THE PRACTICE OF POLICY Written by Lodowike Lloyd Esquire Qui foueam fodit incidet in eam qui laqueum ponit peribit in illo Eccle. 27. Qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum Coluber Imprinted at London by Simon Stafford dwelling in Hosier lane neere Smithfield 1604. ⧠To the most high and mighty Prince James by the grace of God King of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland c. CRATERVS contending with Ephestion most gracious Prince which of them two loued Alexāder best appealed to the king for iudgement who iudged that Craterus loued the king and Ephestion loued Alexander but both alike loued Alexander the king So the Brytaynes and the English loue your Maiesty in like sort that you can hardly iudge which of them loues you best vnlesse you do as Alexander did to iudge the English as Craterus the Brytaynes as Ephestion but both Brytaines English with equall loue and loyalty loue King lames alike that all hauing the like cause of ioy all should so reioyce to enioy such a Iewell that in one day enriched England Ireland with a king and the whole Empire of Brytayne with a Prince to whome it was reserued and continued from Brutus the first King to your Maiesty the second King not as to a stranger but to a iust a lawfull king of the stocke and linage of Brutus to succeed and sit on Brutus seat 2800. yeeres after Brutus where your Maiesty may better say then Caesar Veni vidi vici for that you haue conquered Time came to your owne kingdomes and may see in your selfe such a succession that neyther the Macedonians who much bragged of their Hercules whose lyne ended in Alexander neyther the Romanes who much gloried of Gens Iulia whose stocke extincted in Nero nor any nation vnder heauen which can boast of their antiquities most can say so much The Scythians with their Acornes in their heads and the Athenians with their Grassehoppers in their haires may wel bragge of their Acornes and Grassehoppers but not of the like Empires for as Anaxagoras sayd to Pericles of the Empire of Greece so Cratippus spake to Pompey of the Romane Empire that periods of times are limited Embrace you therefore most mighty Prince the great blessings of God which so embraced your Maiesty elected you King to gouerne his people and to maintayne his lawes without which neither king nor kingdome can stand for that is the rich Tablet which Moses brought from Mount Sinay to set about Israels neck It is that long ladder which Iacob saw in his dreame at Bethel that reached frō the earth into heauen and it is that bright-shining Starre which guyded the kings from the East vnto Christ at Bethlehem The only Pearle that we should buy and the only Iewel that wee should weare not as gards on our garments or frontiers on our forheads as the Iewes wore Phylacterium but rather printed in our hearts where we ought to giue thanks for our King which for 50. yeeres haue bene without either King or Prince and now wee enioy a King a Queene a Prince and Princes with no lesse blessings by the comming of your Maiesty ouer the riuer Tweede from Scotland to England to incorporate both to the ancient name of great Brytaine then by the comming of Israel from Mesopotamia ouer the riuer Iordan to alter the name of Canaan into Iuda whose posterity as they were wrought on Aarons garment to remember Israel so your princely progeny may bee sure set on the vnseamed coate of Christ to remember the house of Iacob Your Maiesties most bounden and dutyfull seruant Lodowike Lloyd THE PRACTICE OF POLICY THeodoricus King of the Gothes began Theodoricus his letter to the Senators of Rome with a sentence of Plato That Nature might sooner erre then a Prince to frame a Common wealth vnlike to himselfe It is most true Imperium ostendit virum for such as the Magistrates are such are the people such as the Prince is so are his subiects and that was the cause why Cyrus King of Persia was Cyrus so much honoured among the Persians for his wise lawes graue gouernment and great policy in enlarging the Monarchy of Persia in so much that hee that resembled Cyrus if it were in any part of his body or had but a crooked nose like Cyrus hee was so esteemed and made much of in all Persia as hee should haue fauour Leuin li. 1 cap 15. shewed him in any place and in euery company And so hee that had but a long head like Pericles in Pericles Athens his cause should be heard before the Iudges of Areopagites or before any Magistrates in the Court Prytaneon free before other Such was the law and fauour of the people towardes Pericles in Athens and towardes Cyrus in Persia that the Midwiues and Nurses both in Asia and in Greece had in charge giuen them by the parents to do their best indeuor to frame and to mould their young infants like Cyrus in Persia and like Pericles in Athens yet few though the Nurses did their indeuours were found in Athēs like Pericles vnlesse it were with a long head and fewe or none were found in Persia like Cyrus vnlesse it were with a Cyrus Val. max. l. 9. ca. 14. Plin. li. 7. cap. 12. crooked nose This kind of likenesse is found in many So was Artenon like to Antiochus