd of and those conditions wherewith they accepted this their Soueraigntie And though they should bee wanting to these which are no more then a humane Conuencion Couenant or agreement betwixt Prince and people yet may they not be defectiue in those which the naturall and diuine Law hath layd vpon them the Lady and Mistris as well of Kings as subiects All which are in a manner contained in those words of Ieremy in which according to S. Ieromes opinion God sets downe the Office of Kings Facite iudicium iustitiam liberate vi oppressum de manu calumniatoris aduenam pupillum viduam nolite contristare neque opprimatis iniquè sanguinem innocentem ne effundatis Execute yee iudgement and righteousnesse and deliuer the spoyled out of the hand of the oppressour and doe no wrong doe no violence to the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widowe neither shed innocent blood c. This is the Summe wherein is cyphered vp the Office of a King These the Lawes of his Court whereby he is bound to mantaine in peace and Iustice the fatherlesse and the widowe the poore and the rich the mighty and the weake To his Account are put the Agrauios and wrongs which his Ministers doe vnto the one and the Iniustice which the other suffer The wretched estate of those that are necessited the cry of the distressed and the teares that are shed out of anguish of heart and a thousand other loades euen wane-loades of cares and obligations lye vpon the shoulders of him that is the Head and King of a kingdome And albeit he be the head in commanding and in gouerning yet in bearing if not often ouercharged therewith the heauie weight and loade of all hee must be the feete or supporters to beare the burthen of the whole body of the Common-wealth Of Kings and Monarkes the iust men Iob sayth that by reason of their Office they carry like Poters the world on their shoulders vnder which burthen the proudest helpers must stoope In consideration whereof it is sayd in the booke of Wisedome In veste ponderis quam habebat summus sacerdos totus erat orbis terrarum In the long garment was the whole world The Latin translation In veste ponderis carryes more weight with it so that in taking vpon thee to be a King thou must make account to take so great a charge vpon thee and so heauie a load as the strongest Carte will hardly be able to beare it And this Moses knew well enough whom God hauing made his Vice-roy his Captaine Generall and sole Liuetenant in the Gouernment in stead of giuing him thankes for this so honourable a Charge committed vnto him made his moane and complaint for hauing layd so heauy a loade vpon his shoulders Cur afflixisti seruum tuum Cur imposuisti pondus vniuersi populi huius super me Wherfore hast thou afflicted thy seruant And wherefore haue I not found fauour in thy sight that thou layest the burthen of all the people vpon me And proceedeth farther with his complaints saying Nunquid ego concepi omnem hanc multitudinem Aut genut eam vt dicas mihi Porta eos Haue I conceiued all this people Haue I begotten them that thou shouldest say vnto me Carry them in thy bosome as the nursing father beareth the sucking child c. Where it is worthy the noting That God said not any one such word vnto Moses But only commanded him that he should rule and gouerne his people that he should be their Captaine and their Leader And yet he heere sticks not to say that hee layd the burthen of all the people vpon him with this Motto added thereunto Porta eos Carry them c. A man would thinke hee complaineth heere without a Cause for God says no more vnto him but that hee be their Captaine and that hee take vpon him the rule Command and Gouernment of them But to this it is answered Al buen entendedor pocas palabras To a wise man halfe a word is enough And he that is wise and well vnderstands what it is to gouerne and to be a Head knowes that Gouernment and Charge or Loade is all one And that the words themselues Regere and Portare are Synonomyes and haue one and the selfe same signfication For there is not any Gouernment or charge which is without it's burthen and trouble In that repartment and diuision of Offices which Iacob conferr'd vpon his children he marked out Reuben to be the first in Inheritance and the greatest in gouernment Prior in donis maior in imperio Thou art my first in the excellencie of dignitie the excellencie of power which S. Ierome renders Maior ad portandum The greatest to beare For Empire and bearing are both one thing And by how much the Empire is the greater by so much the greater is the toyle and trouble and the burthen the heauier St Gregory in his Moralls saith That the power Dominion and Signorie which Kings haue ouer their subiects ought not to be esteemed an honour but a trouble Potestas accepta non honor sed onus aestimatur And the blindest Gentiles did attaine to this light of truth And one of them vsed the selfe same phrase of
be different species And hence is it that the aduantage which a wise man hath ouer those that are not so is to make him King ouer all the people Which lesson God taught vs in the first King he made choice of for his people who standing in the midst of his Subiects was taller then any of them from the sholders vpwards so that his head shew'd it selfe aboue them all And the word Melech which in the originall signifieth a king in that large eminent Letter which stands in the midst of it doth mistically giue vs to vnderstand the excellency that aboue others Kings ought to haue And therefore Plato stiled a prudent and wise Gouernour Virum divinum a diuine man presupposing that he should be somewhat more then a man and exceed in diuine wisedome all other Gouernours whatsoeuer Vbi sapiens ibi est Deus in humano corpore And therefore as God by way of eminency containeth the perfections of all the Creatures so as farre forth as a Creature can a wise King should and that with much aduantage possesse the perfections of all his people And the holy Scripture teacheth vs that God created man after his own image and likenesse giuing him Vnderstanding Memory and Will And hauing created him made him King ouer all he had created Vt praesit piscibus Maris volatilibus Coeli bestijs vniversae Terrae c. To haue dominion ouer the Fish of the Sea and ouer the Fowle of the Aire ouer the Cattle c. And this was granted him and did accompany the common nature of men But to rule and command to be Lord and Gouernour ouer men themselues as are Kings is a farre greater matter and such as requireth a greater measure of Vnderstanding and Wisedome and he that hath most store thereof shall reape the most profit by it as he that wants it shall contrarywise finde the lacke of it Solomon the wisest of Kings as he was both wise and a King could better then any other informe vs of what importance are Vnderstanding and Wisdome in Kings In whose name he speaketh when he saith Per me Reges regnant per me Principes imperant By me Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice To the wiseman the Scepter and Crowne of right belongeth For wisdome her selfe as being the most essentiall forme of Kings makes him King and Monarch ouer others And in all Nations almost they gaue the same name and the same Ensignes to Empire and Wisdome And S. Paul makes them Synonomies and will haue them to signifie one and the same thing She alone by keeping Gods commandements will be sufficient in a King to make him pleasing and acceptable vnto God and to be cut out according to the measure of his own heart And though some are of a larger heart and vnderstanding then other some yet with God to be wise is that which conueneth most both to King and Subiect By Esay the Prophet God promiseth to all his people a golden age happy dayes and fortunate times wherein all shall haue a share of happinesse peace equity iustice health content and abundance of fruits But comming vnto Kings he saith no more but that there shall not be any one that shall be a foole Non vocabitur vltrà is qui insipiens est Princeps This is a great happinesse But O Lord let mee aske thee Is a King of worse condition then his Subiects that thou shouldst promise so many good things vnto them and but one alone vnto him The answere hereunto is that our good God giueth vnto euery one according to his state and calling that which is fittest for him The Subiect who hath one to rule and gouerne him hath need of one to minister iustice vnto him to conserue him in peace and to make such prouision that he may haue wherewith to eate and the like But a King who is to rule and gouerne hath need of wisedome which is the life and soule of Kings which sustaineth the weight of a Kingdome and without which be they neuer so rich neuer so powerfull they shall be as fit for gouernment as a body without a head or aâ—â— head without a soule And as from the soule the Sences are origined and from that essence result your passions so in like sort from wisedome resulteth vnto King and Kingdome all that good and happinesse that can be desired Rex sapiens stabilimentum est Ciuitatis A wise King is the vpholding of the people And a foolish King the ruine of his Subiects You shall not name that Nation either barbarous or ciuill which where Kings were made by election did not make choice of a wise and prudent King In that generall Dyet whereall the Nations of Trees and Plants met seeing that without Law and without a King they could not conserue themselues in peace and iustice the first resolution they tooke was to choose a wise King And in the first place they nominated the Oliue a tree of many good parts and qualities and amongst other this the chiefest that it was the Symbole or Hierogliffe of wisedome which is all whatsoeuer can be desired in a King This alone did King Dauid desire for himselfe Intellectum da mihi vivam Giue me vnderstanding and I shall liue He did not desire life nor health nor riches but onely vnderstanding and wisedom And with this alone did he promise to himselfe eternall life and a durable Kingdome And therefore Si delectamini sedibus sceptris ô Reges populi diligite sapientiam vt in perpetuum regnetis If your delight be in Thrones and Scepters O ye Kings of the people honour wisedome that ye may raigne for euermore Happy is that Common-weaâ—th saith Plato which hath a wise King And vnhappy that saith another Philosopher which hath a King without wisedome Aristotle tearmed the Thebans happy all the while that they were gouerned by those that were wise Of such consequence is wisedome in a King that vpon the very rumour that he is a wise Prince all presently obay and sooner submit themselues then at the noise of his power As was to be seene in King Salomon whose wisedome was no sooner knowen to the people but they began presently to respect and feare him But let me aske this question Shall it suffice a King to haue vnderstanding and wisdome vnlesse he make vse thereof and shew a willingnesse to execute what he knowes No certainly For the greatnesse of a power or faculty consisteth in it's operation The Vnderstanding without Intelligence like the Will without Loue serues to little or no purpose And it is doubted as I toucht in the beginning vpon which of these two potentias or faculties is that arme and hand whereby the soule operateth it's most excellent workes The vnderstanding alleageth for himselfe that it is he that in the kingdome of our soule doth ordaine dispose and gouerne The Will she saith that without her
and grauitie made answer Y miâ—hya que sabe desso What Has my Daughter a hand in this Can she iudge of his worth Giuing his President by this his Answer to vnderstand that he should not haue alleaged vnto him that for to make a good election which should passe the bounds of the consideration of those parts and qualities wherewith hee was to be furnished were his pretension neuer so much fauoured by the mediation and intercession of great persons And heereunto I farther adde that a king should in no hand content himselfe with the bare knowledge of those onely whom he knowes by sight and walke dayly vp and downe in his Court but that hee should take leysure to informe himselfe of as many as hee can and to follow the ancient custome in giuing order to his Generalls Vice-kings Prelates and Gouernours of euery Prouince to giue him information of the best and sufficientst subiects that are in their Gouernment and that after due consultation had with them they should nominate three or foure vnto him that from amongst many good hee might choose the best And the rest to bee listed and taken notice of that vpon occasion they might receiue imployment From whence likewise this good will arise that All in all partes great and small will study the Science and Arte of good gouernment fly Vice and follow Vertue that they may in their due time be numbered amongst the Chosen Let a King goe Con su spassos contados as they say with a slow foote in those Elections which he is to make giuing way vnto Time and to information Which hee ought willingly to heare neither in all giuing credit to all nor being as many are too incredulous Let him remit things to Tryall and Examination it being a thing needefull for him so to doe For if it be not wisedome to lend a facile eare to all that we heare for the wise man saith Qui citò credit leuis est corde So likewise doth it betoken little prudence to liue alwaies suspicious and distrustfull Something must be left to Experience But to come to the qualifying of persons if the one's qualities be of ten the other of nine quilates and all of them necessarie for the Office of a Counsellour the first ought to be preferred though the other out strip him in Estate in fauour in riches and greatnesse For in that Ministry there ought respect to be had onely to the aduantages of sufficiencie and not of power Nor seruices albeit two be equall in sufficiencie must loose their place and right But that hee who hath done the greater seruices for his King and Countrie ought to bee preferred before the other Now there is this difference amongst many others betwixt a good Prince and him that is not so that a good Prince conferrs his Offices according to the sufficiencie and vertue of the Minister he maketh choise of the other vpon fauour and humane respects vsing therein his power but not attending distributiue Iustice which rewardeth euery one according to his deserts without respect either vnto persons or particular intents CHAP. IX Of the Qualities which Kings are to consider in those whom they are to make choise of for Ministers and Counsellours WE may very well answer that which is heere questioned with that which is recounted in the 18. Chapter of Exodus where it is said That Iethro seeing his son in law Moses wearyed and tyred out in the gouernment of that great body of Gods people and that it was more then one mans worke to giue sufficient dispatch to so many businesses did aduise him to choose but a certaine number of Ministers and Counsellours that might helpe to ease him of that burthen which was too heauy for his shoulders Vltra vires 〈◊〉 est negotium solus illud noâ— poteris sustinere This thing is too heauy for thee Thou art not able to performe it thy selfe alone Cadendo cades saith another Letter By falling thou shalt fall and all this people that is with thee Daras de ojos as they say à cada passo Thou must looke well about thee And ioyntly with this hee propounded the qualities which hee ought to consider in those whom hee was to choose for that Ministrie Proinde ex omni plebe viros sapientes timentes deum in quibus sit veritas Or as another letter hath it Viros veridicos qui oderint avaritiam Thou shalt prouide out of all the people able men such as feare God men of truth hating Couetousnesse c. Now let vs goe pondering euery word in particuler and in them the qualities of Ministers The first is Prouide Which signifieth not onely to prouide but to fore-see and consider For the election of a Minister is a businesse of great prouidence and consideration and the most important and necessarie for a King in matter of gouernment On the good or bad Election of Counsellours dependeth the whole honour and profit both of King and Kingdome And he that erres in this must necessarily erre in all For the spring of a fountaine being spoyled all the water is spoiled And a King failing in this Principle all goes to destruction For without doubt all good dispatch growes from the force and vertue of good Counsaiâ—e Then therefore is a King held to be wise and prudent when he hath wife and prudent Counsailours Hee succeedeth well with all his Intentions and inioyeth same credit and reputation both with his subiects and with strangers Of the one he is beloued and obayed and of the other dreâ—ded and feared and of all esteemed and commended The whole kingdome resteth contented and satisfied And though in something hee sometâ—me erre none will beleeue it But when Priuie-Counsailours are no such manner of men all murmur and proclaime to the world That there is not an able man in all the Counsell and if in some one thing or other hee hap to haue good successe few or none will giue credit thereunto but rather conceiue it was done by Chance The sacred Text says farther De omni plebe Out of all the People As if he should haue said out of all the 12. Tribes or families of this people thereby to giue vs to vnderstand That for to make a good Election it is requisit that there should not remaine a nooke or corner in all his kingdomes where diligence should not be vsed as before hath beene sayd to search out the fittest Ministers And likewise it may in this word be giuen vs to vnderstand that in matter of Election wee are not to haue respect to Linage Kindred or Parentage but to vertue sufficiencie and courage accompained with other good qualities which adapt a man to be a Counsellour And therefore it is said anon after Viros sapientes Wisemen men of vnderstanding heads and stout hearts which dare boldly and plainely to speake the truth and to maintaine and put it in execution when they see fit time for your pusillanimous
themselues who aspiring to one and the same thing wherein it is impossible hee should content all of them euery one offereth according to his Talent and the desire hee hath to obtaine his suite And many times though they giue neuer so much they remaine frustrated of their pretension and become enemies to that Minister murmuring and complayning of him and that with a great deale of reason all the dayes of their life Woe vnto the Couetous man who as the Scripture sayth sets his soule to sale Animam quoque venalem habet It is a most wretched case and a most lamentable miserie that a mans auarice and couetousnesse should be so great that hee should sell his soule for the greedinesse of money Besides there is another great Contradiction from which it is not possible for to free themselues For if they will faithfully performe their Office they cannot fauour any saue him that hath most right and iustice on his side And this they must do gratis and without any other kind of interest then that which the being of a good and faithfull Minister carryes with it Againe if they do not ayde and helpe him who by giftes hath bound them vnto him they fowly and shamefully deceiue both him and themselues and must needes fall into one of these two inconueniences Either to be ingratefull if they doe not doe for him that gaue or vniust If they doe contrarie vnto Iustice. So that which way soeuer they receiue a gift they goe away with it with an euill Conscience and in plaine English are theeues by qualification So that great Lawyer Paris de Puteo calls them and sayth That there are more in your publicke Audiences and open Courts then in your Townes and villages And that iust man Iob affirmeth That the Tribunalls of robbers prosper One calls them Vsurers another Pyrates And Lucas de Pena saith That they are farre worse because they rob and steale vnder collour of Law and publicke authoritie In a word God who knowes them better then all the world besides calls them disloyal companions of theeues which desire giftes and loue Retributions And from heauen hee throwes downe his Curse vpon them whereunto on earth all the people say Amen But let them bee called by what name or Title you will let them neuer somuch haue the name of iudges their workes will speake what they are If they doe Iustice and iudge according to their iust Lawes then are they Iudges and deserue so to be But if they do the contrary they beare the name of Theeues and are vnworthy that Office There being represented vnto Dauid the rigourous chastisement of these kinde of men hee beggeth thus of God Gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with bloody men In whose hands is mischeife and their right hand is full of bribes Let these theeuish hands saith the Emperour Constantine cease at last to steale let them cease I say And if they will not cease and giue ouer stealing let them be cut off and set vpon the gallowes top Neither let Kings cease to make diligent search after them and to execute iustice against them in the most rigorous manner And if they will not amend let them a Gods name be soundly punished For it is a foule and abominable Vice pernicious and pestilent and which doth much marre and deface the Luster of whatsoeuer Minister be he neuer so illustrious and great And therefore in the Ciuill Law it hath the name of Sordes giuen it which signifies foulenesse or beastlinesse The Emperour Alexander Severus a great subduer of this vice when he saw any Minister noted thereof his choller rose and his stomacke began to turne and did prouoke him to vomit as if hee had seene some loathsome stinking thing And for such kinde of corrupt men he would vsually say hee had euer a fingar in readines to plucke out their eyes And for the better informing himselfe of the truth of these businesses hee made choice of some vertuous and intelligent persons whom hee sent secretly as Spyes into seuerall parts of the Kingdome which all wise Kings ought to doe giuing them good Intertainment for the defraying of their charges to the end that they might truly informe him of all whatsoeuer passed as how his Ministers behaued themselues in their gouernment how in their Offices Saying That if they did abuse them it was not enough to remoue them onely and put other in their places but for example sake seuerely likewise to punish them He gaue all his Officers good honest maintenance and sufficient allowance and would by no meanes permit that any Magistracie or publicke Office should bee bought and solde For he that buyes of me sayd hee must of necessitie sell to another for to quit his Cost as also to make his best profit and benefit thereof Such as these buy cheape in the grosse and sell deare by retaile And so it is that hee that buyes a tree for money can hardly afford the fruite for nothing The Emperour Theodosius made heereupon a Law worthy so noble a Prince and deseruing heere to bee set downe as a Patterne for Kings Wee will sayth hee and ordaine that those be appointed Gouernours of our Prouinces who shall bee found worthy those places charging and commanding that they be not conferred either for ambition or bribes or promises or for any price that shall be giuen for them but meerely for that they are men of an honorable and vertuous disposition and of a good and approued life And these whom you my President shall choose or we our selues vpon your report wee will that they who are admitted to these Offices shall solemnely sweare and firmely promise that for the said preferments or places of charge and gouernment they haue neuer giuen nor promised any thing for them neither shall giue heereafter either openly or vnder hand either directly or indirectly Neither shall they take or receiue any thing but shall rest contented with their Salaries and Pensions Nor shall pocket any bribe in publike or priuate not onely during their Office but neither before nor after c. These are the very words of the Law it selfe Diuerse other ancient and Moderne Lawes and decrees haue beene made generally prohibiting all kind of gifts and bribes vpon paine of diuers very greiuous punishments to be inflicted vpon those that either take or giue bribes As paying double what was promised or giuen depriuation of Office The treble value of what was giuen Then vpon the increasing of the abuse a quadruple value And after that Confiscation of goods banishment and open infamie Iustinian added heereunto the punishment of Whipping And the Emperour Valens and Valentinianus farther increased the same commanding they should be burned And the now Emperours of Iapan did lately execute the sayd Law vpon one of his Fauourites Secretaries for taking of a bribe and him that bribed him who was Gouerner of a Kingdome he
estate behind him to his Heyre And he who heerein does more then he can will likewise do more then he ought For he that will seeke to out-doe his meanes will not sticke to out-doe his honestie In a word gifts haue euermore bred a iealousie of Corruption and in Iudges esteemed the foulest fault Oh of how little worth is a little gift and yet what a great hurt to a Ministers honour A gift saith Nazianzene is a secret Tyrant which doth subdue and tread all vnder foote And to giue is of all other the greatest Tyranny and the greatest violence It is Senecas Counsell That he that will inioy his owne freedome must not receiue anothers benefit Foâ— to giue is to in-slaue And the receiuer is the giuers slaue Gifts are but Gyues and chaines wrought of strong linkes The ending of one being the beginning of another And where the first ends the second begins And this as they say dispone la trabaion para otrâ—s muchos serues but as a Timber peece to couple and fasten many others Take heede therefore saith the Emperour Iustinian of receiuing giftes which quit our libertie blinde our vnderstanding incline our wills and defame our honour But make thou much of cleane hands for he that shall keepe his hands cleane and shall not suffer himselfe to be corrupted by priuate Interest shall haue much honour and fame in this life and a great place prouided for him in that other Qui excutit manus suas ab omni munere iste in excelsis habitabit Regem in decore suo videbunt oculi eius hee that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes hee shall dwell on high And his eyes shall see the King in his beauty All this and more shall they attaine to that are truly of pure heart and cleane hands All this say they that you say is true We confesse as much But withall we must tell you That that which we receiue is subsidium gratuitum a free gift a â—eere gratuitie with a great deale of loue and good liking of the Giuer And we affirme That all for the most part that is giuen is respectiue and is in that Predicament which the Logicians tearme Ad aliquid Whereby he that receiueth a courtesie is bound to returne a courtesie And those which giue hope to receiue from such Ministers that which they cannot iustly giue them With these conditions a gift is lawfull and esteemed to be lawfully receiued when it comes free vnclogg'd disinteressed without pretension and without respect of requitall or reference to any recompence or retribution That is a gift which goes dis-roabed of all respects which is neither a friend nor kindsman nor kindswoman of the party that giues it and hath no obligation no Interest no necessitie but is all pure loue and is freely giuen of grace onely to do him good that receiues it The rest is Vsurie Loane brâ—bery and hope of gaine And if they will see that this is true let them come downe from that high place wherein they are let a Visitation goe forth against them and they shaâ—l quickly see how euery man longs and desires that that may bee returned to the Owners which they haue got by foule play It is a great blindenesse in Ministers to imagine that what is giuen them proceedes from liberalitie and out of the good will and loue they beare vnto them God he knowes it is no such matter but what they do in this kinde is only to corrupt them and to oblige them to do that which they neither may nor ought Let them beleeue me and not deceiue themselues For to giue and receiue is a cunning peece of businesse a thing of great artifice wit and subtiltie and on whatsoeuer occasion it worketh it workes Miracles But in case gifts should not corrupt at least they appease and moue affection Being as that wise King Salomon saith like vnto the wâ—ues of the Sea which make the tallest ship to reele be she neuer so weâ—l ballasted And waues neuer come single Aâ—d if they be strong waues indeede they ouerturne her and sinke her in the Sea Repromâ—sâ—io nequiâ—â—â—ma mâ—ltos perdidit Commouit illos quasi fluctus maris Let them looke well to themselues that receiue gifts for they run a great deale of hazard let them take heede least some storme arise that may drowne their ship euen then as often hath beene seene when she is deepest and richest laden And let them not trust to their taking in secret nor of such and such a person for the Diuine Sunne of Iustice whom they offend will discouer and bring all to light And though no body should see or know it it is enough that God and his own Conscience knowes it which are two sure Witnesses besides many other which time will produce They likewise alleage That they haue leaue and licence of their Kings to receiue gifts Whereunto first of all I answer that it is not to be beleeued that Christian Kings will grant such Licences as these which are so preiudiciall pernicious scandalous and so contrary to the Common good and good gouernment of their Kingdomes Secondly I say speaking with that reuerence and respect which is due vnto the authoritie of Kings that it cannot be grounded on good Diuinitie that they may giue any such leaue or licence vnto their Ministers Againe they vrge that sometimes in some particular case gifts haue beene giuen to some great Priuado or fauourite of the King It may be so But sure I am that to no Counsellour of Iustice can it euer iustly be or may be done But because this will fall within the compasse of our insuing discourse I will cite those words Timentes Deum Fearing God Which follow anon after the beginning For well will it suite that with these we conclude this Chapter because the feare of God is the beginning of wisedome And from whence as from their fountaine are deriued all those other good qualities that are in man Timor Domini super omnia se superposuit There is none aboue him that feareth the Lord. Et beatus homo cui donatum est habere illum And happy is that man to whom it is giuen For he that hath the feare of God hath all the good that can be desired Plenitudo sapientiae est timere Deum To feare the Lord is fullnesse of wisedome He that would be a generall Scholler in all kinde of knowledge be well seene in all the Artes and Sciences and haue all those good parts and qualities combined and ioyned together let him loue and feare God For he that feares him and hath him alwayes before his eyes hath libertie and power to ouercome the feare and dread of the mightie whereof the World doth stand and all for want of this feare too much in awe Among the Lawes of Moses Iosephus relateth one wherein he willeth Iudes that they should aboue all things preferre Iustice and that
without respect to any mans person or dignitie they should equally iudge all For they hauing as they haue heere vpon earth the power of God they ought not to feare any other but him He that preuaricates Iustice in relation to great persons makes them greater and more powerfull then God who giues vs this short but stoute Lesson Feare not him that can kill the body and take away thy life but feare thou him that can kill the soule and depriue thee of lifeeuerlasting And in another place he saith Thou shalt not forsake the poore for feare of the rich nor iudge vniustly nor doe the thing that is vnequall for feare of the powerfull but keepe iustice in it's true weight and measure without any humane respect or vaine â—eare King Iehosaphat aduiseth the Iudges of Israel that in their iudgements they feare none but God alone and all the Law-giuers as Lycurgus Solon Numa and a number of others together with the chiefest of all Moses who gouerned Common-wealths and made Lawes founded them with Religion and the feare of God These are the first and last Letters of the Lawes of Christian gouernment wherewith that wise King did summe vp the booke of those which hee made for the gouernment of Men. Deum time mandata eius obserua hoc est omnis homo Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole dutie of man With this he receiueth the stabilitie and permanencie of man The contrary whereof is to be a beast and worse then a beast According to that of S. Bernard Ergo si hoc est omnis homo absque hoc nihil est homo If this be the whole duty of man without this man is nothing But as a man that hath no vse of reason breakes all lawes Facile deuiat à justitia qui in causis non Deum sed homines formidat He easily swarues from Iustice which in causes feareth not God but Man I will heere conclude with that which Esay saith A wonderfull Counsellour is the mighty God And he is to be our chiefe Counsellour and more inward with vs then any King or Counsellour And Kings and Counsellours are to craue his Councell For Councell being his gift he doth not communicate the samâ— to any saue such as loue and feare him and take Councell of his diuine Law As did that holy King Consilium meum Iustificationes tuae Let euery one enter into his Councell of knowledge let him consult himselfe the best that he can yet when he hath done all that he can let him aduise with the Law of God For if he do not know well how to aduise himselfe how shall he giue Counsaile to others And he that knowes not how to rule gouern himselfe how shall he command a whole kingdome Qui sibi nequam est cui alij bonus crit He that is euill to himselfe to whom will hee be good Alexander said He hated that wise man that was not wise for himselfe CHAP. XI Of other Courses and meanes which Kings may take for the notice of such persons in whom the said Qualities concurre ONe of the greatest mischiefes incident vnto Kingdomes is That Kings haue not true notice giuen them of worthy persons for to imploy them in his seruice A great cause whereof is that your vndeseruing or at least lesse sufficient are clapt in betwixt them and home Those are the men that are most intermitted take most vpon them and procure by their Negociating and Plotting to occupie the best places and not contenting themselues therewith seeke to shut the doore against men of merit and to keepe them out to the end that their owne defects by this course may receiue the lesse discouery For this is the nature of things opposite each to other that the neerer they are one to the other the more excellent lays it's Contraryes defect the more open Now to occurre to this mischiefe wise Iethro aduised his sonne in Law that he should seeke out men of good parts and choose them as we sâ—yd before from amongst all the people And we shall better perceiue what that Counsaile comprehendeth if we will but consider that other place of Deuteronomy Where Moses discoursing with the people what diligence he had vsed on his part it is there mentioned that he spake vnto them and admonished them to the end that the Election of the Ministers might take the better that they themselues likewise would vse their diligences and then giue him notice of those persons which they held in greatest esteeme amongst them and were in the generall opinion the ablest men Date ex vobis â—iros sapientes gnaros quorum Conuersatio sit probata in Tribubus vestris vt ponam eos vobis Principes Take yee wise men and vnderstanding and knowen amongst your Tribes and I will make them Rulers ouer you And indeed the best and surest course that Kings can take to come to that notice or knowledge they desire is to lay holde on those persons whose approbation is so notorious that all the people giue good Testimonie of them For as a wise man hath well obserued the generall opinion is that Touchstone which proueth or reproueth For it cannot be that One should deceiue All. And happily from hence grew that Common Adage Vox populi vox Dei The Peoples voyce is Gods voyce We must giue Credit to the fame and report that goes of Men. For as Tacitus saith she sometimes makes the choyse of Ministers it being his meaning that this satisfaction should be giuen to the people that those that are to gouerne them should be chosen and elected by that common fame and good report that goes of them And heere by the way let me tell you that it is not much amisse that some Offices and Preferments be in a dissembled kinde of disguise purposely published before they be bestowed to see how it will be intertained and receiued by the people to whom it is fit some satisfaction should be giuen as being the body that is to be commanded This is a Trick of State whereof vpon some occasions Fernando surnamed the Wise made good Vse For when he was to goe any great Voiage vndertake any Warre or attempt some new Enterprise or any other action of importance he would not publish nor iustifie the same to the world till he had vsed some art and cunning imploying some persons fit for that purpose before his designes were throughly vnderstood to giue it out That the King should do well to make such or such a waâ—re to make this or that prouision for this or that reason So that first of all the vulgar were made acquainted therewith and rested satisfied with the reasons that were rendred for it And then afterwards it comming to be published that the King had done or would doe such a thing it is incredible to beleeue with how much ioy loue and applause of the people and whole
which I shall now speake of may be râ— duced those which are to be required in their 〈…〉 Councell of State is a Councell of peace and War And as Plato saith is thesoule of Republike and the very Anchor wheron wholy dependeth aâ— the liabilitie firmenesse assurance of the State King and Kingâ—ome 〈…〉 or preferuation Whose chiefe aime and principall intent is the good Gouernment of the Common-wealth and that it and euery member thereof should liue happily and be conserued in peace and iustice And for this cause onely are we to make war Ob eam causam suscipienda sunt bella vt sine iâ—iuria in pace vivatur It is Câ—ero's saying And the Emperour Charles the fifth was wont to Say That the Councell of State is the whole wisedome power and vnderstanding of the King That it is his Eyes his hands and his feete And that himselfe should often sit in Counsell and without it not to do or conclude any thing that is of any weight or moment The qualities required to make a perfect Counseller in this Councell are many As that he be a man of much courage truth and integritie and well seene in matters of State and Gouernment publick and pâ—â—uate of peace and of warre for he is to aduise in all A man of good yeares great vertue much authoritie and of no meane credit and reputation That he be very skilful in those businesses which he treateth That he vnderstand them well and be his Crafts-Master in that facultie That he be of a prompt and sharpe wit That his tongue be well hangd and be able to expresse himselfe so happily that he may be truly vnderstood That he haue a minde free from all by respects that neither Loue nor Feare may detaine him from vttering what he thinketh That he beare an especiall loue and affection to his King That he keepe his hands cleane and not suffer himselfe to be ouercome by couetousnesse For he that in whatsoeuer is propounded presently apprehends what is best and vnderstands what is proffitable and conuenient yet neither knoweth nor hath fiâ—ting words to declare himselfe it is all one as if he vnderstood it not And he that can play both these parts passing well yet loueth not his Master his conseruation and augmentation of honour this man will hardly be true and trusty vnto him and scarcely adiuse him to that which is fitting for him But suppose he hath all these good qualities yet if he giue way to be won by the loue of money and greedinesse of gaine all that shall be treated with him shall be saleable no whit weighing the benefit and authoritie of his King if the insatiable hunger of riches be put in the scale And I say moreouer that he that shall want these two qualities and shall not loue his King and yet loue Couetousnesse though he be indewed with all the rest he shall thereby be so much the worse and more dangerous for hauing his will depraued and his vnderstanding ill affected hauing these two Vices attending on him how much the more shall his sharpnesse of wit be and the greater his force of Eâ—quence the worse effects will it worke and the more remedilesse Let Counsellours therefore haue these two qualities Loue of the heart and cleannesse of the hand together with good naturall partes as a quicke wit and nimble apprehension for the speedier determining of present businesses and not onely to giue sodaine but sound aduise in them And that in future cases they may be able by naturall discourse to giue a guesse how things are like to succeede as also that they may by good discourse and debating of businesses attaine vnto those things whereof as yet they haue not had particular experience That they be prudent discerners of the better and the worse in Cases doubtfull that they may not be to seeke but to goe through stitch therewith and be prouided for all commers In a word let them be excellent sodaine speakers vpon all occasions assisted as well by a naturall kinde of gift they haue that way as by the exercise of their wit All which will not serue the turne nor make the Mill go so roundly as it would vnlesse there be much amitie amongst them and a conformitie of good agreement and a willing helping and assiting one of another in businesses For from Competitions and Contestations amongst themselues haue insued the losse of Kingdomes and States and other great losses and Calamities They must bee of one accord and one will with their King and still aduise him to the best hauing an eye both to him and themselues that they doe not erre or doe any thing contrary to that which is right and iust And then is it to be vnderstood that they beare true loue to their King and Countrie and that they apply themselues to all that which concernes the common good and their owne particular seruice when they take ioy and comfort that they concurre and runne all one way without diuision or distraction And if this vnitie be not amongst them it is to be imagined that they loue not so much the King and State as their owne priuate interest Being thus qualified they shall be fit Ministers and Counsellors for so great a Counsell for they shall therby be able to rid as many businesses as shall be brought before them and giue them good and quicke dispatch well vnderstanding what is needefull to be done and knowing as well how to declare themselues in that which they vnderstand And in this or any other Councell there ought according to Fadrique Furio a care to be had to examine the merits and dismerits of euery one informing themselues of his life behauiour and abilities as also the Actions of those who without suing deserue for their vertue to haue fauour showen them and likewise to take notice of those who desire this preferment And that for this purpose there be a Register or Bookâ— kept of the merceds and fauours to be conferred and of the persons that are well deseruing to the end that those honours and fauours may be thrown vpon them according to the vertue sufficiencie and merits of the men For he that depriues Vertue of that honour that is due thereunto doth in Cato's opinion depriue men of vertue it selfe And when fauours are afforded those which not deserue them or are forborne to be bestowed on those that merit them vertue receiues a great affront and the Common-wealth a notable losse And it will proue the greater if honour be added to the bad and taken from the good and that vice shall be better rewarded then vertue For where she is not esteemed and rewarded the vertuous liue like men affronted and that are banished the Court. King Nabucodonosor Assuerus and others haue kept such a booke as this wherein were commanded to be recorded the seruice that were done them and the persons deseruing to the end they might gratifie them and cast their
not forget whence he came and yet represent what he was caused to be set on his Court cupboord vessells of earth with this Letter Haeac fecimus These we once made and vessells of gold with this other Letter Ista facimus These we now make I say that it is a matter of much importance and I purposly forbeare to speake so much as I know in this point for the conseruation of Kingdomes As also how fit it is that their Maiesties both in regard of that respect which is due vnto Kings and to the right and true administration of Iustice should by their seueritie temper and moderate the excesse of those which cloath themselues with the Kings royall command as with a garment and beare themselues too insolently-high vpon the Title of their Offices and vnder colour and zeale to the seruice of their Kings will make themselues their Tutors Masters of their libertie Lords ouer their vassalls and sole Commanders of the whole Kingdome like vnto that great Leuiathan or huge Whale in the Sea of whom holy Iob saith Before his face is pouertie and want for he spoyleth and deuoureth all that stands in his way and trusteth that he can draw vp Iordan into his Mouth CHAP. XV. Whether it be fitting for Kings to vse much the remitting of businesses ALthough in the former Chapter something hath beene spoken which may tend to this Question yet shall it be necessary to answer heere thereunto in a more direct and clearer manner And howbeit the word remitting or referring doth seeme to notifie the care and poruidence which a Prince oweth vnto businesses certaine it is that it shall well beseeme him sometimes so to doe For amongst many other the miseries of humane nature this is one that it's forces as well internall as externall as well of the Soule as of the body are much limited and restrained and haue much need of many helpes Wherefore I say that Kings not being able as they are not to attend of themselues so many businesses as howerly occurre nor to comprehend so great variety and difference of things they ought to remit some nay many of them to persons deputed for their ease and discharge of their Consciences Let a King examine those businesses which are fit to be reserued for himselfe And those that hâ— cannot let him remit them vnto others because of himselfe he is not able to dispatch all of them And in fauour of this Doctrine we haue Iethro's Counsaile to his sonne in Law Moses Who seeing him so ouer imployed in the businesses of his people to his intollerable trouble said vnto him Stulto labore consumeris elige tibi Viros c. Thou wearyest thy selfe greatly and this people that is with thee prouide thee men c. I neede not repeate all vnto you hauing spoken thereof largely heeretofore I shall now therefore represent vnto you That there are two kinds of Remitting The one for to vnloade himselfe of that charge and trouble that he may liue himselfe at ease and out of his authoritie lay the burthen vpon others and command them to end such or such a businesse Which is now too commonly vsed and practised For euery one as much as in him lyes striues to be superiour in this kind Taking that to himselfe which is most pâ—easing and easiest for him and remitting the hardest and harshest to other mens hands And hence it hapneth that from the first remitting the King makes your poore Negocianâ—s like so many Tennis balls are tost from one to another Nay their fortune is farre worse for the Ball which is racketed by the one Player the other with great nimblenesse and care runnes forth to receiue it But the poore Negociant who in these Remitments serues in steed of the Ball they doe not onely not receiue him readily but shut the doore vpon him obliging him to solicite his entrance one while by fauour another while by giftes And although this be too vsuall a practise in all Tribunalls and with all Iudges and vpon all differences of businesses yet is it there most practised where matters of goods and Titles of Lands are treated wherein the Pretenders doe not only sweate and take a great deale of paines but are forced to pay as much for the dispatch of 10000. Marauedis as if they were so many Ducats And this may be confirmed with the example of a poore honest widow who as it is well known spent much time and that little mony which she had in Negociating the dispatch of a small debt And when after a long and tedious suite she had at last got an order against her Aduersarie yet was she neuer the neerer getting of her money for that it was ordred in Court that shee should be payd out of such Rents which vpon some pre-morgage or some other cunning Conueiance could not be recouered These remittings I doe not finde how they can be defended or salued in the Sacred Scripture But there are many reasons for the condemning of them and for the obliging of Kings to referre them The other kinde of remitting is When either the order and qualitie of the businesse or the lawfull Impediment of him that remitteth doth so require it For which we haue our Sauiour Christs warrant in that admirable Conuersion of the blessed Apostle S. Paul For albeit he himselfe by his powerfull hand threw him downe from of his horse and made him so farre forth to yeeld himselfe his that he vttered these wordes so full of submission Domine quid me vis facere Lord what wilt thou that I doe Yet did he not then giue him a present absolute Dispatch but remitted him ouer to another Disciple which was named Ananias It being held fit it should be so for those reasons which are rendred by the Saints and holy Fathers The like course hee tooke with Cornelius the Centurion in that great businesse of his Saluation putting him ouer to S. Peter And when he saw the Petition of those ten Lepers who besought him that he would make them whole how beit he granted them their request for the recouery of their health yet did he remit them ouer to the Priests and Commanded them to present themselues before them because in those kinde of infirmities they were to be Arbitrary Iudges what was to be done in that case And to the Disciples of Iohn Baptist which he sent vnto him when he was in prison to the end that they might informe themselues who he was and whether it was he that should come or were to looke for another He remitted them backe to their Master with this Answer Ite renunciate Ioanni quae audistis vidistis Goe and shew Iohn what things yee heare and see As he should haue said For as much as Iohn is my Voice by him is the truth to be declared which you seeke after touching the Diuinitie of my Person All these Remittings were plaine and dispatched without reply
and his Ministers exercised in Ierusalem and in other Cities and Townes of the Kingdome of Iudaea of that great Captaine Mattathias and his fiue Sonnes hee speaketh thus Hi vederunt mala quae fiebant in populo Iuda in Ierusalem which the vulgar renders thus Now when they saw the blasphemies which were committed in Iuda and Ierusalem These saith he saw the euills that were committed in Ierusalem And my thinkes here must the question be asked Why all they of that Common-wealth suffering so many oppressions and so many afflictions in their Houses in their own Persons those of their children onely Mattathias and his Sonnes are here said to haue seene these euills and these blasphemies The answer hereunto makes notably for our purpose because it expresseth that which we go inforcing â—To wit That to see businesses is truely and properly to vnderstand them and to put our helping hand vnto them And because Mattathias and his Sonnes were the onely men that were sensible of the hard measure they receiued and the first that rose vp and opposed themselues against the furie of the Tyrant for the remedying their so many and so great Calamities that sacred Historian saith That they onely had eyes and saw the affliction of Gods people This kinde of sight best be fitteth Kings as they are heads of their Kingdomes and Common-wealthes and it is likewise necessary that they haue their sight Large Cleare and Sharpe that they may reach to see euen those things that are most secret and most remote as doth that princely birde the Eagle which houering aloft in the ayre descryes the fishes that are in the deepe Or be like vnto that Maiesticall Creature the Lyon who both waking and sleeping keepes his eyes open The Holy Ghost saith That a wise man hath his eyes in his head Sapientis oculi in capite eius And it seemeth that by Contrapositions he would giue vs thereby to vnderstand that a foole hath his eyes in his feete Which as they discouer but little so are they lyable to a thousand offences and deceits But the wise man beholds from high and as from a watch-Tower discouers things a farre off and is thereby better able to take notice of them and more punctually to comply with his obligation to the state and to that which neede shall require in those accidents that may occurre This is that sight which as before hath beene said befitteth Kings for that they are the Heads of their Common-wealths and therefore are to reserue for their own view those the more weighty businesses of their subiects there being a great deale of reason that they should see them as they say with their owne eyes For this end are those Visitations ordayned and those Entrances in State which Kings are wont to make into the Cities and Prouinces of their Kingdomes When the arrogant and vaine presumption of men grew to that passe that for to celebrate their name they went about to build that proud Tower of Babel with intent to touch euen heauen it selfe with the top thereof and to liue free from all feare of a second â—lood that sacred Historie tells vs Descendit autem Dominus vt videret Ciuitatem Turim quam aedificauerint filij Adam That the Lord came downe to see the Citie and tower which the sonnes of men builded God came down himself to see this their so great insollencie that he might punish them accordingly as he did with such a confusion of languages that one could not vnderstand another and were amongst themselues as so many strangers without being able to communicate and conuerse together so that they were driuen to diuide themselues into different Countries and were scattred from thence vpon all the earth And in the said Historie of Genesis we read that when that abhominable filthines of the Sodomites grew to that highth of impudencie that it prouoked God vnto Wrath and in a manner bound him to consume them with fire from heauen he vttered vnto Abraham these words worthy the noting Clamor Sodomorum Gâ—morrhaeorum multiplicatus est peccatum eorum aggrauiAtum est nimis Descendam videbo vtrum clamorem qui venit ad me opere compleuerint an non est ita vt sciam Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me And if not that I may know As if he should haue sayd Howbeit the abomination of these accursed Sodomites and Gomorrhaeans hath so farre increased that it doth cry aloud vnto me for vengeance and chasticement and hath pierced the heauens and come vnto mine eares yet notwithstanding because it is a thing that concernes a whole Common-wealth and a busines of that weight as to deserue exemplary punishment I will goe downe and see whether it be so or no as the report goes of it Though most certaine it is that God hath no need to come downe from heauen to take a particular viewe of the things of this world for he is present in all places here there and euery where he filleth all seeth all and with his infinite wisedome comprehendeth all But the Scripture speakes in this kinde of language that it may accommodate it self to the stile and capacitie of men for to instruct Kings in this place that graue and weighty businesses they are not to transferre them ouer vnto others but of and by themselues to see and looke vnto them nor ought they too be to facile in giuing credit to fame and report especially of the vulgar without hauing first fully informed himselfe thereof and that by themselues they should be able to dis-deceiue themselues and to see and consider things with attention and with a desire to search out the truth and to rectifie what is amisse In the Kingdomes of Castile there is a very commendable custome and of great authoritie and Maiestie worthy those most prudent Kings which first ordeyned it And this is that Consultâ— which euery friday towards the Euening the President of Castile makes with those of his Maiesties Councell Royall wherein an Account is giuen vnto his Maiestie of all the weightiest businesses and wherein the opinion and the authoritie Royall is necessarie And this is not without example in the sacred Scripture For in the first chapter of Deut. it is written That when that great Law-giuer Moses had named for good and quicke dispatch such Counsellours as before specified giuing them in charge what they were to keepe and obserue and how to administer Iustice with equalitie and without exception of persons he told them Quod si difficile vobis visum aliquid fuerit referte ad me ego audiam The cause that is too hard for you bring vnto me and I will heare it You shall consult with me in that case that I may heare it and take such
should be made and that the King should take notice of this or that misdemeanour it shall be dawbd vp so handsomely such a faire varnish set vpon it and so ful of excuses that it will be all one as if he had neuer heard of it or any such thing bin at all Presuming that Kings rather then they will be troubled with businesses of clamour and noyse will for their owne ease slightly passe them ouer Wherein as they haue oftentimes found themselues so it is fit they should still be deceiued And truly to no man can with better Title his Entrance be giuen nor this golden key to the Kings Chamber be committed then to him who with the integritie and zeale of an Elias should trample and tread these Monsters vnder foote and roundly and throughly to take this care to task which without al doubt would be one of the gratefullest and most acceptable seruices which can be done vnto God both in matter of pietie and of pitie But what shall I say of the Kings happinesse in this case With nothing can he more secure his conscience then with this As one who is bound out of the duty of his place to haue a watchfull eye ouer all his Ministers but more narrowly and neerely to looke into the water of those that are the great Ones being likewise obliged graciously and patiently to heare those that shall complaine of them it not proceeding out of spleene and malice but out of a desire to iustâ—fie the truth to make good a good cause and that the fault mâ—y be punished with whom the fault is truly found For when the subiects iust Complaints are not heard besides that his conscience is charged and clogg'd therewith the Ministers themselues become thereby much more absolute and more insolently Imperious Insomuch that the subiect seeing that they are neither heard nor eased of their grieuances they grow desperate And what fruites despaire bring forth I neede not tell kings that know either men or bookes There is not in holy Scripture any one thing more often repeated then the particular care which God hath of the oppressed In the seuenty second Psalme where the Greatnesses of King Salomon are set forth but more particularly those magnificencies of that true King Salomon Iesus Christ whose figure he was amongst other his Excellencies for the which he ought to be much estemed beloued and adored of all the Kings of the earth and serued by all the nations of the world this which followeth is not the least Adorabunt eum omnes reges terrae omnes gentes seruient ei quia liberauit pauperem à potente paâ—perem cui non erat adiâ—tor All Kings shall worship him all nations shall serue him For he shall deliuer the poore when he cryeth the needy also and him that hath no helper And in another place he makes the like repetition Eâ— vsuris iniquitate redimet animas eorum Propter miseriam inopâ—m etgemitum pauperum nunc exurgam dicit dominus Now for the oppression of the needy and for the sighes of the poore I will vp sayth the Lord and will set at libertie him whom the wicked hath snared And in the first Chap. of Esay it seemeth that God doth proclaime a plenary Indulgence and full Iubile vnto those Kings and Gouernours who apply themselues to the easing of the oppressed Subuenite oppresso iudicate populo defendite viduam et venite arguite me dicit dominus si fuerint peccata vestra vt coccineum quasi nix dealb ab untur at si fuerint rubra quasi vermiculus velut lana alba erunt Relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widowe though your sinnes were as crymson they shaâ—l be made white as snow though they were red like skarlet they shall be as wool you see then that all sinnes are forgiuen that King that is a Louer of Iustice and a friend vnto the poore and needy that takes paines in relieuing the oppressed and in defending the widowe and protecting the distressed They may stand with God in iudgement alleage for themselues his Iustice his righteousnesse who haue dealt iustly vprightly with their subiects and mantained the weake and needy against those powerfull Tyrants which seeke to swallow them vp as your greater fishes doe the lesser Qui deuorant plebem meam siâ—ut escam panis Who eate vp my people as they eate bâ—ead And howbeit Iustice ought to be one and the same both to poore and rich yet God doth more particularly recommend vnto their care and charge that of the poore For as it is in the Prouerb Quiebra sa soga por lo mas delgado Where the corde is slendrest there it breaketh soonest For a powerfull man will defend himselfe by his power and great men by their greatnesse And would to God that they had no more to backe them then a iust defence for then the poore should not neede to stand in feare of them But that is now to passeable in these times which the Apostle Saint Iames found fault with in his Quod diâ—ites per potentiam opprimunt vos et ipsi trahunt vos ad iudicium That the rich oppresse the poore by tyrannie and draw them before the iudgement-seates When Kings doe cumply with this their obligation when they free the oppressed and defend the wronged Orphane and Widowe Godsends downe vpon them his light his grace and other extraordinary gifts whereby they and their states are conserued and maintayned Whose ruine and perdition doth euermore succeede through the default of him that gouerneth for if Kings would gouerne according vnto equitie and iustice they and their kingdomes should be as it were in a manner perpetuall and immortall For as it is in the Prouerbs of Salomon Rex qui indicat in veritate pauperes Thronus eius in aeternum firmabitur A King that iudgeth the poore in truth his throne shall be established for euer Whereas on the contrary most certaine it is that the King and kingdome haue but a short continuance where the Iudges and Ministers are swayed by passion and thereby the subiects abused It is the saying of the holy Ghost Regnum à gente in gentem transfertur propter iniustitias et iniurias et contumelias et dolos Because of vnrighteous dealing and wrongs and riches gotten by deceit the Kingdome is transferred from one people to another No one thing drawes such assured and apparent perils of warre vpon kingdomes as the wrongs that are done to the poorer sort of subiects Clamor eorum in aures domini Exercituumintroiuit The cryes of them haue entred into the eares of the Lord of Hosts And there before his Counsell of Warre they present their Memorialls and their Petitions with such a loud language and discomposed deliuery that they pierce through his eares when they call vpon him saying since thou art the Lord God of Hoasts raise thou Armies both in Heauen
and Earth and reuenge thou those the open wrongs that are offred vnto vs. And these Petitions commonly finde there such quicke dispatch that presently hee nominateth Captaines leuieth forces and formeth a mightie Armie of enemies to disturbe and destroy that kingdome And though some may conceiue that the cause of those and the like troubles are the crosse Incounters of Kings and Princes amongst themselues or the greedy desire of warre for spoyle and pillage which pardoneth no manner of persons yet in realtie of truth it is not so but the wrongs of Ministers exercised vpon the poore the fatherlesse and the widowe are the occasion that huge and powerfull Hostes of enemies in their reuenge enter the gates of a Kingdome and make wast and hauocke thereof For this cause were the Amalechites captiuated and put to the sword and for the same likewise the soldiers entred into Iudaea and sackt it Whence we draw this cleare and conclusiue truth that the best and the safest course to conserue a kingdome to gaine others and to abound in riches is to vndoe wrongs done not to dissemble iniuries to punish thefts and robberies and to execute iustice towards all Iuitium viae bonae facere institiam The first step to goodnesse is to doe Iustice. For without it the foot that sets forward falls backward and a King hath not where withall to relye on his power his forces his wisedome and experience in gouernment if he be defectiue in this For kingdomes last no longer then Iustice lasteth in them And true it is that there is no winde shut vp in the bowells of the earth which causeth therein such violent effects of Earth-quakes as in those kingdomes which thinke themselues surest and firmest doe the complaints and greiuous sighes of the wronged poore And therefore let none whatsoeuer be they Kings great Ministers or Counsellours of State slightly reckon of the cries of the poore For they referring their reuenge to God they draw him downe from Heauen to right their quarrell And the basest and most barbarous man in the world when he sees himselfe wronged and can finde none vpon earth to pleade his cause or to doe him right he presently lifts vp his eyes vnto Heauen and makes his addresse vnto God assuring himselfe that his helpe will come from thence And it was well said of a Wise man That the wronged are like vnto those that are ready to be drowned who if they fasten vpon any thing neuer let it goe so these men when they are in danger to be sunke by being forcibly kept vnder water by the oppressours hand lay fast hold on complaints cryes sighes and teares as the last remedy allotted them by God who saith That he will heare the petitions and receiue the Memorialls of the afflicted which are written with teares A maxilla enim a scendunt vsque ad caelum For from the cheeke they ascend vp to heauen They trill downe the cheekes till they fall to the ground and from thence they mount vp as high as Heauen for being water they rise as much as they fall And when God sees they haue reason on their side and that they onely call vnto him for iustice it being so proper an Attribute vnto him in the end he grants and signes their request Nor is it much that he should shew them this fauour his bowells being moued to compassion in seeing his creatures in such extremities of affliction Let Kings therefore beware and take heede and their Ministers bethinke themselues that in such a case an Inundation of teares is of more force and more danger then that of the swiftest Torrent vpon a mighty flood CHAP. XVIII Of the sense of hearing And of the Audiences which Kings ought to giue PVrsuing stil the Metaphore of the head whereon hitherto we haue insisted occasion is now offred vnto vs to treat of the sense of Hearing which hath some certaine excellencies aboue the rest For thereby we come to vnderstand the hidden secrets of the heart and the most inward thoughts of the Soule which being clad and apparrelled with that out-side and exterior part the Voyce and put vpon the Hearing of that person with whom we talke and discourse it knoweth that which the vnderstanding of neither Men nor Angels once is able to comprehend And that which we haue spoken of the sence of the sight ought likewise to be said of this For as far forth as is the perceiuing of a Voyce or some other noyse or sound by the hearing so farre is it common as well to brutes beastes as to Men. But it is proper only vnto Man by hearing a significatiue voyce to discourse thereof and to vnderstand the inward conceipt of him that speaketh And from hence will we draw what ought to be heard by the Head of a Common-wealth who is not onely to content himselfe with hearing the bare externall Voyce but to heare it in such maner as the holy Scripture telleth vs God heareth the voyces of those which call vpon him in the time of their trouble which is a vsuall and plaine kinde of Language in the Diuine Writt And when it is sayd that God heareth vs it is ioyntly sayd that he graunteth our petition Whereof many Testimonies are found in the Psalmes of Dauid and in diuerse other places Cùm inuocarem exaudiuit me Deus iustitiae meae Dominus exaudiet me cum clamauero ad cum c. The God of my righteousnesse heard me when I called vpon him And anone after The Lord will heare when I call vnto him In the twentie one of Genesis it is there twice repeated that God heard the voyce of Agars childe who was Abrahams bond-woman which the mother had left all alone in the wildernesse of Bersheba vnder a certaine tree and sitting downe ouer against him a farre off about a bow-shoote that shee might not see him perish for want of water Dixit enim non videbo morienâ—em puerum For shee said I will not see the death of the childe In the very next Verse following a double mention is made That God heard the voyce of the childe Which was in effect to say that he did releiue him and refresh his thirsty Souâ—e and granted that which the infant and his mother desired And the Apostle Saint Paul in that Epistle which hee wrote to the Hebrewes saith of our Sauiour Christ That Offerens preces ad deum cum clamore valido et lachrymis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia Offring vp prayers and supplications to God the father with strong crying and teares he was also heard in that which he feared Which was all one as if he should haue said That his father dispatcht him and granted what he petitioned in that his prayer So that in rigour of holy Writ Gods Hearing and Gods Granting is all one But in that common Commerce with men and in that style which Kings and their Ministers vse it is not so For
eare close to the ground and stopping the other with the tipp of their tayle that they may stop and damme vp all the wayes by which the Voyce of the Charmer might enter in Vnto whom Dauid compares those who being Oydos del Rey the Kings eares or to speake in the vsuall phrase Oydores del Reyno the Kingdomes eares doe shut and stop their eares that they may not giue due and fitting Audience Being naturally enemies to their owne profession which is to heare seeking out shiftes and tricks that the Cryes and Complaints of the poore may not come to their eares There is not any crueltie comparable to this to see a poore suitor trot vp and downe a moneth or two together labouring to haue Audience and in stead of letting him in hath the doore still shut against him Nature would not allow doores to the eares yet these that are the Common-wealths eares make profit of the doores of their houses and command them to be kept shut your suitors they come and goe but my sennior Oydor my Lord iudge he that should haue his doores open to giue open hearing to all Comers is shut vp in his closet and cannot be spoken withall vnder a couple of Capons The Tribunes of the people of Rome a Magistracie ordained for defending of the Communaltie kept their gates still open that men at all houres might vpon all occasions come and treat with them If that young man which was Saint Pauls sisters sonne who heard the Conspiracie which the â—ewes had plotted against him and went to giue aduise thereof to the Magistrate had not found such easie entrance into the Tribunes house as he did without doubt it had cost Paul his life For fourty men had taken a solemne oath to kill him as he came forth of prison to his Triall and bound themselues with a curse that they would neither eate not drinke till they had killed him Now when this young man came to the Chiefe Captaine and told him that he had something to say vnto him The Text there saith that the Captaine tooke him by the hand and went a part with him alone and asked him What hast thou to shew to me c. With this facilenes did the Ministers of that Heathen-people giue Audience How much more ought Christian Ministers to doe the like The open doore and the giuing of Audience in some open Hall or in some outward Court whereunto all are admitted to enter would giue much content vnto many but these close doores and close Audience to very few which is purposely done for to pleasure their friends and seruants for from this their hard accesse and difficile entrance they likewise make their gaine and are not ashamed now to demand that for a see which if they were well serued should be recompenced with a halter And looke what I haue said of your Oydores which are your Iudges in Chanceries and other the chiefe Courtes of Iustice I say the like of other Ministers who though they haue not the same name yet doe they serue as eares to their king And then are their eares shut and growne deafe when they will not heare making thereby his Maiestie to be found fault withall to receiue a hard censure from his subiects when he is innocent blamelesse and drawing a thousand other mischiefes vpon the Common-wealth And it is a most shamefull thing and worthy reprehension redresse that when kings shall bee liberall in this kind their Ministers should be so short cutted and that a man should be at more cost and trouble to get Audience of them to negociate a busines then of the king himself And the mischiefe of it is that they procure and pretend now as in former times the greatest fauours the highest places honors dignities whilst in the mean while it is not thought vpon nor taken â—nto consideratioÌ„ that besides the offence which is done herein vnto God the Common-wealth that it is one of the most preiudiciall things in the world for the quiet peace of States the conseruation of kingdomes And this was well vnderstood by Absolon the son of Dauid pretender to the Crowne of Israel Who perceiuing that the king his father through his great imployments in the Wars could not so well attend his giuing Audience to all his subiects and that they to whose charge care it was committed did not cumply therin with their obligation he placed himselfe at the entrance of the Citie whether the suitours repaired and seeing how much they distasted it that they had not that quicke Audience and dispatch as they expected and desired he insinuates himselfe into them and speaking very kindly and louingly vnto them he tolde them Videntur mihi Sermones tuiboni iusti sed non est qui te audiat constitutus à Rege Thy matters are good and righteous but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee And this is it that puts all out of frame and order O quoth he that I were made Iudge in the land that euery man which hath any matter of controuersie might come to me that I might doe him Iustice c. And it followeth anon after in the Text Quod solicitabat corda virorum That by this means he stale away the hearts of the men of Israel And that thereupon there shortly after insued a great rebellion which put the king the kingdom in great ieopardie Which may serue as a lesson for a good Minister to teach them what they ought to do not to think they do that which they ought when for fashion sake they giue short and crowding Audiences where that which enters in at one eare goes out as they say at another But that so much time should be allowed for the hearing of them as the qualitie off the busines shall require without cutting those off who go rendring their reasons For he that hath not the patience to heare them either he not vnderstandeth them or is afraid to meddle with them With this therefore I conclude this and the former discourse That the first Office of a King is To heare all his subiects And it being supposed that he alone cannot doe it it is fit he should haue Oydores that should heare for him and be his eares And for that as by the eares of the head there runn's along a certaine secret nerue by meanes wherof that which is heard is presently conuaied to the braine there to be registred and consulted on by the Common sense So these Oydores ought to holde their secret Consulta wherein they ought to make relation vnto the King of all that they haue heard But let them weigh with all what a short Cut it is from the eare to the braine and the small stay that is made in this Iourney or passage to the end that by this natural course which is so quicke speedy they may see their errour and perceiue what a great fault it
is to retarde their Consultations to shew themselues thicke of hearing to haue their eares shut or rather the Oydores themselues shut vp and not to be spoken withall Some would faine excuse these Audiences with the impertinencies of those that craue them which sometimes are very large and tedious and to as little purpose as they are too too importune vnseasonable But to this answere That your high and eminent places bring with them this trouble and charge And as the Apostle Saint Paul said that it is a great token of prudence to know how to beare with the foolish and to haue suffrance and patience with those that are none of the wisest Libenter enim suffertis insipientes cum sitis ipsi sapientes For ye suffer fooles gladly because that ve are wise And because he that is most wise is most offended with ignorance let him know that he meriteth much in dissembling it when it is fitting so to doe for to say the truth as the same Apostle affirmeth Gods good and faithfull Ministers haue obligation both to the Wise and to the foolish Sapientibus insipientibus debitorsum I am debtor both to the wise men and to the vnwise In the History of the Kings is set downe the dissimulation wherewith the womon of Tecoa spake vnto King Dauid and how importunate and tedious she was in telling here tale and withall the Kings great patience in hearing her out and his not being offended with the craft and cunning wherewith shee came vnto him albeit the businesse was of that weight and moment that his great Captaine Ioab durst not propound it vnto him Audi tacens simul quaerens Giue eare and be still and when thou doubtest aske This Counsaile concerneth all but more particularly Kings and their Ministers who are to heare and be silent to aske and aske againe till they haue fully informed themselues of the truth of the case For this is rather an honour then dishonour vnto Kings and great Ministers For as the holy Ghost saith Gloria regum est in vestigare sermonem The Kings honour is to search out a thing Of him that speaketh not nor asketh a question of him that speaketh it may be conceiued that he doth not heare him For these two sences are so neere of kinne that as the Philosopher obserueth he that is borne dumbe is also deafe And not onely this but likewise that the speech being taken away the hearing is lost with it The cause whereof according to Lactantius is for that the Organ by which the Ayre is receiued and wherewith the Voyce is formed holds such Correspondencie with that which goes vnto the hearing that if the first be shut or stopt the exercise of the second is likewise hindred Vpon information and hearing followeth in the next place doing of Iustice whereof we will treate in the Chapters following CHAP. XX. Of the Vertue of Iustice the naturall sister and Companion of Kings WEe told you in the former Chapter that Hearing was the precisest and directest meanes for the doing of Iustice. And therefore falleth fitly out here to treate thereof Your Ancient Hieroglyfinists as also your Saints in their writings treating of this Vertue compare it to a payre of weights or scales with it's two ballances And it seemeth that Nature herselfe made this Ectypum or Exemplar this portrayture or delineation shadowing it out in euery one of vs by giuing vs two eares like vnto those two balances whose truth dependeth on the Examen or Aequilibrium that tongue or needle which stands vppermost in the beame of the ballance making my application in this maner that the two eares standing like two ballances on either side of the head they haue their rule of truth from the supremest and highest part thereof where stands the tongue or needle of reason and the iudgement of those things to their true weight and measure which are put into these Intellectaull ballances To discourse therefore of Iustice is very essentiall to that which hath already beene treated touching a Common-wealth For as we told you in our very first Chapter A Republick or Common-wealth is a Congregation of many men subiect to the same Lawes and Gouernment which is not possible to bee conserued if Iustice therein shall be wanting Which giues to euery one that which is his owne keepes men within the bounds of good Order and Discipline and bridles those by reason which transported by their vnruly appetites like headstrong iades would liue without it admitting no curbe no manner of controll but following that Law of Viuat qui vincit Let him weare a Crowne that winn's it If Men would but obserue that first rule of the Law natural consecrated by the mouth of our diuine Master Christ. Quod tibi non vis alteri ne feceris Et quaecunque vultis vt faciant vobis homines eadem facite illis Offer not that to another which thou wouldst not haue donne to thy selfe And therefore whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them There needed no other bullwarkes or fortifications to liue quietly and peaceably in the world But after this same Lolium crept in this Tare of Meum and Tuum the Cooler as Chrysostome calls it of Charitie the Seminarie of discordes and dissention and the fountaine of all mischiefe men found themselues obliged nay inforced to seeke out some such meanes or maner of liuing whereby euery one might quietly and peaceably inioy that which he held to be his owne And for this cause they resolued to leade a ioynt life together submitting themselues to one and the same Lawes and subiecting themselues to one and the same King who should likewise keepe and obserue them and by iustice conserue nourish and maintaine all other necessary vertues for the augmentation and conseruation of Common wealths And for this end was giuen vnto Kings that great power which they haue holding in one hand the ballance of Iustice and in the other the sword of power Which that naked weapon doth represent which is borne before them when they enter with authoritie and State into their Cities And alluding either vnto this or those ancient Insignia of your Iudges the Apostle Saint Paul saith Vis non timere potestatem Bonum facinon enim fine causa gladium portat Wilt thou be without feare of the power Doe well For the Magistrate beareth not the sword for nought Herodotus tells vs that which Cicero deliuereth vnto vs. Eadem fuit legum constituendarum causa quae regum That one and the selfe same was the cause and Motiue of ordaining Lawes and Creating Kings Whence it followeth that there neither can be any Common-wealth without Iustice nor any one that can deserue to be a King vnlesse he maintaine and conserue it And though he may seeme to be a King yet in realitie of truth he is not Because he wants that principall attribute that
according to Saint Gregory it hath foure most potent opposites which make the rod of Iustice to bow and turne crooked and to falsifie the tongue and beame of the ballance To wit Hatred Fauour Feare and Interest Now Iustice is diuided into two parts which are the honour of God and the loue of our neighbour Aristotle did likewise consider two other parts of Iustice. One common which is ordayned for the Common-wealth and the other particular which is instituted for our neighbour Which by another name they call Equitie which man vsing with reason dea'es so with others as he would be dealt withall himselfe vpon the Common which imbraceth includeth all the rest Patritius founded his Common-wealth And Plaâ—o his vpon the particular Others diuide it into foure parts or species into Diuine Naturall Ciuill and Iudiciall Which the Schoolmen do define and declare at large vnto whom I remit the Reader But laying aside these diuisions which make not for our purpose the most proper and essentiall diuision of Iustice is into Commutatiue and Distributiue Which as Diuus Thomas saith are the partes Subiâ—ctiuae or subiectiue parts of this Iustice that is to say it 's essential Species And therefore we will treate of these two and that very briefly And first in the first place of the Commutatiue and in the second of the distributiue Iustice Commutatiue Contractiue or Venditiue for all these names your Authors giue it for the matter of Commutations Contracts and Sales wherein it is exercised is considered betwixt two party and party which are a part of that whole body of the Common-wealth which giue and take betweene themselues by way of Contract or Sale It 's end and obiect is equalitie and proportion betweene that which is giuen and that which is receiued without respect vnto the persons which buy and sell but to that which is contracted solde or commutated that there may be an equalitie and proportion had betwixt that which is giuen and taken And when in this there is a defection it is contrary to Commutatiue Iustice. The distributiue is considered betweene the whole and it's parts The Medium of this Vertue doth not consist in the equaltie of thing to thing but of the things to the persons for as one person surpasseth another so the thing which is giuen to such a person exceedeth that part which is giuen to another person So that there is an equalitie of proportion betweene that which is more and that which is lesse but not an equalitie of quantitie to wit So much to the one as to the other For those which in a Common-wealth are not equall in dignitie and desert ought not equally to enioy the Common goods thereof when they are reparted and diuided by the hand of distributiue Iustice As we shall shew you by and by when we come to speake of the Commutatiue which treates of equalizing and according that whch mens disordinate appetites and boundlesse couetousnesse doth disconcerte and put out of order euery one being desirous to vsurpe that for himselfe which of right appertaines and belongs to another whence arise your cosenages and deceits in humane Contracts and whence doe resulte those contentions dissensions and sutes in Law And to occurre and meete with these inconueniences from the Alcalde of the poorest Village to the highest and supremest Tribunall those pretenders may appeale if they cannot obtaine Iustice in those inferiour Courts And therefore in Castile in the Counsell Royal it is called by way of excellencie Conseiode Iusticia The Counsel of Iustice. And in all well ordred Monarchies and Common-wealths there is euermore carefull prouision made for this necessitie dispersing in diuers Tribunalls the fittest men for administring Iustice as we haue formerly related of that great Law-giuer Moses And in the second booke of the Chro. it is said of King Iehosâ—phat that he appointed Audiences and Tribunalls in all the principall Cities of his kingdome and those euer at their very gates and entrance that the Negociants and suitors might the more easily meete with the Ministers of Iustice for this is the chiefest prouision which a King should make for kis Kingdome indearing to them all the faithfull administration thereof and that with such graue words and such effectuall reasons that they deserue to be written in golden Letters vpon all the seates Tribunalls of your Iudges Videte quid faciatis non enim hominis exercetis iudicium sed Domini Et quodcunque indicaueritis in vos redundabit Sit timor domini vobiscum cum diligentia cuncta facite non est enim apud dominum deum nostrum iniquitas nec personarum acceptio nec cupido munerum Take heede what ye doe for yee execute not the iudgement of man but of the Lord and he will be with yee in the cause and iudgement Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon yee Take heede and doe it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward The first thing that he admonisheth them of is Videte quid faciatâ—s Take heede what yee doe Looke well about yee and haue an eye to what ye doe Heare see and consider take time and leysure be not ouer-hasty in sentencing a sute till yee haue studied the case well and throughly and are able as well to satisfie others as your selues Vsing that care and circumspection as did that iust man Iob. Causam quam nesoiebam diligentissime inuestigabam When I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently As if his life had lyen vpon it Alciat saith That the Tribunes had at the gates of their houses the Image of a King sitting in his throane hauing hands but no eyes And certaine Statuas about him seeming to be Iudges hauing eyes but no hands Whereby they declared the Office of a King and the duty of Iudges painting him with hands and them without them but with as many eyes as that fabulous Argos had or like vnto those Mysticall beastes which Saint Iohn saw full of eyes within and on euery side To shew that they should study see and examine causes and all whatsoeuer passeth in the Common-wealth and to informe the King thereof who is to haue hands and Armes courage and power for execution Againe that good King puts them in minde that it is not mans but Gods Office that they take in hand whose proper Office is to iudge And therefore in the Scripture your Iudges are called Gods And since that they are his Lieuetenants let them labour for to doe Iustice as God himselfe doth For I must be so bold as to tell them that there is a reuiewing of the businesse and a place of Appealing in the supreme Counsell of his diuine Iustice. And there the Party pretending doth not deposite his thousand and fiue hundred ducats but the Iudge who lyes at stake for it and if he shall Iudge amisse he is
be Kings and Iudges this to be common fathers to all poore and rich great small meane and mighty Audite illos saith God et quod iustum est iudicate siue Ciuis illesit siue perigrinus nulla erit distantia personarum ita paruum audietis vt magnum nec accipietis cuiusquam personam quia dei iudicium est Heare the controuersies betweene your brethren and iudge righteously betweene euery man and his brother and the stranger that is with him Yee shall haue no respect of person in iudgement but shall heare the small as well as the great ye shall not feare the face of man for the Iudgement is Gods CHAP. XXII Of Iustice Distributiue IT appertayneth to distributiue Iustice as we told you in the former Chapter to repart and deuide in a conuenient and fitting manner the goods the honours dignities and Offices of the Common-wealth For as Dionysius saith Bonum est diffusiuum Good is a diffusiue kinde of thing it is a scatterer and of it selfe a spreader of it selfe And by how much the greater the good is by so much with the greater force doth it communicate it selfe And hence doth it come to passe that God is so liberall and so exceeding bountifull as he is that I may not say prodigall with men by communicating himselfe vnto them by all possible meanes euen to the communicating of himselfe by that most excellent and highest kinde of manner that he could possible deuise which was by giuing himselfe to himselfe and by submitting himselfe so low as to become true man that man might be exalted so high as to be made equall with God by that ineffable and diuine vnion which the Diuines call Hypostaticall So that you see that Good in it's owne condition nature hath this propertie with it to be communicable by so much the more by how much the more great it is And herein kings ought to be like vnto God whose place they supply hereon earth for certainly by so much the more properly shal they participate of good Kings by how much the more they shall haue of this Communicatiue qualitie And so much the neerer shall they resemble God with by how much the more liberalitie they shall repart and diffuse these outward goods whose distribution appertaineth vnto them And to him cannot the name of King truely sute who hath not alwayes a willing minde and as it were a longing desire to communicate himselfe Now for to temper and moderate this generall longing and inflamed desire this so naturall and proper an appetite of bestowing and diuiding the riches and common goods of the Common-wealth this part of Iustice which they call Distributiue was held the most necessary Which Aristotle says either is or ought to be in a King as in such a Lordly subiect and person to whom this repartition and communication properly belongeth Wherein aboue all other things Kings ought to vse most circumspection prudence and care for that therein they vsually suffer most cosenage and deceit For in regard that to giue is in it selfe so pleasing and delightfull a thing and so properly appertaining to their greatnesse and State they doe easily let loose the reines to this noble desire and send giftes this way and that way in such poste-baste that within a few dayes they run themselues out of all and draw dry not onely the Kings particular wealth and treasure but the riches of the whole kingdome were they neuer so great So that what is done in this kinde with so much content and pleasure ought to be done but now and then for such great courtesies and extraordinary kindnesses must not be made too common for feare of drawing on a dis-esteeme of them nor done but in their due time and season not vnaduisedly before hand and vpon no merit or desert but when others want and necessitie and his owne honour and noblenesse shall oblige him to expresse his bounty And in good sooth there is not any Moathe which doth so consume nor any Caterpiller or Grasse-hopper that doth so crop and destroy the power of well doing and the vertue of Liberalitie as the loose hand that can hold nothing and in a lauish and disproportionable manner scatters it's Donatiues with so vnequall a distribution that the dignitie of the gift is drowned in the indiscretion of the giuer And therefore as it is in the Spanish Prouerb which speakes very well to this purpose Para dar y tener seso es menester A very good braine it will craue to know when to spend when to saue Yet mistake me not I beseech you for it is no part of my meaning nor did it euer come within my thought or desire to perswade Kings to be close-fisted and couetous a Vice to be hated and abhorred in all men but in them much more That which I say is That to the end that may not be wanting vnto Kings which doth so much importe them and is so proper vnto them as to giue rewards and bestow fauours it is fit that they should doe these things so that they may be able to doe them often And according to the olde saying To giue so at one time as we may giue at another Your Trees in holy Scripture are sometimes taken for the Hieroglyffe or Embleme of Kings for that they are in some things like vnto them Wherof we shall speak hereafter But that which makes now for our present purpose is That the tree shewing such a largenes spreadingnes and bountifullnesse in discouering it's fruit through it's boughes and branches and it 's inuiting vs and presenting it's prouision vnto vs first in the flower and blossome to the end wee may come to gather that fruit which yearely it bringeth forth in it's due time and season and yet notwithstanding hideth and concealeth it's rootes all that it can because there lyes that fountaine from whence all this good doth spring As also for that if in that part it should suffer any hurt or detriment all the rest would cease nor would it flourish and fructifie any more And I am of opinion that when Kings cannot content themselues with conferring of fauors and bestowing of gifts out of those fruites and profits Which shall arise out of their yearely reuenewes but that the very rents rayzes and juros reales shall be giuen away in perpetuitie or for one or two lifes which is a kinde of rooting or grubbing vp of the tree the King shall thereby be disinabled and depriued for euer of the fruit of those mercedes and fauours which he might from time to time not onely yearely but daily and howerly haue afforded many of his good and well deseruing subiects As did that other who because they should not trouble him with comming vnto him to craue of the fruite of a very good tree which he had in his Garden caused it to bee rooted vp and to be sent amongst them to make their best of it whose fruite had he
a vertue Heroicall and worthy Kings Which if it be fayling in ether of these the one or the other it shall merit no such name as you shall see by and by when we come to conclude this discourse wherein we aduertise those that giue that it shall be much prudence and make likewise much for the good of the party himselfe that receiueth to goe leysurely along with him in these Mercedes and fauours For this difference I finde to be betweene offences and punishments fauours and benefits that the first are done but once because in discretion they will not goe dayly nourishing the passion of those who receiue the harme thereby and stand in feare lest the like ill might happen vnto them selues As for the second it is fitting that they be done often giuing now a little and then a little that it may the better penetrate the palate and please the taste of him that receiueth them As in our bodily meates and drinkes bit after bit draught after draught agrees better with our health and taste then grosse feeding and full cups Besides this faire and frequent distribution cannot but cause a more settled loue in those persons on whom they are bestowed as also in those who liue in expectation of the like CHAP. XXIII How and in what sort Limitation in giuing may sute with the Greatnesse of Kings NOw I see the reply and the Argument which may be made against that which we haue mentioned in the former Chapter For this same sising of Kings fauours and these same short bounds of bounty wherein some would shut them vp seemeth no way compatible with the authoritie and greatnesse of Kings Especially on such occasions wherein they are forced to bestow them vpon persons that are deseruingly qualified for them and that haue done notable seruices who are not to be gratified with small gifts nor may that seeme to bee much which is giuen but once First of all I answer hereunto that it stands with good reason that they who haue spent their meanes and the better and greater part of their liues in the seruice of their King and Common-wealth should be recompensed according to the qualitie of their persons and seruices when Kings are well able to doe it without putting themselues in necessitie or charging their subiects which they too vsually doe with extraordinary Impositions And if it be well considered the maine drift of our former Chapter was that things might be so ordred that Kings might haue wherewithall to giue vpon such like occasions That therefore which I say is this That they ought to holde their hand in those Gifts which they giue meerely vpon their owne pleasure and humour that they may the better cumply with those which lye vpon them by way of obligation For they that haue vnder their charge and Command such a multitude and number of subiects it is not meete that they should conferre many and great fauours vpon a few and few or none vpon many shewing grace vnto some with that which in Iustice is due vnto others whose often sweats perpetuall labour and extreame neede serue now for riches regalos intertainments and annuall rents to those who in all the whole course of their life neuer knew what it was to moyle and toyle or to take any paines for the Common-wealth Nay which is more and it grieueth my soule to speake it the sweat and blood of poore labouring men is conuerted into rose water for to feede their delightes and pleasures and that in such wastfull riotous loose intertainments as certainely beseemeth not Christians but Epicures and Sardanapalians who did denie the immortalitie of the soule Woe vnto them saith God that are at ease in Syon woe vnto you great Potentates and Rulers ouer the people who enter in state into the Temples and goe thence in pompe who delight in lasciuiousnesse lying vpon bedds of yuory who eate the Lambes of the flock the Calfes out of the stall who drink wine in bowles and annoynt themselues with the chiefe oyntments who sing to the sound of the Violls and inuent to themselues instruments of Musicke no man in the meane while being sorie for the afflictions of Ioseph or taking pitie and compassion of those poore miserable wretches who must wring and smart to maintaine these their idle and vnnecessary vanities But the world will be altred with these men one day and a time shall come wherein as that Princely Prophet saith Laetabitur justus cum viderit vindictam manus suas lauabit in sanguine peccatorum The righteous shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeance he shall wash his hands in the blood of the wicked And men shall say Verily there is fruit for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth Then shall Lazarus reioyce and be glad in Abrahams bosome and the rich Glutton lying in Hell shall begg a dropp of cold water and haue no body to giue it him And if any man should say vnto me that the Grandeza and Greatnesse of Kings requireth that great rewards should be giuen both to the one and the other My answer vnto him is That nothing better becommeth Kings for the conseruing of their Greatnesse then to know that they are but men and that they cannot stand in Competition with God whose fountaine of riches is infinite and is able to fill and satisfie all and neuer can be drawne dry though it be imparted and distributed to neuer so many Whereas that of men is but like vnto the water of a Cisterne which by being communicated to many is diminished and exhausted King Nabucodonosor and other Kings of whose falls there is mention made in the Scripture for default of this knowledg fel from their estates And let that tree whose top touched heauen and whose boughes did ouerspread the whole world whereof wee so lately made mention serue now the second time for an Example which going about to imbrace all in it 's owne armes and to giue sustenance in aboundance to all and pretending to exalt it selfe as high as heauen did pay the price of this it's pride autoritie and Signorie and did so farre prouoke Gods anger against it that hee commanded it to bee hewen down that being layd leuell with the earth it might acknowledge how much limited and how short was it's power Sithence therfore that it is not possible for Kings to vse much liberalitie and bounty towards all there is a great deale of reason why they should forbeare voluntary Donatiues for to discharge obligatory paiments whereunto in rigour of Iustice he is strictly bound The Apostle Saint Iames saith That the debtes which are due vnto them that haue done seruice cry vnto God and that the teares of the poore ascend vp vnto Heauen to the end that from thence may come forth a writ of Execution against those that haue beene the cause thereof And your Catholike and Christian Kings are not to place their
greatnesse and authoritie on that as did your Heathen Kings and those that were without the light of faith Who pretended nothing else in their gifts and fauours but vaine-glory and the idle applause of the world According to that saying of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Reges gentium dominantur eorum quipotestatem habent super eos benefici vocantur The Kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called Bountifull True authoritie and Greatnesse doth not conâ—ist in Magnificencies and Prodigalities which are not regular and ruled by reason Which requireth to cumply first with what is due and that neither Kings nor their subiects should thrust themselues into necessity and want to satisfie the ambition and couetousnesse of those who as Salomon sayth like vnto Horse-leaches Semper dicunt Affer Affer still cry Giue Giue That which distributiue Iustice requireth is That Kings should repart the common goods of the Republicke conformeable to the meritts and seruices of euery one preferring alwayes the publicke before any particular good and ioyntly with this that they goe clinching the hand for a while that they may afterwards stretch it out more at large when it shall be fitting for them so to doe And this is Liberalitie that vertuous and noble Meane betweene those vicious Extreames Auarice and Prodigalitie When our Sauipur Christ had sufficiently fed that great multitude which followed him into the desert they no sooner found themselues full but they presently resolued amongst themselues to make him their king And this their determination grew from two things which they saw to bee in him The one his noble disposition in affording them such free and plentifull intertainment The other for his great prudence and good gouerment in giuing order that the peeces of bread and other the fragments that were left should be gathered vp Colligite quae super auerunt fragmeta ne pereant Gather vp the broaken meate which remayneth that nothing be lost Nor did he doe this that he had neede to set it vp or keep it to serue at some other time vpon the like occasion for he could as often as he would haue made bread of stones but to instruct and teach Kings to knowe both to spend and saue to giue and hoord vp where how and when it is fitting in regard that their power is limited Moreouer Kings are to consider that they who at one clap receiue much from them grow so fat and purâ—ie that they are not able to serue and follow them as they were wont and sometimes they retire themselues and nere returne againe to see either King or Court vnlesse meere Couetousnesse and greedinesse of gaine draw them thither to beg more and more to cramme their purses Being like vnto that Crowe which Noah sent out of the Arke who as soone as he had found firme footing and whereon to feede his fill neuer came back again Kings Palaces are like Noahs Arke where there is a great diuersitie in the Conditions of men and generally you shall meete there with more Crowes then Doues And here I will with your good leaue take a little libertie to diuert my selfe from the Testimonies of Holy Scripture to those of Great Kings and Monarckes some of one nation and some of another And the first that I shall begin withall shall be king Don Alonso of Sicily who walking along by the Sea-side caused many gobbets of flesh some great and some small mingled one amongst another to be brought vnto him and still as the Crowes which were many came about him to some hee threw out the lesser to other the larger morsells Those that went away with the great gobbets came no more in sight but fled their way but those that had but a small pittance and were not so full gorged they followed the King whether so euer he went and neuer forsooke him Who tolde those that were then about him In this my Masters yee may see how much it importeth Kings to distribute their fauours with moderation and temper Philip King of Macedon did much reprehend his sonne Alexander for being too lauish of his fauours and too excessiue in his giftes Telling him that thereby hee peruerted the mindes of those that were to serue him who in stead of seruing him with that loue loyalty which in duty they were bound vnto they would now onely serue him for their owne particular interest and proper commoditie making by this meanes affection and fidelitie become a kinde of trading and merchandizing And certainely so it is that when mens mindes make interest their Aime and daily to get more and more they become saleable and tender their seruice to those that wil giue them most And they which doe thus accustome themselues to craue and take the loue of friendship and that thankefull acknowledgement which is due to the Doner is turned into interessed Loue which is called by the name of Concupisence And are as the Comicke Poet saith like vnto those lewd huswifes which Amoreâ—carent munâ—â— amantis amant Loue not so much the man as his money nor his person as his purse You shall seldome see a man that is as they say a Pediguenâ—â— a crauing Companion one that is still begging one thing or other that hath not some touch of Couetousnesse and some tincture more or lesse of vnthankefullnesse For in regard that these men loue themselues and their owne interest so well they haue not one drop of loue left for others and if any doe remaine they conferre it on a third person through whose hands that which they pretend is to passe And the King and Prince to whom all is due rest depriued of two things that are the most substantiall and of most importance for the conseruation perpetuation and augmentation of his Kingdome which are their subiects Loue and Thankes For the truest kinde of Raigning and the likest to Gods kingdome is to gaine the heartes of their subiects and to make themselues as much as in them lyes Lordes and Masters of their good Wills And it is our dayly experience to see persons that haue beene highly and richly gratified and extraordinarily well rewarded to haue proud very vnthankfull For this fault great benefits haue with them and such as are dis-equall to the deserts of those persons that receiue them that they are not thankfully accepted of And those that are benefitted to the end that they may not bewray this their imperfection being such as it is no lesse then so great a sinne as ingratitude they soone learne to forget them but those that are conferred on others neuer slip out of their remembrance In a word of all that that is begg'd and of all them that begg few there are that forbeare to goe this way In confirmation whereof we may alleadge heere that question which Christ made to one of those ten Leapers which hee healed shewing himselfe not halfe well pleased with the rest of his
beleeue me let him reade Saint Austin who in a Letter which he wrote to Saint Ierome hauing expressed the great desire and content that hee should take in the knowledge and sight of him corrects that speech of his saying That he had not spoken well in saying That he did not know him because he had seene his most learned bookes wherein were represented vnto him his very heart and soule In like manner he that shall be knowen by the like fame or by the learned bookes that hee hath written Or if he be a souldier by the great and noble Acts that hee hath done or by his good gouernment in those places of Commaund which hee hath held Such a one I say is sufficiently well knowen though he had neuer put his head within the Court gates or seene the Pallaces of Kings The second kind of knowledge is that which your ambitious and solicitous pretenders doe giue of themselues who are ordinary Attendants and Assistents in the Courts and palaces of Kings and Princes and the houses of their Ministers seeking to insinuate themselues into their grace and fauour by flatteries Compliments and Lyes and oftentimes by giftes and subornations against which the doore is neuer shut because they carry about them if need be the Master Key not a gilded key but a key of pure golde whose bitts and wardes are of diamonds by which they make their way remoue all difficulties open the cunningst locks and enter the strongest castles This is not that knowledge which is here required for conferring Offices vpon them but rather to shut them out of all For it is to be presupposed that these who doe thus negociate and pay soundly for their places must make their best profit of them and fell at deare rates that they may the sooner get out of debt and haue wherewith all to maintaine themselues their wiues their children and their familie But to these kinde of men Kings may and with a great deale of reason vse by way of answer those words of our Sauiour Christ Amen Amen dicovobis nesciovos Verily verily I say vnto you I know you not I will here likewise lay open one notable Conseâ—age and deceit which kings vsually suffer by the cunning plots and bolde impudencies of pretenders and by the fauour of those which put to their helping hand and giue them their best furtherance And this it is That when any of these pretenders is priuie to himselfe that hee hath not the like parts of Learning and Vertue and other abilities as others haue to mount at the first flight to those high places whereunto their ambition aspireth they seeke to enter into the baseâ—t and meanest Offices and that by base and vile meanes either by buying them with their money as good cheape as they can and when their purse cannot stretch so farre worke themselues in by the Codpisse by matching with this or that other Courtiers Kinsewoman and other the like humane respects making these the stepps for their preferrment God celiuer all good Kings from such kinde of Prouisions especially if they be preferred by them to places of Audience and of Iustice for therein shall they sinne grieuously because they put men into them that are ignorant and necessitated who for to relieue their wants and to maintaine their Vanities they and their wiues take bribes and set Iustice out to sale And so not by degrees and by little and little but in all post haste to the great preiudice of the Common-wealth they goe still ascending to greater places and higher Dignities wherein they goe on in doing greater hurt and more mischiefe And these kinde of men are like vnto your martinets which if they be not raised from the earth are not able to flye but being raised neuer so little they make a very high flight So is it with these men who not hauing sufficiencie for the meanest places are no sooner raised a little by fauour and by suborning from that first Office which they no way deserued but they afterwards make a higher pitch and goe away with the best Offices in the Kingdome And the errour in this is for that Kings doe thinke that they are put into those places for their merit and good partes when as indeed it is farre otherwise Though sometimes also it cometh so to passe that Kings knowing how that such a one is not fit for such a place or such an Office that they may put him out of that clap him into another better and greater then the former and which requireth greater parts and more sufficiencie crossing that sentence of our Sauiour Christ who is the eternall wisdome of his father and cannot lye That hee that is not trusty in a little is not to be trusted with much Neither can he be held fit for the greater places that hath not sufficiencie in him for the lesser CHAP. XXV Whether Honours Offices and Dignities are to be conferr'd on those that sue for them TO men of much Learning Vertue and Quality and that haue beene of some vse and seruice to the State some Ministers doe haue sayd why do you not sue Sir for such or such a place Especially seeing that Kings loue to be sued vnto And that to sue beg and craue is so holy a thing that God himselfe knowing our necessities wilâ—th vs to aske Petite accipietis Aske and yee shall haue Besides it seemeth to bee a certaine kinde of pride to be willing to receiue without being desirous to sue For to sue is a signe of humilitie Wherefore to seeke to runne any other course sauours of I know not what singularitie rashnes and presumption Hereunto I answer that there is a great deale of difference betwixt sueing to God and sueing to Men and in the crauing of spirituall goods and the crauing of Temporall For in sueing to God we better our selues much and those principall Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie are much increased and augmented For our Faith increaseth when we petition God by acknowledging him to be the vniuersall Lord of all things who onely can fulfill our requests and desires According to that of Saint Paul super abundanter quà m petimus aut intelligimus That is able to doe exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke c. Likewise Hope and Charitie receiue thereby an Increase because we hope for a good end of our petition And for this cause doe we likewise loue God from whom wee hope to receiue the good we desire And this hath the greater force and truth with it when wee craue spirituall goods And of these spake our Sauiour when hee sayd Pettite accipietis And the Apostle S. Iames saith if any of you lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him But it is conditionall and bounded with a Nihil haesitans That he aske in faith and wauer not Which may likewise be
to foresee that also which is to come And this prouidence circumspection or prudencie sound alike and are in a manner one and the same thing The Ancient did so artificially paint prudencie that shee seemed to looke euery way and to haue her eyes fixed on whatsoeuer did behold her For prudence as it is silent so it is searching nothing escapes her knowledge And it is a vertue that maketh Kings like vnto God For as hee by his diuine prouidence doth foresee all and gouerne all and hath all things present before him so they by their humane prudence which participateth of the diuine behold things past dispose of things present and prouide for things to come Some call her Filiam Dei Gods daughter because it seemed vnto them that shee had something of the Deitie in her that shee was his Minister in the creation of the world and disposition of all things and ought likewise to be the Mistris of Kings vpon all their occasions For as Aristotle and Plato avouch no man can gouerne well that is not prudent In ancient times the Common people were of opinion that Prudence was annexed vnto Kings and that they had a particular gift to fore-see that which was to come And such as were prouident and prudent they held to bee Diuine True it is that wisedome is the gift of God and wee must craue it of him as did Moses Ioshua Dauid Salomon and other wise Kings Which to obtaine wee must shunne and flye from sinne for it is impossible that hee should bee prudent that is not vertuous And so much hath a man of prudence as hee hath of vertue And according to this measure shall the authoritie credite and opinion bee which hee shall hold with the people The Offices and effects which Prudence doth and causeth are many And some of them are collected out of the many and various expositions which the Doctors attribute to this Tower and nose of the Spouse which we will goe disposing by it 's Paragraphes in this chapter §. I. Of the Magnanimitie of minde which Kings ought to haue BY this high Tower and nose of the Spouse some vnderstand the Pope Quia in facie Ecclesiae eminet Because he is an eminent man in the face of the Church But Rabbi Kymki and Philo Iudaeus will haue it by the selfe same reason to bee vnderstood of a King Adding withall that the nose doth betoken Maiestie Grauitie Longanimitie and excellencie of minde wherein a King ought to exceede all other And therefore the Persians would neuer choose him to be their King who had not a hooke nose like the Eagle well shap't and proportioned which is the ensigne of a magnanimous minde And hence it is that they say of the God of the Hebrewes that hee hath great and large nostrils So sounds that word of the Psalmist Longanimis multum misericors id est longus naribus The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and plentious in mercie that is Of wide nostrills full of sufferance and patience for the smoake of fury and choler doth not so soone runne vp the chimney as in those which haue straight and narrow nostrils who are soone hot and sodainely incensed to anger And the selfe same Philo saith that in the Leuiticall Law they were not admitted to the Preisthood who had either a little crooked or disproportioned nose as being lesse fit for that Ministery The one are hot and cholerick the other ill-inclined Those againe which haue too great a nose are naturally cruell and proude and these are mislik't of all but that as much commended which signifies magnanimitie bountifullnesse and generousnes and is of sufficient largenesse to suffer and dissemble anger and not to haue the chimney choaked with a little smoake A qualitie so much importing Kings that from thence did arise that Prouerb Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare Hee that knowes not how to dissemble knowes not how to rule And there was a King of late times which stickt not to say that hee would not haue his sonne know any more Learning then that which this sentence doth containe for that it was so good and profitable a Lesson for Princes Tiberius Caesar did glorie in no one thing more then in the Arte of Dissimulation wherein he was so excellent that neuer any vpon any though neuer so great occasions giuen by him could search into his intents or diue into his thoughts In the story of the Kings it is written That at the very same time that God commaunded the possession of the Kingdome to be giuen vnto Saul which was the first King he had nominated some ill disposed persons that were malitiously bent against him did murmure at him and speake ill of him seeming to scorne and set light by him But God had giuen him such a measure of wisedome and discretion that although all that they had sayd came to his eare Ipse verò dissimulabat se audire Yet hee held his peace and would not seeme to take notice of it For when Kings come newly to their Crownes and that the things of the Kingdome are not yet throughly settled it is great prudence to reserue with dissimulation the punishment of great persons that with better occasion and in a better coniuncture he may proceed against them as reason and Iustice shall require That King shall not be accounted wise that shall pretend execution of Iustice with the danger of Insurrections and seditions nor shall the iustification of his intent suffice to execute his rashnesse in the meanes vnlesse hee first ballance the businesse and see which way the scale will incline as to see how farre hee may rely vpon the loue of his subiects and how the end may sorte with his designes lest the danger of the scandall disobedience may proue to bee greater then the profit that can arise from the execution of Iustice. For in such cases it is great wisedome in a King to conforme himselfe according to the times And that that which at one time is worthy of punishment should be dissembled and reserued to be punished at another time Which course as Saluste reporteth was in Catilines time taken with that great and powerfull Courtier Crassus The Emperour Iustinian hee likewise aymes at this marke And it is the Counsayle which S. Isidore giues vnto Kings The like did King Dauid when Ioab so treacherously slew Abner Onely to some few that were very inward with him he discouered the reason that mooued him to dissemble the matter and not to punish him with death for the present telling them with a great deale of griefe Ego autem adhuc delicatus sum vnctus Rex I am this day weake or as the Hebrew renders it tender though annoynted King As if he should haue sayd To see the affaires of my Crowne and Kingdome in that tender and ticklish estate wherein they stand obligeth me not to make that demonstration of rigour
Scribes and Pharisees moued against him was the people for they knew well enough that without them they could not awe and feare Pilate nor moue him by their accusations and false witnesses to condemne him In the next place they had recourse to the particular conueniency of the Iudge that he should not be a friend vnto Caesar but should loose his loue if vpon this occasion the people should rise and rebell by which tricke they inclined him to their partie and wrought him to preferre his priuate Interest before publicke Iustice and his owne preseruation before that which was both honest and reasonable Againe it is more secure to procure the fauour and loue of the people and more easie to effect his purpose by them More secure because without their loue and assistance no alteration in the state can take effect This their loue doth vphold Kings and gets them the opinion of good and vertuous Princes This qualifieth all wrongs or makes the offenders pay soundly for them against whom none dare seeme to be singular Lastly for that the common people hauing onely respect to their particular profit their own priuate Interest cannot desire nor pretend that which your greater Peeres and principall men of the State do who alwayes out of their ambition aspire to more and stand beaâ—ing their braines how they may compasse that which their imagination tells them they want And by so much the more doth this their Ambition increase in how much the greater place they are and in a neere possibilitie of that which they desire I sayd before more easie because the people content themselâ—es with aequalitie and his likewise makes well for Kings with the administration of Iustice with common ease and rest with plenty and with the mildenesse gentlenesse and peaceablenesse of him that ruleth ouer them Now that Kings may procure this popular loue it is fit they should make choyse of such Ministers as are well beloued of the people that will heare them with patience comfort and hearten them vp that they may the more willingly beare the burthens that are laid vpon them the Tributes Taxes and troubles of the Kingdome which in the end must light all vpon them For it is not to be doubted and experience teacheth the truth of it That the Ministers and seruants of a Prince make him either beloued or hated And all their defects or Vertues turne to his hurt or profit And let not Kings make slight reckoning thereof nor let them colour it ouer with Reasons of State For he that once begins to be hated out of an ill conceiued opinion they charge him withall that is either well or ill done For there is nothing be it neuer so good which being ill interpreted may not change it's first qualiâ—â—e in the eyes of men who iudge things by apparences Which is another principall cause why Princes ought to procure the loue of the people For in conclusion most certaine it is that the Common people is not onely the Iudge of Kings but is their Attourny also whose censure none of them can escape And is that Minister which God makes choyse of for to punish them in their name and fame which is the greatest of all Temporall punishments Suting with that which we sayd heeretofore of the voyce of the people that it is the voyce of God For his diuine Maiestie vseth this as a meanes to torment those who haue no other superiour vpon earth And therefore it behoueth them to preuent this mischiefe and to winne vnto them the peoples affection by as many wayes as possibly they can deuise as by their owne proper person with some with other some by their fauourites and familiar friends and with all by their Ministers For there is not such a Tully nor Demosthenes withall their eloquence for to prayse or disprayse the Actions of a King either to salue or condemne them as is the peoples loue or hatred A great cause likewise of procuring this loue and to winne the hearts of the people to giue them all good content will be if Kings would be but pleased who are Lords of many Kingdomes and Prouinces to haue neere about them naturall Ministers and Counsaylours of all the sayd seuerall Kingdomes and Prouinces For Common-wealths kingdomes risent it exceedingly to see themselues cast out of administration and gouernment when they doe not see at the Kings elbow or in his Counsell any one of their own nation and countrie conceiuing that they doe either basely esteeme of them or that they dare not trust them Whence the one ingendreth hatred and the other desireth libertie Let a King therefore consider with himselfe that hee is a publicke person and that he ought not to make himselfe particular that he is a naturall Citizen of all his Kingdomes and Prouinces and therefore ought not willingly to make himselfe a stranger to any one of them That he is a father to them all therfore must not shew himself a Step-father to any And therefore let him still haue some one naturall childe of euery Prouince in his Councel For it is a great vnhapines to a kingdome not to haue any one childe of theirs amongst so many by the Kings side with whom the Naturalls thereof may holde the better correspondencie For these more speedily with more diligence and loue treate and dispatch their businesses then strangers either can or will who must be sued vnto and will do nothing but vpon earnest intreaty or by force and compulsion or like good wary Merchants by trading for ready mony Let Kings weigh with themselues that it is as naturall a worke in them to afforde fauour vnto all as in a tree to afford fruit And it is a great glorie to a king to oblige all nations to loue him For that King much deceiueth himselfe who will make himselfe King of this or that Prouince and no more Sithence that God himselfe whom he representeth on earth professes himselfe to be Lord of t'one and t'other and of all And therefore hee that is Lord of many should not throw all his loue and affection on a few Let him in such sort conferre his fauours on the one that he may not giue occasion of affront and disgrace to the other For these generall fauours make much for the honor and estimation of Kings It faring with them as it doth with those trees when all sorts of passengers goe gathering inioying their fruits I say farther that for the augmentation and conseruation of the loue of Common-wealths and Kingdomes towards their Kings a maine and principall point which oâ—ght to be esteemed in more then other great treasures it will be very conuenient and is the Counsayle of persons of great prudencie throughly acquainted with Kings and Kingdomes that they should haue some person or persons of these good parts and qualities To wit Men of good naturall abilities of great wisedom to whom in particular they should ommit the care to
strangers be feared esteemed for men of wisedome worth and prudence As it befell King Salomon at his first comming to the Crowne when the peopâ—e of Israel perceiued the discretion and prudence wherwith he had proceeded in deâ—iding that difference betweene the two women touching the liuing childe which each of them pretended Insomuch that when they saw how wisely how iustly it was carryed by him they shouted aâ—l for ioy saying surely the wisedom of God is in him And from thence forth they began to respect feare him Yet mistake me not I beseech yee For I do not say that Kings should desire that any ill should betide any man but that they ought may desire that some such occasion might be offered vnto them wherein they might shew their zeale and loue vnto Iustice and manifest to the world that they are wise enough of themselues to execute the same For there is nothing that makes a King more worthy of his Monarchie as to win by meanes of his good Counsel and gouerment greater credit and authoritie then what he had when he began first to gouern For a kingdome is only the gift of fortune but this other argues his owne wisedome and iudgement But that which I shall conclude this point withall is this That this prudence sagacitie of the Serpent so much commended by Christ ioyned with the Doues simplicitie produceth two effects of much importance in kings which are these Neither to deceiue nor to be deceiued Simplicitie is without welt or garde plaine true and knowes not how to deceiue any man Prudence on the other side is very wary circumspect and will not suffer her selfe to be deceiued by any man Nay it goes a little farther for it perfecteth the whole essence and being of prudence and causeth a certaine dexteritie in the dispatch of businesses which is a great help vnto Princes and is the only Mistris to make them to vnderstand iudge things aright And likewise to see and discerne them by outward actions and the exterior sences The eye the foote the hand shall not wag moue or stirre but it shal discouer the inward thought Lastly it is it 's proper office Reason assisting and the discourse of the vnderstanding to anticipate occasions and to diuert in time the euill that may happen For as Tully sayth and very truly Nihil turpius in sapiente est quam dicere non putaram Nor ought it to be the Language of kings to say I did not thinke on such a thing I did not dreame that things would haue fallen out thus thus or that I did not throughly vnderstand the busines For in Kings it is no lesse shame to suffer themselues to be deceiued or to be ouercome by Artes and tricks then to be subdued in the open field by force of Armes Kings therefore being necessarily to heare and negociate with so many and so sundry persons to free themselues from the slightes subtleties of some must make vse of this circumspection and sagacitie Homer representeth vnto vs a most prudent Prince who though vnlearned yet for that he was very crafty subtile did gouerne very well and freed himselfe from many great dangers Subtletie and Sagacity accompanied I say with a sound intention and a good conscience for that is it weâ— aime at in gouernment proceedeth not from sagacity and subtletie but from goodnesse and Iustice. §. V. Of the Discretion which Kings ought to haue VEnerable Beda and S Gregory say of the nose and it's nostrills that they are the Instrument or Conduite to conuay all sorts of sents vp to the head And that they are purposely placed in so high a Station that they may the better discerne the good and the bad And they signifie thereby the vertue of discretion which is the knowledge of good and ill and by Reasons helpe distinguisheth the one from the other Per nasum discretio exprimitur per quam virtutes eligimus delecta reprobamus By the nose is vnderstood discretion by which wee make choyse of vertue and reiect our pleasures And is of that great excellencie that the Ancient made her Reginam virtutum the Queene of the Vertues reducing all the rest vnto it Another call'd her the Mother A third the fountaine or well-spring of the Vertues A fourth will haue euery particular vertue to beare the name of Discretion And there is not one wanting who affirmeth that these did not hit the marke aright for farre better saith hee might they haue said that there is no vertue at all without discretion For albeit the Vertues in themselues be perfect and full and doe qualifie the person that possesseth them as Fortitude makes a man valiant Iustice makes a man iust Wisedome makes a man wise And so in the rest Yet if the vse of discretion be wanting to any one of these they loose their Punctum medium wherein they consist and light vpon the extreames So the Liberall turnes Prodigall the Valiant foole-hardy The wise imprudent and the Iust iniurious Discretio sayth S. Bernard omni virtuti ordinem ponit Discretion is the rule by which euery vertue is directed And in matter of Counsell the Vote of discretion strikes a great stroake for it distinguisheth falsehood from truth things certaine from things doubtfull and from amidst what is ill maketh choice of that which is good It qualifieth all things and puts them in their punto and proper being And the Philosopher sayth That it is a vertue proper vnto Kings Princes and Gouernours to whom by office it belongs to intermeddle and haue a hand in such a world of businesses as require their direction and discretion wherewith all they must help themselues for the better disposing and ordring to a good end the affayres of the Common-wealth It is a neere neighbour vnto prudence and bordreth much vpon her these vertues as we sayd before being so inchained and interlinked one with another that we cannot touch one peece without trenching vpon the other And are both so necessarie that though I should say neuer so much of them I could not out-speake them But to come to the point Let the first point of aduise and discretion in a King be not trust so much to his own wise and discretion as to forbeare out of a presumption of his owne sufficiencie to treate and Consult businesses with persons of prudence and vnderstanding For being that so and so various are the cases which dayly offer themselues vnto Kings and so graue and weighty the businesses whereof they treate they must be canuased to and fro and well and throughly debated for the better ordring and setting of them making former errours to serue as land-markes for the avoyding of those to come And like a wise and experienced Physitian let him apply that medicine there and in that case where for want thereof he had formerly erred Out of ignorance to draw knowledge out of errours certainties
bold to tell it him And only Solon did the like with king Croesus Seldom times doth the truth enter into the Kings priuy-chamber and when it enters they scare expresse it in that bare and naked maner as did Iohn Baptist. And for this cause did Demetrius the Philosopher wish king Ptolomie to reade bookes Histories which treated of Precepts for Kings and Captaines for they would tell him that which none durst deliuer vnto him Socrates sayd That there was not any one that made open protestation to speake the truth that attained as he did to the age of 70. yeares And certaine it is that Kings cannot indure to heare those plaine and naked truths which the common people and other their subiects are able to tel them and proue vnto them nor must they that are in place presume to vtter them for feare of indangering their authoritie and reputation And therefore it is fit that they should haue some such persons about them which should both heare and vnderstand them and take their time to informe them of them And this is a rul'd Case taken out of those great Instructions and wise Aphorismes which Mecaenas gaue to Augustus worthy to be taken notice of and to be kept and obserued as coming from so great a Counsailour and proposed to a Prince who was so wise in this kinde To wit That Kings ought to giue libertie and way that their subiects vpon occasion might be admitted to tell them the Truth assuring them on their part that they will not bee offended with that which they shall say vnto them For it is permitted vnto a Physician to prescribe corrasiues and to cut away the dead flesh till it come to the quicke And it may as well be lawfull for a good subiect a faithfull Minister and Counseller of state to speake freely vnto his King with respect and reuerence to their royall dignitie the truth of that they thinke and to condemne him in his iudgement or otherwise when he shall goe about to doe any thing contrary to Iustice and reason Nor ought this to seeme oftensiue to any man nor to the King himselfe who if he haue a Christian feeling will approue in his minde vnderstanding the reasons that they shall represent vnto him so that if he be willing to heare the truths they shall tel him it may turne much to his profit And if he like not well of it there is no harme done neither doth he receiue any preiudice by it And if he shall thinke it fit for the furthering of his ends to follow the Counsaile of any let him coÌ„mend honour that person For by that plot which he shall haue deuised inuented he shall gaine honour and greatnesse by it And it is meete conuenient that he should incourage both him and others with thankes and rewards Because this is the sunne which giues life and the heaâ—e which warmes good wits and makes them actiue nimble And in case he shall not admit of his aduise let him not disgrace him nor finde fault with him for his good will and the desire that he hath to do him seruice But like a great Prince wherein he shall shew his goodnesse let his eye rather looke on the good desire and affection wherewith he doth it then on the effect thereof As likewise because others may not be disheartned for there is not any the poorest plante that hath not some vertue in it nor any brayne so barrene whence at one time or other some fruite may not be gathered for the publickegood I conclude then this first point of that plaine and sincere truth which Kings are to treate and wherewith they are to be treated in signifying vnto them that their own and the Kingdomes safety relyes on searching out the truth and in hauing those about them which will freely speake it a thing so necessarie for to gouerne vprightly and to reward him though it cost him well that shall tell him For Kings shall meete with few that will tell it them as they say for a song For considering the danger whereinto they put themselues by speaking the truth it costes them much And it is an old and ancient kinde of cosenage and deceit which Kings and Princes suffer in not hearing truthes contenting themselues with applause and adulation of that only which pleaseth their humour though it be in thingâ— of much importance and such as neerely concerne them A notable example whereof we haue in the Tri-partite Historie reported by Sozomenus of the Emperour Constantine the great who being one day desirous of make triaâ—l of the integritie and truth of those that seru'd him hee called them all before him and toâ—d them My good friends it is now many yeares that I haue liued vnder the obseruance of the Christian Law but now I grow weary of it for it is a very painefull and troublesome thing to submit our necke to the yoake of the Gospell and to submit ouâ— selfe to a Law that will not allow vs so much libertie as to swarue one tittle from it I pray you let me haue your opinions in it for we for our part are resoâ—ued what we will doe When the Emperour had thus exprest himselfe those that were flatterers Sycophants and time pleasers sayd vnto him Wee thinke your Maiestie shall doe well in so doing and wee shall be obedient to what you shall ordaine therein But those good and faithfull seruants which desired the good and prosperous estate of their Prince both in soule and body humbly besought him on their knees saying Sir For Gods honour and your own doe not doe so vile a thing for it is neither fitting nor lawfull nor shall wee follow you therein or serue you one day longer Then did the Emperour know by this which were good seruants and of greatest trust and presently dismiâ—sed the other Credens nunquam eos circa principem suum fore dâ—bitos qui suerunt Dei sui sic paratissimi proditores Perswading himselfe that they would neuer be faithfull to their Prince that would so soone turne traytours vnto God And if Kings would know how true this is and the errour wherein they liue by hauing the truth kept from them let them at some one time or other when they see fit make shew to affect the contrary to that which before they were hot vpon and did earnestly desire and then shall they see that those very men which approued the one will likewise make good the other and then will they know how in the one or in the other nay in all they are deceiued by them or at least that they dare not plainely and simply tell him that truth which their hearts thinke If they be Ministers and Counsellours of State if they once finde out their Kings homour and the ayre that most delightes his eare they play vpon that string If they be bed-chamber men or the like familiar Attendants about his person they haue naturally a
did intend it Let euery good King begge of God and let vs all ioyne in the same prayer that in our times it may not come to these termes and that Kings will striue and studie to quench these sparkes before they breake forth into a flame and to put out the fire whilest it is but newly kindled lest it take hold on the whole building and helpe come too late And because there are so many sortes of vices that it is not possible to procure an vniuersall cure for them all that which is likeliest to doe most good will bee that selfe same medicine mentioned before in dyet and apparrell to wit the good example of Kings and in imitation of them that of the great Lords of the land and those that are nearest in Court about their persons ioyning herewith the feare of their disfauour letting them both see and know that the vicious fall backward and the vertuous come forward in honour and that onely vertue is the true meanes and surest way to bring men to great place and preferrement in the commonwealth Let Kings hate these idle droanes these honey-suckers of other mens labours that liue all vpon the waste and spoile Which kinde of people euen in reason of state are not good for the quiet of a kingdome in regard of the euill cogitations and dangerous deuises that are bred in their mindes and in their time breake out I would haue this imitation to bee the remedie for this so great an ill for neither penalties nor feare of punishment will doe any good vpon them For hee that will not forbeare to sinne for feare of Gods Law will hardly refraine from mans Let Kings therefore say and doe those things that they would haue their Subiects say and doe And let their fauourites and those that are nearest about them runne the like course and let it extend to the better sort and those that are of ranke and qualitie for by this meane it will descend to those likewise that are of meaner condition and then shall they see how much more good it will worke then either lawes or punishment And this is the more naturall of the two for the one is founded vpon imitation and the other grounded vpon feare And men doe more easily imitate those better things which they see actually put in execution then depart from those worser things which they either heare or know to be prohibited And when they shall see that their superiours and those that are in place and authoritie command one thing and doe another they neither dread their threatnings nor obey their commandements For perceiuing that they doe but imitate their actions they perswade themselues that none can without blushing punish the same sinne in them Salust did aduise Caesar in the entrance to his Empire that if he would order his commonwealth aright he should first of all begin with reformation in himselfe and his as Pliny saith Vita Principis censura est eaque perpetua ad hanc dirigimur ad hanc conuertimur The life of a Prince is a perpetuall censure and according thereunto doe we guide and gouerne our selues And let it not seeme vnto any that this remedie of the imitation of Kings is slow and long and will aske a great deale of time for where there is met together as it were in it's center whatsoeuer may corrupt and hurt that which is capable of being corrupted when as neither Kings nor their Lawes are able to hinder it in vaine is it indeuoured or to be imagined that that may bee cured in a few yeares which hath layen sicke so many But till such time as men grow vp like new plants and haue accustomed themselues to vertue to the end that through the tendernesse of their youth they may not grow awry Being therein likewise holpen by the example of their betters for there is not any Artifice so powerfull and effectuall as that of imitation which I now speake of for it being a cure so conformable vnto nature it will worke by degrees whereof we shall not know the benefit till we haue enioyed it And because there are both diseased persons and diseases as Saint Chrysostome hath obserued which are neither remedied by sweet potions nor purged away by bitter pills A maine reason whereof is because they themselues are not willing to be cured nor will admit of the example of Kings nor the feare of their Lawes it is fit this other remedie should be vsed of punishment and chastisement without dissimulation For many times the motiue of sinning is the facilitie of forgiuing And it is a knowne case that people by punishment become obedient but by pardoning proud and insolent The ill and vicious are so possessed and inabled in their vices by their long continuance that if Kings should not shew some mettall and courage they would possesse the world and carry all things away before them in that violent manner that the good should not be able to liue amongst thē By chastising the bad saith Baldus the good liue in safety And for this cause and not in vaine according to Plato and others were Lawes instituted and regall power the stroke of the sword the discipline of the Clergie and the common hangmans whip all of them as necessary for mans life as those 4. Elements by which we liue breathe Let Kings take this from me and beleeue it That that commonwealth is in great danger where the Kings reputation goes decaying and the force of Iustice looseth it's strength For thereby vices assume licence vnto themselues and their owners perseuere and go on in them Here a remisse Prince is a sharpe sword and doth neuer more grieuously punish then when hee doth most pardon Punishment and chastisement onely offend the delinquent but remission la ley al Rey y la Grey the Law King and people By remission Lawes and Kings grow in contempt and the whole commonwealth infected Whereas by chastisement the Law is obeyed and kept the King feared and honoured and the kingdome maintained in peace and iustice I doe not treat here of those cruell and rigorous punishments which some seuere Iudges inflict for remedies and cures of so much rigour are violent and do sooner kill and make an end of their Subiects then heale and recouer them by little and little Wherefore in point of correction a commonwealth must vse a great deale of caution and prudence And for that hee who pretends by maine strength to resist the furious current of a swift riuer or by roughnesse to tame a head-strong horse shall shew himselfe as insolent as impertinent rigour with gentlenesse and iustice with mercie will doe well which if they go not hand in hand and kisse each other they are both but the occasion of greater corruption For it is an erronious discourse in those that thinke that publike conseruation consisteth in the execution of cruell chastisements and sharpe and rigorous sentences bee they of death
as is in all well gouerned kingdomes Referring as we said before to the ordinary Councells and Tribunalls ordinary businesses consulting with their Kings those that are of most importance And these Kings by themselues as before mentioned ought to dispatch if therein they be not hindered by default of their health and not to remit and referre them to their Fauourites who in matter of Iustice were it but distributiue should haue no lande of power For thereby they oppresse those Tribunalls and seates of iustice together with their Ministers and Officers who for that they know they must haue much dependancy on the Fauourite if he shall haue a hand in Courts of Iustice and distribution of Offices cannot but remaine much oppressed and debarred of their libertie and the more if they haue any pretension for their owne interest or increasing of their estate and honour And the reason of all this will plainly appeare if wee will but weigh those words of the wise man Per me Reges regnant Legum conditores iusta decernunt Through me Kings raigne Through mee Councellours make iust Lawes Whereby is giuen to vnderstand the particular fauour which God giues to the lawfull Kings and Gouernours of their kingdomes and commonwealths to hit right in that which appertaineth vnto gouernment And therefore was it well said of that wise King Salomon Diuinatio in labijs Regis in iudicio non errabit os eius Prophecie is in the lippes of the King his mouth shall not go wrong in iudgement And your Diuines are of opinion that Kings haue more helpe and aide from their Angels of guard then other men haue And besides all this the publike prayers that are poured forth throughout all their kingdomes and Prouinces are of most great vse for Gods illightning of their vnderstanding And therefore for these reasons aforesaid although your Fauourites and more secret Councellours of State may be very learned and wise vnderstanding men yet is there a great deale of reason why in graue and weightie causes they should craue and attend their Kings opinion esteeming it as the more certaine being it comes from a head so much fauoured by God and so well assisted and strengthened on all sides Which doth not concurre in Fauourites for God hath not made that promise vnto them as he hath vnto Kings nor peraduenture doe they deserue it And if he bee the sole and onely Fauourite much lesse can hee presume that either his opinion or paines can be greater or surer then that of so many learned Councellours and Councells that haue met and sate thereupon and haue spent so much time and studie in State-affaires Nor is it to bee imagined that when Councellours doe consult and craue their Kings opinion and resolution that they doe it to that end that they should receiue it from another inferiour person whom let Kings loue them neuer so much or conferre all that they can vpon them they cannot giue them more vnderstanding or more knowledge nor a better minde and disposition then what they haue already for this is reserued for God onely as also it properly belongeth vnto him to giue light vnto Kings that they may giue a fitting and direct answer to that point wherein they are consulted who alwayes supplyes them with that knowledge which is needfull for them if they shall but begge it at his hands and make good vse thereof Hence are two things inferred which are very sure and true The first That Kings are bound in conscience to attend in their owne person graue and weightie businesses for that this is their principall office which is euidently proued by this reason Whosoeuer beares an Office and hath salarie for the same is thereby obliged to cumply fully therewith Sub poena peccati vpon penaltie of sinning And by so much the more grieuous shall the sinne be by how much the greater is the Office and by how much the more the stipend is augmented Now Kings you will confesse vnto me haue the greater office and greater stipend in all things and therefore shall they more grieuously sinne if they do not cumply therewith And this is made good in the sixth of Wisedome wherein these very words it is expresly said Potentes potenter tormenta patientur fortioribus fortior instat cruciatio A sharpe punishment shall be to them that be in high places and the mighty shall bee mightily tormented The second That Fauourites are obliged on paine of the said penaltie to serue their Kings in their owne persons well and faithfully in those businesses which they shall commit to their charge and that in taking their pleasure and ease more then their Kings themselues and substituting others to performe that trust and charge which is put vpon them they cannot iustly enioy that authoritie nor those interests and profits which doe result from their priuacie And let they themselues tell me what title they haue to enioy so much as they doe when they take lesse paines then their Kings but pleasure more And to conclude with that which is here questioned in this Chapter I say That admitting Fauourites to bee such as they ought to be it is fit notwithstanding that there should be more then one or two For thereby Kings shall haue the more helpe and out of that emulation and zeale which is wont to bee amongst them each of them will striue to bee more considerate and better aduised in commanding others and in begging and applying things to himselfe and his owne priuate profit and more solicitous in doing seruice to the State lest others might get the start of him in his Kings fauour And howbeit the name of fauourite seemeth not to indure a companion yet if they fixe their eyes on that which they ought which is the common good of the common-wealth and the seruice of their Kings it would neuer grieue them that there should bee others to assist for the same end and purpose but like that great Fauourite and friend of God Moses they would say Vtinam omnes prophetarent Would to God they did all prophecie CHAP. XXXIIII Of the Conditions and Qualities of Fauourites SVpposing that that then which hath beene said in the former Chapters and that Kings are to haue such persons about them who with proprietie may hold the name of friends for such qualitie and condition must they be of who possesse the bosome and soule of their Master by the communication of the greatest and most secret affaires and performe the office of Fauourites For although it be true that it cannot properly be said that Kings haue friends for that all saue of their owne ranke are inferiour vnto them yet is it likewise true that the holy Scripture as we shewed you before stiles Fauourites friends For the force of loue is of that great power that it remoueth and lifteth vp things from their point and center giuing the name of friend to a seruant and subiect Qui diligit cordis
the Kings house and without his house and in places of gouernment persons that were tyed and wedged to his house either by see-tayle or by friendship I referre my selfe to that which the sentence saith speaking in the person of King Don Iuan the second And it is not to be doubted that when Fauourites shall wholly apply themselues to seaze vpon all the Ports thereby to know all and so to stoppe vp all the doores and passages that none can come to negociate with their Kings but by their hands it is no other but a binding of their Kings hands and to oppresse them with a palliated and cloaked kinde of tyranny with relation to their priuate Interest And because from our very first entrance into this our discourse our purpose was to confirme whatsoeuer we proposed by the testimonies of holy Scripture to the end that no man vpon any false presupposall should so much as surmise or thinke that we go about to tread too neare vpon the heeles of Fauourites I will likewise remit my selfe in this particular to that Letter registred in the Scripture which that great King Artaxerxes wrote to all the Dukes and Princes and to all his vassalls of 127. Prouinces of his kingdomes wherein with indeared reason hee propoundeth the insolencies and tyrannies exercised by Fauourites who vsing amisse the fauours and mercedes which their Kings doe them seeke to carry all things before them with a high hand And for that the holy Ghost would haue all this set down in the sacred History we may here very well intersert some part thereof which is well worthy the noting Multi bonitate principum honore c. Many the more often they are honoured with the great bounty of their gracious Princes the more proud they are waxen And indeauour to hurt not our Subiects onely but not being able to beare abundance doe take in hand to practise also against those that doe them good And take not onely thankfulnesse from among men but also lifted vp with the glorious words of lewd persons that were neuer good they thinke to escape the iustice of God that seeth all things and hateth euill Oftentimes also the faire speech of our friends put in trust to mannage the affaires haue caused many that are in authoritie to bee partakers of innocent bloud and hath inwrapped them in remedilesse calamities Beguiling with the falsehood and deceit of their lewd disposition the innocencie and goodnesse of Princes c. And it oftentimes commeth to passe that the good actions and intentions of Kings are hindered and the light of their Iustice eclipsed by the interposition of some terrestriall bodie which doth darken the glory thereof as the interuention of the earth obscureth the Sunne And the publike misfortunes which befall the common-wealth and the particular wrongs and iniustices which men by this meanes must indure euen vnder the raigne of a iust and religious King make his Empire hatefull for it is a naturall property incident to the vulgar when any misfortune shall befall a State to remoue the blame from themselues and to lay the fault vpon those that are of greater ranke and quality But to returne to our intended purpose I say That in the Offices of Iustice I meane wherein distributiue Iustice requireth consideration of merit way is not to bee giuen to the friends and kinsfolke of Fauourites but respect rather to bee bad to the common good wherein is to bee vsed the fore-specified warinesse and circumspection And in such sort may the risentment and complaints of the kingdome increase that howbeit the said friends and kinsmen should in their abilities haue the aduantage of others yet ought they to be excluded For this reason in point of weale publike is of more weight and consequence then any sufficiencie whatsoeuer in those other pretenders Marry in those other offices which we call Offices of grace for that they neither haue the administration of Iustice nor gouernment the hand may be stretched out in a freer manner vnto those that haue any reference of amitie or alliance vnto Fauourites But these offices are but few and of no great importance and in case an exact consideration should bee had there being not that office bee it neuer so small wherein a man shall not meete with some opposites and pretenders wee must not be too hasty but hold the hand awhile that fitting prouision might be made according to the qualities and merits of the person One that was a principall Councellour of State certified a certaine graue and worthy person that he being Alcalde de Corte the common hangmans office fell voide and that hee was so earnestly sued vnto and such intercessions therein vsed that he was faigne to make two the better to cumply with his owne obligation and their importunitie And of the Catholicke Queene Donna Isabel it is said That when she gouerned the State together with King Don Fernando her husband there fell by chance a paper from forth her sleeue wherein shee had written with her owne hand Let the Cryars place of such a Citie be bestowed vpon such a one for that he hath the best voice And if in so meane an office these Catholicke and prudent Princes had such great care and respect to the qualities of the persons what care ought there to bee had in those of Iustice and gouernment What in Ecclesiasticall dignities which are the pillars of our sacred Religion When the day of that strict and rigorous account shall come which God shall require at their hands they will then see how much this did import them Let then the finall resolution of this question be That supposing that the naturall inclination of Fauourites is to benefit all and that those that are nearest vnto them for what respect soeuer it be are to bee preferred vnto Honours and Offices I will not straighten them so much nor my words and counsell and seeme to be too much republike and intire in condemning all their actions for that it hath been a thing alwayes permitted to those that are put in such high places But I would not haue it passe for a rule in the prouision of publike offices through which haue past such persons as well vnderstood what belonged to State affaires and the conseruation of Kings and their kingdomes and that were complete in all kinde of good learning and knowledge who witting that those who had power with their Kings would fauour those that were theirs out of that inclination which is common to all men haue not stickt to say that this may be done but with this consideration that it bee not to the hurt of the commonwealth For there is not that ground plant or man so barren but hath some vertue in it and is good for some Ministrie or other In confirmation whereof wee are likewise to consider that in naturall things there is not any so vile and so base which alwayes and at all times is vnprofitable And
should bee either suspected or found culpable in points of Heresies Errours and depraued Sects contrary to the Catholicke saith For therein consisteth all our good words all of them worthie consideration and worthy so Catholicke a Prince esteemed approued and perpetually obserued by his most happie sonne howbeit to his great cost As one that knew very well that in the obseruance of Religion and Catholicke faith all the happinesse that we can hope for in this or that other life dependeth thereupon and hath it 's sure ground and foundation And therefore Saint Paul calls it Substantiam rerum sperandarum c. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene c. For it is the foundation whereupon is built in our soules all our spirituall good insomuch that the selfe same Apostle said Sine fide c. Without faith it is impossible to please God And seeing it is a Iewell of such great worth and value Kings are to make that esteeme of it that they doe not onely retaine it but maintaine and defend it especially in their owne kingdomes and in all other places where they haue any power For besides the obligation which they haue as Christian Kings it concernes them likewise in their owne proper interest For in giuing way to their Subiects that they be not faithfull vnto God it will pull that punishment vpon them that they shall not be loyall vnto them And most certaine it is that they who shall not cumply with the greater obligation shall easily faile in the lesser And this is made cleare vnto vs in the sacred History of the Kings where whosoeuer shall diligently obserue the same hee shall finde That after Ieroboam King of Israel had set vp those Idolls in Dan and Bethel of purpose to withdraw the people from the true worship of God were commenced and continued as there wee may reade the treasons and rebellions of the Subiects against their Kings For this vnfortunate Prince thought with himselfe that for to settle and secure himselfe in the kingdome by those ten Tribes which had rebelled and made choice of him for their King that it would be a good meanes to induce them to his deuotion to draw them to forgo the adoration of the true God which they were wont to performe in the holy Citie and Temple of Ierusalem and to humble and prostrate themselues before those Idolls But the iust vengeance of God ouertooke him for instantly thereupon he lost his eldest sonne who dyed a violent death For Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him and smote him at Gibbethon and anon after all the house of Ieroboam not leauing vnto him any that breathed And not onely hee and his did miscarry but the whole kingdome was laid waste and desolate for that sinne and led away captiue And as when one man hath receiued from another some extraordinary great wrong he can hardly forget it so vpon all occasions wherein mention is made of the sinnes of the Kings which afterwards succeeded and of the punishment which they deserued for them still is the remembrance reuiued of this most grieuous sinne of Ieroboams and are attributed vnto him as being the first that opened the gappe vnto them And all those troubles which are there particularly set downe in those sacred bookes befell that kingdome for a punishment to them and a warning to all Christian Kings that by how much the greater light they haue for to know the excellencie of Faith and the truth of Christian Religion so much the lesse are they to be obeyed and the more seuerely to bee punished if they should be wanting to so great and so apparent an obligation Let Christian Kings therefore know that if they shall continue firme in the faith and cause all their subiects to continue constant therein God will protect both King and people and will establish their kingdomes and all shall obey and feare them but if they shall faile therein all runs to wracke and vtter ruine So that as a naile if you will haue it to hold must be fastened in some other thing that is firme and strong lest it and all that hangs thereon come tumbling downe to the ground So in like manner if a King will vphold himselfe firme and sure in his power Maiestie and greatnesse hee must be firmely fixed to the faith strongly vnited with God and close wedged to his diuine will but if he begin once to sinke or shrinke in this all his kingdomes or whatsoeuer depend thereon come tumbling downe to the ground with a sudden and fearefull fall For nothing doth more vphold a sociable life a Monarchie and kingdome then Religion linked with Iustice. Noah for his Religion and Iustice was after the Flood obeyed by all The Romans for the vpholding and inlarging of their Empire held not any meanes comparable to that of Religion and Iustice wherein they surpassed all of those times The Emperour Seuerus being at the point of death which is a time for men to speake truth ended his life with these words Firmum impeâ—ium filijs meis relinquo si boni erunt Imbecille si mali A strong Empire leaue I to my Sonnes if they proue good a weake if bad For the greatest force and strength of a kingdome both for the present and the future is the vertue of it's king So that with no lime and sand are the walls and foundations of States more firme and surely setled for lasting and continuance then with a Kings vertue and goodnesse Which is that recompence and reward which God promised to his most faithfull seruant Dauid for his vertue Firmaboregnum eius stabiliam thronum regni eius in sempiternum I will establish his kingdome and I will stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer That is the title and dignitie of a King should bee continued and confirmed vnto him tanquam in vsum proprietatem for euer and euer This firmnesse in the faith and this obseruance of Religion and Iustice are those strong pillars and columnes which being truly cumplyed withall do not onely vphold for the present but doe likewise increase and perpetuate kingdomes If good King Iehosaphat had not entred into league and amitie with King Ahab the Idolater it had not fallen out with him so ill as it did nor his life beene put to that danger as it was Iudas Machabeus heard tell of the great and famous deeds that the Romanes had done in feates of Armes being a stranger-Nation to Gods people Whereupon he sent his Ambassadours vnto them to make a perpetuall league and confederation with them Wherewith God was much displeased and so hurtfull vnto them was this amitie and alliance that many haue obserued that after this Peace was concluded betweene them Iudas neuer after obtained any victory ouer his enemies but was flaine in the first battell that he fought And some say the like succeeded to
are like a lingring kinde of Calenture or aguish Feuer which makes an end of vs before we are aware of it working it's effect before wee can looke into the cause Or like vnto the hand in a Clocke or Dyall which tells out the houre and strikes without perceiuing how it moues or goes Or like vnto those plants of your tallest trees which grow to their full height whilest neither our eyes nor our vnderstanding can scarce comprehend how this comes to passe so insensibly doth it sproute and shoot vp This is the question and these in briefe the conueniences which for mine owne part I know not what they are vnlesse such conueniences as are proper to euery one in their owne estate But be it as it may be and let them say what they list let Kings resolue by the illumination of that light which they haue from heauen on that which shall be best for them That which I say is this That it will well become them to liue with a great deale of warinesse and circumspection and not to trust or relye too much vpon fortune For this Lady howbeit sometimes shee suffers her selfe to bee commanded by them yet now and then she ouerrules them as she doth the rest And therefore it shall bee good discretion and prudence to feare both her and her frequent mutabilities and changings as it behoueth euery man to doe the like For she without any respect or distinction of persons will oftentimes lash out from that way and course wherein she is and runne a quite contrary bias and commit the current of those effects to time and Nature Let Kings likewise take heed that they doe not put offended persons into such places where they may reuenge themselues For a receiued wrong or iniurie leaues still some roots behinde which when occasion is offered will bud forth most bitter and venemous plants Nor are there any rewards or benefits be they neuer so great that can blot out the print of that impression which an iniurie stampeth in the minde and heart of man Courtesies are soone forgotten by them for it seemeth a troublesome thing vnto them to endure the weight and burthen of so great a debt and obligation but a receiued wrong or iniurie that shall euer be remembred because they hold reuenge to be the character of courage and the badge of a noble minde and braue spirit Puluere qui laedit scribit sed marmore laesus He that does a wrong writes it downe in dust but he that receiues it in marble Tacitus teacheth vs to know this minde of man and it's passions telling vs that the greatest and strongest inclination in man is to receiue satisfaction of the iniuries done vnto them for thankfulnesse lyes as a heauy loade vpon them whereas they make light of those benefits they receiue Esteeming the latter to be a diminution of their greatnesse and the former to wit reuenge to bee a great gaine vnto them for they imagine that they gaine thereby in their authoritie in their reputation and in the manifestation of their valour when the world shall take notice that they haue righted themselues Such as these can neither bee good as they are Fauourites nor as they are Councellers For out of the desire and pleasure they take in reuenge they will rather aduise that which shall seeme conuenient for the execution thereof then for the authoritie and profit of the Prince whom they aduise They will aduise him I say to venture himselfe vpon some voyage to enter into a warre to go himselfe into the field with a royall army or to vndergo some dangerous enterprise for the better effecting of their designes plotting a thousand mischiefes to bring him vnto ruine And let them say what they will yet shall they neuer perswade me that this proceeds out of the loue which they beare vnto their King and his increase of honour but out of hatred to his person their owne proper satisfaction thinking that by that meanes they may worke their reuenge And hereunto I adde that no man can bee found of so perfect a minde of so temperate a nature and so vertuous but that in the first place he will treate of his owne businesse and that treating of this particular the eye of his thought still ayming to hit this white will not sticke to aduenture any danger in hope of reuenge And therefore I shall aduise Kings that of necessitie must sometimes giue eare and credit to these or the like persons if they chance to bee preferred to great places that they be very carefull how farre forth they trust them for they are a dangerous kinde of people vnsafe and more couetous of their owne priuate interest then carefull of the publike perill or common hurt For this loue vnto themselues and hatred vnto others couered and strewed ouer with the cloud and ashes of iniuries and offences either receiued or conceiued doth reuiue and quicken the coales by those blasts of fauour and greatnesse that are blowne on them procuring though to others cost to vphold themselues therein and to ingage Kings in that which they pretend for their reuenge and satisfaction God shield and protect Kings from such persons as shall with the snake take vp their poyson againe to vent the venome of their rancour and reuenge vpon an old quarrell and let them likewise take heed how they imploy their forces and their power in countenancing and protecting those whom they haue offended and discontented This saith the said Emperour Charles the fifth is an aduice of great importance for the safetie quietude and good gouernment of kingdomes States and Signiories which for that they are so many so great and so farre distant one from another it is impossible that they should be visited by your selfe in person so often as is requisite And therefore I aduise you that you haue a great care that your Viceroyes and Gouernours that shall be sent thither be such and of such parts as shall conuene for such an imployment men of experience and conscience of wisedome prudence and discretion and well seene in matters of State and Gouernment Well disposed and free from couetousnesse briberie and corruption seeking out rather men for Offices then Offices for men Lastly let them be such persons from whom you may receiue that good satisfaction that by their residence there may bee found no misse of their Kings presence For this is properly to bee Vice-royes Moreouer you must instruct them in that which appertaineth vnto them for the good gouernment of the Commonwealth and those Subiects which are committed to their charge maintaining them in equall iustice and good manners giuing them good example by their owne blamelesse conuersation There is nothing that doth so much oblige Vassals and Subiects to keepe the Statutes and Lawes which are ordained as to see them well kept and obserued by their betters And so it is that it is vniustly commanded which hee that commands keepes not himselfe if
is like a whirlwinde which turnes against himselfe causing a very dangerous tempest against that very place from whence it came And therefore he that giues counsell it importeth him much that he giue good and sound aduice for if it bee not good God doth permit that it maketh for their owne great hurt and perdition As it succeeded with those Princes of Babylon who so ill aduised their King against iust Daniel God so ordering the businesse that the same ill that they intended against him fell vpon themselues their wiues and their children When God is willing to put his armes athwart and to crosse wicked purposes little will auaile all the ill counsell in the world be the pate that hatcheth it as wise and as subtill as Achitophels As it fared with that great Fauourite of king Assuerus in that deuillish and malitious plot of his which he had imagined and contriued against poore honest Mardochee But this was to him elsuenno del perro as it is in the Fable like to the dogges dreame There was a dogge that did dreame that he was eating a good morsell of flesh and as he was chopping of it vp vttered some broken notes in his language of the great content that he tooke therein His Master seeing him in this manner takes vp a good cudgell and soundly lamm's him the dogge awakes findes himselfe deceiued and runnes whining away Haman carried away with the like conceit prepares a gallowes for Mardochee fiftie cubits high thinking thereon to hang him the next day but it was his ill lucke to supply the place himselfe Consilia enim saith Saint Basil quae contra bonos more 's dantur in propria capita eorum qui consulunt redundant Those counsels that are giuen contrary to good manners light vpon their heads that gaue them And therefore let Councellours bee well aduised what counsell they giue Aelian reporteth that there was a very ancient Law and duely kept in the kingdome of Persia that if any should aduise the King to any thing that was not beneficiall to his person and the commonwealth presently by the common Cryer his ill counsell was published and himselfe taken and stript and openly whipt vp and downe the streets And if there were such a Law in force here with vs and as duely obserued I assure my selfe that neither Kings would be so often deceiued as now they are nor would there be so many vndertakers and proiectors who impudently presume to put into their heads things that are so pernicious to their owne conscience and the publike good Supreme authoritie Kings neither ought to giue nor Fauourites take it Let them as much as they can conceale from the world that great grace and fauour wherein they stand with their King but if there shall bee an impossibilitie in that yet there is none in this to let pretenders know that all consisteth in the Prince and to referre the conferring of all benefits fauours and graces vnto him and to let him haue all the thankes in matter of pensions offices or rewards and to attribute vnto him all those successes that fall out well and happily and all other good and prudent resolutions and to free him from the blame of those that shall otherwise succeed To treate him with much reuerence and respect to beare him exceeding great loue And together with these to be wonderfull solicitous and carefull in all that shall concerne his seruice All of them being notable and necessarie qualities for to conserue Fauourites in their Kings grace and good opinion and to wedge their affection vnto them For loue must bee the doore by which the grace of a Prince is to enter For hee must loue that will bee beloued And hauing gained it by this meanes he must keepe and preserue it by reuerence and humilitie in his carriage and by being faithfull and diligent in his seruice All which will be lost by doing the contrary And not onely ought they to carry themselues thus towards their Kings but are also to esteeme and honour all of all estates in a fitting proportion according to euery mans qualitie and condition Shewing himselfe liberall solicitous peaceable patient louing kinde and courteous towards all All of them qualities that conserue a Kings fauour and gaine the peoples good will A Fauourite must be modest affable and affoord a courteous hearing vnto all men Besides it is a part of Iustice so to doe and a very necessarie meanes to come to the knowledge of all things and to be the better prouided against whatsoeuer shall occurre Whereas on the contrary to looke to be intreated and sued vnto and not easie to bee spoken withall argues a kinde of pride and statelinesse which all abhorre This is the doctrine of Tacitus citing the example of Seianus the Emperour Tiberius his great Fauourite who being growne into grace with him the better to conserue himselfe therein forthwith endeauoured to fauour and pleasure all your principall and noble persons in their pretensions For in all occurrences he conceiued hee might expect more kindnesse from them then from the baser and meaner sort of people whereby he came to bee loued of the one and feared of the other and by all of them to be serued and obeyed Insomuch that there was not any one who did not seeke vnto him to mediate and make intercession for them with Tiberius And howbeit he was not ignorant that hee was superiour to them all and inferiour to none yet did he neuer grow neglectfull of his humble carriage and reuerent respect to his Prince and a due regard vnto all Hitherto hee proceeded fairely and went on well and may serue for a patterne and example for Fauourites but in the rest for a prouiso and admonition for Kings For after that ambition and couetousnesse entred into his heart that consuming moath and deuouring worme of all goodnesse he presently procured the charge or place of Praefectus Praetorius or Captainship of the Guard and within a short time grew to be so absolute therein that he became as it were Lord and Master of his Prince and crusht all that stood in his way or might be of any impediment to his priuacie He sought alwayes to bee with him lest others might creepe in betwixt him and home and possesse his place still humbly beseeching him that he would imploy him in businesses of greatest danger and trouble and such as might redound most to the benefit of the Emperours life and state A maine point wherewith to oblige his Prince vnto him and to make him the more acceptable in his sight For those that are nearest about Kings and are in greatest fauour with him ought in the greatest dangers to set their foot formost and to be the forwardest aduenturers He did seeke to ouercome Art by Art inducing Tiberius to retire himselfe to places of pleasure that were remote and farre from Court to the end that whilest he was recreating himselfe abroad he might dispose of
him as it pleased him He told him that solitude was the best and onely course for the resoluing of the graue and weighty affaires of the Empire which otherwise by diuersion might receiue the same hurt and hinderance as they were wont to haue heretofore And what with this and with giuing him to vnderstand that he would quit him of all the ordinarie cares and troubles of Court most men vsually desiring to shunne trouble and to take their ease and pleasure hee perswaded him to go to Capri that hee in the meane while might rule and gouerne all And in the end grew to be so great and powerfull and to take such state vpon him that hee would not giue audience to any reducing them to those tearmes that they should speake and negociate by writing to the end that nothing might bee treated or resolued of without his priuie saying That by reducing businesses to papers and memorialls answer might bee giuen vnto them with more deliberation and better consideration then by word of mouth A meere Artifice cunning trick of his own inuention to make himselfe absolute Master of all and which is more of the heart of his Prince God deliuer vs from such ambitious interessed and couetous Ministers whose maine care is their owne particular and to heape vp riches for himselfe and his and make it their whole study and onely end to keepe and continue themselues in their kings grace and fauour and to deale with their Prince as the Ante doth with the corne which that it may not grow againe and that hee may the better and more conueniently make profit thereof presently eates out the heart of it God likewise free Kings from this base subiection and insensibilitie and from men of that qualitie and condition which desire to rule and command all For the one cannot escape a storme and the other must runne great hazard of being drowned therein Let the last aduertisement bee the example of a great Fauourite whose name is Aurelius Cassidorus borne in the Prouince of Calabria and highly aduanced in Magistracies and Gouernments of both Empires Rome and Constantinople who being renowned for his cheualrie and noble feates of armes defended the Islands of Sicily and Calabria from many and those very powerfull enemies In his younger yeares he attained to all the liberall arts in that perfection that hee made the present and succeeding times to admire him And for his great parts and abilities was entertained by Theodoricus King of the Ostro-Gothes hee was receiued into his seruice and grew so farre into his fauour by reason of his vnderstanding wisedome and dextrousnesse in treating businesses that he first of all made him his Secretarie in which Office he behaued himselfe so well that by degrees he went climbing vp to the high Offices and dignities in the State which in those dayes were not conferred out of fauour but meere desert From being Secretary he came to bee Lord Chancellour and Senatour in the Citie of Rauenna being honoured besides with diuerse offices in the Kings Court Afterwards he was made Viceroy of the Prouinces of Sicilia and Calabria and for addition of honour had the title of Patritius giuen him which in those dayes was in great esteeme Hee was Lord Treasurer and Master of the Palace which was as it were a superintendent ouer the Palatines being an order of Knights and Gentlemen that had Offices and other preheminences in Court He held the dignitie of Praefectus Praetorius being as it were the second person of the King to whom the weightiest businesses of peace and warre were remitted and what therein he determined and resolued vpon was receiued as an oracle that could not erre Though now adayes little credit is giuen to the words of great persons and powerfull Ministers and not without cause for that many of them say and do not promise much and performe little And your Fauourites which haue great both place and power about their Kings are in such good opinion and credit likewise with the world that they presently beleeue whatsoeuer they say and see what they professe is approued by them as if it were a sentence pronounced from the mouth of a most iust Iudge And therefore they ought well and wisely to consider what they speake and not to inlarge themselues in words putting those that are pretenders in great good hopes Which if they shall not afterwards take effect will proue to bee no other then that faire and beautifull fruite whose sight pleaseth the eye but whose taste killeth the body In conclusion this Fauourite by round after round clambred vp to all the honourablest offices and greatest dignities of the kingdome He came to bee Consull which charge hee administred with extraordinary integritie and vertue All the Magistracies Offices and Gouernments which he held were but as so many steps one to the other which the Princes vnder whom he serued went still increasing and augmenting For he carried himselfe so wisely and discreetly in them that there was not that office that hee bore which did not make him the meritour and deseruer of another farre greater and better then it And all did acknowledge and confesse that his merits and deserts were farre greater then all the offices put together which hee enioyed and administred In those whom he represented and recommended to his King to the end that his Maiestie might conferre some one fauour or another vpon them he euermore had an eye to the necessitie of the office and the qualitie of the person Things wherein Fauourites ought to bee very carefull when they imploy their fauour in furthering any man as whether they be moued thereunto vpon a iust or ill affection or by the sole vertue and merit of the person c. And not to thinke with themselues that because they are in great grace and fauour with their King that it is lawfull for them to violate the Law of Iustice which ought to bee equall to all which in eyes not blinded with passion and couetousnesse she her selfe makes it plainly appeare and to thrust the better deseruer besides that dignitie and office which is due vnto him Which is a Law that obligeth all for that it is a naturall obligation and hath all the Lawes of reason on it's side which are more powerfull then either the will of Kings or their Fauourites The not keeping whereof is but a large and swift running fountaine of complaints and distasts The one to see themselues reiected and excluded from publike honours The other to see them put forward whom nature hath not adopted nor learning nor vertue but either good or bad diligences And that these shall haue preferments and get the start of other men it is because either loue or interest makes them to be held more worth when as the other onely for that they are not in the like fauour or not so fit for their ends for Fauourites fauour few saue such as will bee instruments of their wills
3. Top. cap. 2. 1 Cicero lib. 1. de Leg S. Tho 2. 2. 7. So. Art 1. Gregor 6. qua tuor modus 11. q. 3. de re iud in 6. cap. 1. Patri de Reg. lib. 8. Tit. 2. â—colastici cum D. Tho. 2. 2 q 80 art 1. Arist. 10. Met Tit. 11. Exod. 18. Deut. 1. 2 Châ—on 19. 6. Iob. 29. 16. Apoc. 4. 7. Wisd. 6. 5. Chrys. in Serm. 〈◊〉 Bapt. Aug. ad fratres in Erem ser. 35. Amos 6. 12. Deut. 16. 19. Deut. 1. 16. a Rayz is properly the roote of a tree or any other plant Metophorictlly Rayzes are inheritance or possessions in lands houses or immouable goods because these cannot be rooted out not remoued from place to place as your moueable goods may be Bienes rayzes del Reyno is Crowne Land which neither can not ought to be alienated Coâ—arr verb. Rayzes b Iuro reales is a certaine royall rent raised through out a whole Kingdome so called â— Iure for the obligation subiects haue to maintaine their Kings In consideration whereof they are bound to administer Iustice truly aud to keepe them in peace Ib. Verb. Iuro Dan. 4. 17. Amos. 6. 1. Psal. 58 10. 11. Iames. 5 â— Luk. 22. 25 Prou. 30. 〈◊〉 Iohn 6. 〈◊〉 Gen. 6. 7. Luke 17. 17. Malach. 1. 10. Arist. lib. 8. Eth. cap. 10. 1. Kings 17. 29 Exod. 31. 4. Act. 1. 21. Prou. 17. 28 â— 1. 24. Iohn 12. 3. 2 Cor. 2. 15. August Mat. 28. 12. Iohn Ephes. 3. 10 Iames 1. 5. Eccl. 19. 2â— Psal. 10. 10. â—am 4. 3â— August Vlpian l. 1. Versi Quaedam enâ—m ff dâ— varijs extraor Cognitio Pompâ—nius l. â— ad finâ—m ff de Orig. â—urâ—â— Isocrates Orat. de pacâ— 2 Sam. 9. 6. â— Saâ—â— 16. 3. Prou. 26. 12. Ibi. 25. Psal. 12. 2. Luk. 18. 3. Cant. 7. 4. 〈◊〉 Satyr 10 Salust Terentius Psal. 1 1 King 10. 27. Salust In Authem Quomod oportes Iâ—d lib. 3. Senten cap. 50. 2. Reg. 3 39. Prou. 25. 11. 〈…〉 cap. 33. Chrysâ—in Mas. lib. 5 de Ciuis dei Cap. 20. Seneca lib. 1. de Clemâ—nt cap. 22. Eccl. 10. 26. Num. 12. 3. Ambr. lib. 2. Offi. cap. 7. Sen 27. 11. â— King 16. 12. 1 Macâ—h â— Psal. 37. â—1 Mâ—t. 5. 5. Psal. 131. 1. 2 King 7. 12. Hieâ— Sup. Iâ—râ—â— 22. Aug. lib. 5. de Ciuit. cap. 24. Isid lib. 3. Sent. cap. 52. S. Th 2. 2. â— 137 〈◊〉 2. ad 2. Prou. 19. 14. 3 King 12 Eccl. 10. 3. Esay 11. 3. Ita â—sido Claâ—â—us Iob. 5. 12. Iob. 12. Rex qui sedet in solio dissipat omne malum intuitu suo 〈…〉 Eccl. 2. 12. Prou. 1â— 6. Iohn 8. 7. Mat. 12. 21. 3 King 28. Bede in Ioh Greg. Pastor p 1. c 11. Ber. in Cant. Ser. 49. Arist. 3. Polit. c. 3. Arist. lib. â— Rhetoâ— c. 9 〈◊〉 1. 1â— Isidor lib. 4. Epist. Polyb. Eccl. â— 9. Prou. 16. 9. Plutar. in Pompon Artic. Refert Cor. Tacit Anâ—al lib. 8. Luk. 1â— Pont. 20. 3. Mark 9. 49. Leuit. 2. 13. Ezech. 43. 24. Esdras 6. Rom. 8. 8. Mat. 25. Ambr. lib. 2. de bene â— 14 Isidor Eccl. 2. 8. Eccl. 2. 10. lbi 25. 1 Tim. 6. 8. Prou. 30. 22. Prou. 31. 4. Senec. â—pist 84. Cicero Philip. 2. Orat. 4. Iudg. 9. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 9. Iude 1. 4. Wisd. 2. 1. Ibi. 6 Ibi. 7. Ibi. 8. Eccl. 8. 15. 2 King 11 1. Ionah 3. 6. â— King 24. 17. 1 King 14. 43. 2 King 1â— 11. 2 King 3. 33. Ibi. vers 38. 1 Cor. 12. 26. â— Cor. 11. 29. Cor. 11. 2. 29. Ierem 20. â— Psal. 21. 1. Ibi. 2. Eccl. 2. 11. Eccl. 22. 6. Isay 22. 12. Ibi. 14 Prou. 1. 24. Greg Hom. 10. Luk. 6. 25. Prou 14. 13. Eccl. 2. 2. Eccl. 7. 4. Cicero Tuse lib. 2. Refert Hilar de vaâ—ia histor Lib. â— Prou. 177. D. Th. 2. 2. q. 〈◊〉 art 1. Aug. lib. de Mendacio ad Consenâ—â—â—m cap. 3. 〈…〉 lib. 1. cap. 7. Iosh. 9. 15. Isidor lib. 2. Synonimorum D. Th. 2. 2. q. 100. art 4. ad 5. 1 Cor. 1. 19. L. 3. Tit. 4. Part. 2. August iâ— Apolog. Wisd. 5. 14. Diog. Laert. de Vit. Philos. Pliny lib. 8. 〈◊〉 bis cap. 25 Cocodriâ—â—â— Psal. 62. 11. Isâ—y 50. 4. Eccl. 3. â— August Psal. 63. veâ— 7. Pâ—ou 21. 1. Caelius Lib. 13. Lectio antiq c. â— He means the Escriâ—anos and Notaries of Spaine Apoc. 5. 1. Tobit 12. 7. Valer. lib. 2. Mirabi Caepola Simancus de rep lib. 7. cap. 14. cap. 15. Osor. lib. 8. de Regis institutione Ley. 5. Tit. 9. p. 2. in fine Ibi. Faria traycion Excepto encaso detraycion â— heregia enlo qual por dottrina de santo Thomas se puedes dist 21. dist 10. q. 2. artic 3. q. 1. ad 2. L. 5. Tit. lib. 2. Eccl. 21. 26. Psal. 72. Psa. 52. 2. Prou. â—8 21. Prou. 13. 3â— Iam. 3. 6. Seneca lib. 4. ae Virtut Psal 31. 91 Iames 3. 8. â—ern lib. 2. de Conside ad Eugen. Rom. 16. 18. Prou 29. 12. Prou. 26. 21. Prou. 31. 4. 5. Plut. Moral lib. de Amico â—ffâ—ctatore â— â— Tiâ— 13. par 2. Psal. 140. 3. Ierem. 9. Hieroni. Epist. 88. Iob. 19. 22. Plut. in Moral lib. de Educan tiberis Gregor in regist lib. 4. cap. 82. Psal. 5. 5. 2â— Wisd. 1. 5. 2. Kings 1. 15. Psal. 141. 5. Herodia lib. 1. Plut. in vita Mar. Brut. Ansel. epist. ad Rom. c. 6. Cicero lib. de Aâ—icitia Augustinâ— Tom. 8. in Psal. 〈◊〉 2. Hler. ad Sabian Seneca epist. 124 â— Chron. 18. 7. Esay 3. 1â— Arist 3. Eâ—hi 8. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 lib. 2. de 〈◊〉 c. 17. 27. Greg. Nis. de bomi opifici 2 Peâ— Ambr. lib. 6 Exam c. â— Basil. lib. de vere Virginiâ— Bern. de interâ—â—â— domo c. 39. Luk. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 13. Don Alons the sixt of Castile and Leons Vide Fernan Perez lib. 2. Tâ—â— 4. cap. 5. lin nat Hist. lib. 2. cap. 3. Num. 25. 1. Ioseph de Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 5. Ciccro lib. 2 de sin Aug. lib. de moribus Dionis S. Prosper lib. 3. de â—iâ— Contemp. cap 19. Arist 6. Ethic. cap. 5. 6. S. Leo. Serm. de leiun Eccl. 30. 14 Eccl. â—7 30. Plin. Eccl. 10. 17. Galat. 2. 14. 2 Chron. 33. 9. Iulius lib. 3. de Legibus Plin. Iun. lib. Epist. ad semp Rufum Chrysost. hom 19. in Gen. Bald. in l. Prouinoiarum C dâ—ferijs Plato Dial. 2. de Legibus Exod. 14. 31. Fier lib. 35. Tit. Opus 1. Reg. 18. 2. Dan. â— 3. Dan. 6. 3. Gen. 41. 44. 4. Reg. 5. 1. Eccl 11. â— 1. King 2. â— Psal. 113. 7. Prou. 17. 2. Ioseph de Antiq lib 1. cap. 6. 1. Reg. 15. 33. Esther 3. 1. Prou. 8. 15. Prou. 16. 10. Wisd. 6. 5 6. Prou. 22. 11. Gregor â—x regist li. 1. Epist. cap. 33. Part. 2. Tit. 9. L. 5. 1. Tim. 6. Ambr. in Apolog cap. 4. Micah 7. 6. Arist. lib. 8. Ethic. cap. 4. Mat. 10. â—7 Senec. lib. 1. Epist. 3. Psal. 101. 7. Aug. lib. â— Soliloq â—a 3. Ephes. 〈…〉 Mark 20. 37. Mark 10. 38. 2. Cor. â— 11. Psal. 49. 12. Iud 9 28. Ioh. 3. 29. Ioh. 3. 30. Prou. 29. 26. 〈…〉 Esther â—6 2. Patri â—0 2. li. 21. Tit. 3. There remaineth testimony hereof in the Decretals C. Aluiâ— 16. q. Aeneas Siluester de doct Sigâ—smund Hâ—b 11. 1. 3. King 13. 3. Reg. 22. 1. Mac. 8. 9. Arist. lib. 5. polit c. 11. Bal. in l. 2. c. 8. Num. 4. c. de Strui Senâ— Traged 4. Wis. 6. 1. 7. 8. Ambr. 6. Exam. 1. c. 4 Aelian lib. 6 c. 21. de Animalibus Iob 38. 36. Greg. 3. Moral c. 4. Prou 2â— Apec 22. 9. Plut. in Moral Eccles. 27. â—0 Basil in orat 11. dâ— faelicit prudentia Sen lib. 10. Epist. 72.
knowledge of such persons as ought to be nominated for the said offiâ—es Chap. 25. Whether Honours Offices and dignities are to be conferred on those that sue for them Chap. 26. Of the sense of smelling that is of the prudence of Kings Paragraph 1. Of the Magnanimitie of minde which Kings ought to haue Paragraphe 2. Of the blandure gentlenesse and loue which Kings ought to haue Parag. 3. That it much importeth Kings to haue the good Loue and affection of their Subiects Parag. 4. Of sagacitie sharpnesse of wit and quicknesse of apprehension which Kings ought to haue Parag. 5. Of the Discretion which Kings ought to haue Chap. 27. Of the sense of Tasting and of the vertue of Temperance and how well it befitteth Kings Chap. 28. When and at what time sports and pastimes are worthiest reprehension in Kings Parag. 1. Of the Language and Truth which Kings and wherewith Kings are to treate and to be treated Parag. 2. That Kings ought to keepe their Faith and Word Parag. 3. Of that secrecie which Kings and their Ministers ought to keepe Parag. 4. Of Flatterers and their flatteries Chap. 29. Of the sense of Touching Parag. 1. Of Temperance Parag. 2. Of another remedie against Excesses and superfluities depending on the example of Kings Chap. 30. Whether it be fit for Kings to haue Fauourites Chap. 31. Of another sort of Fauourites Chap. 32 Whether it bee fit for Kings to haue any more then one Fauourite Chap. 33 Of the Conditions and Qualities of Fauourites Chap. 34 How Kings ought to carry themselues towards their Fauourites Chap. 35 Whether the Kinsfolke and Friends of Fauourites are to be excluded from Offices Chap. 36 The Conclusion of the former Discourse with some Aduertisements for Kings and Fauourites Chap. 37 Adâ—ertisements for Fauourites and Councellours of State SAP 6. V. 10. Ad vos O Reges sunt hi Sermones mei vt discatis sapientiam non excidatis Qui enim custodierint iusta iustè iustificabuntur qui didicerint iusta invenient quid respondeant VVISDOM 6. V. 10. Vnto you therefore o Kings doe I speake that yee may learne VVisedome and not goe amisse For they that keepe holinesse holily shall be holy and they that are learned there shall finde defence CHAP. 1. Wherein it is breifly treated what is comprehended in this Word Republicke together with it's Definition MAny and those of the grauest sorte that haue beene well versed in all kinde of Learning haue written of a Republicke or Common-wealth And hauâ— diuided and sub-diuided it into many and sundry species and defined it after diuerse and different maners A prolixe and tedious businesse and full of difficulties and farre wide of my pretension which is in few both words and reasons to describe a mysticall body with it's Head and principall members and the peculiar Offices belonging to euery one of them leauing to such as shall take pleasure therein the multitude of vnprofitable Questions the ornament of humane Eloquence and the Magazine of prophane histories being of little truth lesse efficacie And taking thence my beginning whence all begin To wit from the definition or Description I say with Aristotle and Plato That a Common-wealth is no other thing saue an Order of Citizens and Cities in which and amongst whom nothing is wanting that is necessary and needefull for the life of Man It is a iust gouernment and disposition of many families and of a Communitie amongst them with a superiour authoritie ouer them And it is a Congregation of many people vnited together fraternized with certaine Lawes and rules of gouernment And because I will not loose time in things not necessarie I omit that gouernment which the Greekes call Aristocratia which is the gouernment of the Nobility as it is with the Signorie of Venice And your Democratia which is popular and consistes of the Many as that of Genoa and the Cantons of the Switz Which though approued by many haue their inconueniences and those no small ones For the Nobilitie and powerfull persons if they not perseuere in the obseruance of the Lawes of good gouernment they presently grow to be couetous and are much subiect to Ambition And because they are but a few they feare the multitude and for to conserue themselues exercise cruelty whereby in the ende it turnes to a Tyrannie For as Mecoenas saith The state of a few Lords is the state of a few Tyrants And he that is the most powerfull the most ambitious and best befriended and respected of the people vpon the least dissension ioynes with the multitude which being it is naturally enuious mutable and a friend to innouation will with a great deale of facilitie ouerthrow the Common-wealth And say the Nobles do not side but agree amongst themselues yet cannot they but liue in feare of the infidelitie of the Vulgar for ordinarily those that haue a hand in the gouernment are more enuied then those that haue none at al. Besides it is a weake kind of gouernment nor is it possible that these few Lords can in large conquer conserue a great Empire as can a King or a Monarke because the forces are lesse vnited in them then in him And the people which is little interessed hath no share or part in those honourable places carry a Capital hatred to your great persons and are hardly drawn to such liberall Contributions as may sustaine a War and subdue kingdomes Your popular Estate in falling from that equality which it pretendeth is easily conuerted into a licentious libertie or rather loosenesse pulling down some setting vp others and is much subiect to Alterations through it's inconstancie weake head-pieces of the Popular For as Tully saith the sea hath not so many stormes perills tempestes as hath this kind of CoÌ„monwealth And of force euery one attending his owne proper good and priuate interest it must runne vpon one of these two rockes Either on the Tyrannie of him that is the strongest and vpheld by the fauour of the Maior part liftes vp himselfe aboue them all Or on the Plebeian gouernment then which none can be worse for all then falls into the hands of ignorant people who put ordinary people into the highest places of honour and command without any distinction or reckoning of rich noble wise or vertuous What good Counsaile or sound Aduise can all the Communaltie giue put all their braines together in a doubtfull case or businesse of importance when as Salomon saith there is scarce one to be found of a thousand of abilitie and sufficiencie in this kinde But put case that such a one may happily be found amongst them how shall he be heard with silence What patience will their eares lend him What secrecie will be had in that which is treated be it of Peace or War that it be not divulged before it 's due execution your Tumultes and seditions shall be more ordinary and greater then in other states because
iustice in all Causes Answering to that his owne saying By me Kings reigne c. Which is as if he should haue said That their power is deriued from God as from the first and primary cause The signification likewise of this word King or Rex is and me thinks farre better declared if we shall but refer i'ts originall to another word of the primitiue Language where the Hebrew word Raga signifies amongst other it's significations To feede And in this sense it is to be found in many places of holy Scripture And from this Raga is deriued Rex Rego or Regno And Regere and Pascere amongst the Poets and euen also amongst the Prophets are promiscuously vsed Homer Virgil and Dauid put no difference betwixt Reges and Pastores styling Kings Shepheards Shepheards Kings And therefore in the 23. Psalme where the vulgar Latine reades Dominus regit me S. Ieromes Translation hath it Dominus pascit me The Lord is my Shepheard therefore can I lack nothing he shall fâ—ede me in a greene pasture and leade me forth besides the waters of comfort And Homer he styles a King Pastorem populi the Shepheard of his people in regard of that sweetnesse of Command wherewith he gouerneth them and the gentle hand that hee carries ouer them feeding but not fleecing of them Xenophon saith that the actions of a good shepheard are like vnto those of a good King So that the name of King doth not onely signifie him that ruleth but him that ruleth like a shepheard And the better to instruct vs herein the Prophet Isaiah speaking of that which the true Christian King our Sauiour should doe when he should come into the world saith Sicut Pastor gregem suum pascet in brachio suo congregabit agnos in sinn suo levabit foetas ipsa portabit Hee shall feede his flocke like a shepheard hee shall gather the Lambes with his armes and carry them in his bosome and shall guide them with young He shall perfectly performe all the Offices of a shepheard by feeding of his sheepe and by bearing them if neede be vpon his shoulders And of the selfe same King Christ God said in respect of his people Ipse pisect eos ipse erit eis in pastorem I will set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shall seed them And in the next words following he cals him ioyntly King and shepheard Servus meus David Rex super eos Pastor unus erii omnium eorum My seruant Dauid shall bee the Prince amongst them and they shall all haue but one shepheard And they shall dwell safely in the wildernesse and sleepe in the woods and none shall make them affraid And for the clearer signification hereof the first Kings that God made choise of and commanded to be anoynted hee tooke them from amidst their flâ—cks The one they sought after the other they found feeding of his flocke The Prophet Samuel whom God commanded to annoynt for King one of the sons of Ishai hauing scene the elder and the other seuen all goodly handsome men of a good disposition had no great liking to any one of them but asked their father Whether he had no more children but those And he said vnto him Adhuc reliquus est parvâ—lus pascit oves There remaineth yet a little one behind that keepeth the sheepe And the Prophet willed him that he should send for him for we will not sit downe till he be come hither shewing that to be a shepheard and to feed the flock was the best Symbole and most proper Embleme of a King And therfore I would haue no man to imagine that which Philon did feare that when we come to make a King we must take away the Crooke and put the Scepter in his hand The Office of a King I tell you and the Arte of ruling will require a great deale of study and experience For to gouerne the bigger sort of beastes and those that are of greatest price a man must first haue learned to â—aue gouerned the lesser It is not meete to Popp into great places vnexperienced persons and such as know not what belongs vnto businesse nor the weight of the charge that they are to take vpon them For indeede great Matters are not handsomely carryed nor well managed but by such as haue beene formerly imployed in businesses of an inferiour and lower nature And this choyse which God made of Dauid iumpes with this our intent He doth not say that he tooke him on the sodaine from the sheepefold and presently clapp't a Crowne vpon his Head but first bred him vp to feede the house of Iacob and his family and that he should exercise himselfe therein For a well ordered house and a family that is well gouerned is the Modell and Image of a Common-wealth And domesticall authoritie resembleth Regall power And the good guidance of a particular house is the Exemplary and true patterne of a publicke State It imbraceth and comprehendeth in it all the sorts of good gouernment It doth treate and set in order those things that appertaine to Policie Conseruation and the direction of Men as well in regard of Commanding as obeying What other thing is a house with his family but a little Citie And what a Citie but a great House Many houses make a Citie And many Cities make a kingdome And in point of gouernment ihey onely dâ—ffer in greatnesse for howbeit in the one they are busied more and in the other lesse yet they tend all to one end which is the common good And therefore S. Paul and other Saints and wise men are of opinion that hee that knowes not how to gouerne his own house well will hardly gouerne another mans The Emperour Alexander Severus visiting the Roman Senate did inquire how the Senators did rule and gouerne their owne priuate Houses and families and sayd That that man who knew not how to command his wife and his Children to follow his owne businesses to make prouision for his house and to gouerne his familie it were a madnesse to recommend vnto that man the gouernment of the Common-wealth Amongst those the famous Gouernours Cato the Roman was preferred before Aristides the Grecian because the former was a great Pater familias or father of a familie and the latter was noted to be defectiue in that kinde So that the life of a shepheard is the Counterfeit or Picture of gouernment as is to be seene by his assistance in his Office in the care of the wellfare of his flocke in the obligation of the Account that he is to make in the offence that he is to finde by Wolues and Theeues and in the solicitude and watchfullnesse which those ordinary dangers doe require wherein his flocke stands and more especially when the shepheard is wanting vnto them And it is so proper vnto a King to feede his flocke that when our Sauiour Christ fed that multitude of people which followed him in
and iustice as the heynousnesse of this fact doth require But the Lord shall reward the doer of euill according vnto his wickednesse Tribuat dominus facienti malum iuxta malitiam suam Here is much to be considered the great care which this King tooke in concealing his purpose from the people till some better occasion were offred For if he should haue declared himselfe before and manifested his meaning to the world hee might haue put the whole Campe in danger of Mutining or at least to haue shewd themselues in defence of their Captaine This perill he ouerpast by his great prudence dissembling the matter for that time and deferring it till the last vp-shut when now the businesses of the Kingdome were better settled For the most important point in gouernment is to make vse of Time and occasion facilitating with silence and dissimulation those orders and decrees which doe crosse the peoples humour or that stand not with his liking that is powerfull with them For if they should be divulged before their due time and season they would serue for nothing else but to incense mens mindes and peraduenture to turne them against himselfe Which certainly might well haue beene Dauids case with Ioab if hee had shewed himselfe offended and openly vented his spleene against him whilest he had his sword in his hand and stood so fayre in the peoples affection who in that hurre might haue done God he knowes what for the aduancing of his ambitious ends In such cases it is great prudence in a Prince contineuing still firme and constant in his purpose to benefit himselfe by dissimulation waiting for a fit time and season when without danger hee may vnmaske himselfe and with the safety of his realme and person put his resolution in execution A word well kept and fittly spoken is saith Salomon like apples of gold in pictures of siluer which doth not onely shine and giue a glorious luster but worketh it's effect and discouereth the art and cunning of it's Master And King Dauid hauing heard the reproachfull words and reuiling tearmes which Shimei to the very face of him and in a loud voyce vttred in the presence of those that were with him wisely dissembled his rayling and was angry with Abishai because he was earnest with him that hee might presently take due chasticement of him and reuenge the great affront hee had done him and would by no meanes giue consent that any one of all his Army should once moue or stirre against him For that holy King thought it fit in his wisedome to leaue him to that occasion which hee afterwards specified to his sonne Salomon that he might teach Kings these two things First to relye on God and to attend his leasure who will doe that for them which they cannot doe for themselues As he did in that known case of Moses brothers murmuring against him which hee himselfe so mildely and fayrely dissembled But God to whose account runn's the honour of his Ministers tooke the cause into his owne hands Secondly That it is not fit to be solicitous in appointing Iudges and Informers at all howers and in all places against such as in some occasions assume libertie of speech and freely vtter their mindes For as another sayd In free places and persons that are likewise free-borne wee cannot at all times exercise that slauery vpon them as to clap a Locke and chaine vpon their tongues Who could haue done this better then that omnipotent King Christ Iesus when those licentious and loose-tongued Libertines reproached him with such sharpe bitter Taunts as toucht him to the quick in his honour and yet euen then with what a royall minde and princely reportment did he carry himselfe in those few milde and moderate words which he spake vnto them Kings ought not to expresse any alteration turbation or discomposure for those things which they see nor to be startled euery foote with that which they heare nor to shew themselues offended at that which is muttred and murmured of them But let them a god's name mend that which is amisse and then their muttering and murmuring will cease of it selfe Heere likewise Kings are taught not to be curious inquirers after those that speakeill of them nor to giue eare to euery idle complaint For if it be once perceiued that their eares itche after this infinite will the number of Delators and Informers be In the raigne of Tiberius and of Nero more then in any other were these Sycophants and priuie Accusers fauoured and things were then so glazed ouer that they had set spies that should curiously obserue the semblance which euery one made of his Actions euen to the knitting of the brow biting the lip or the like which kind of carriage seru'd as a condemnation and was seuerely punished But it is fitter for Tyrants then Christian Kings to stand thus in feare of the tongues of the vulgar it being the part of a magnanimous minde to know how to forget and forgiue iniuries especially those of the tongue to whose iurisdiction the most powerfull are most subiect And if they should reuenge this wrong vpon account the number would be so great and rise to such an infinite sum that they may quickly bring their Monarchie to an end That which most importeth for their own and their Empires quiet is to shake all kinde of suspition out of their minde and whatsoeuer others thinke of them and their affaires they ought to be so farre from being troubled therewith that it should no whit moue them Holding it to be as Seneca sayth the sweetest maner of pardon to pretend ignorance of the delict and to examine with care his owne care ese carriage and open neglects if he haue committed any and if not not to care a pin what they say For the Vulgar is a beast of many heads and as it is impossible to satisfie al of them so is there no reason that they should haue an Account giuen them of that which the Prince doth It is sufficient that the wiser and grauer sort know and esteeme both him and his proceedings This was the doctrine of that great King Philip â—he second who wrote vnto his Viceroy in Naples as followeth Necessario es que gouerneys de manera quae todos buenos y malos no se quexen de vos It is requisit you should so carry your selfe in your gouernment that all as well good as bad may not complaine of you And this was another of his which he deliuered to his successour Forc oso sera que los malos nos murmuren y aborrâ—zcaâ— Lo que à nosotros toca es proceder de manera que tambien no nos aborrezean los buenos It cannot otherwise be but that the bad will murmure at vs and hate vs But that which belongeth vnto vs is To proceede so that the good may not likewise hate vs. And this King very well vnderstood that it is proper vnto Kings as Alexander said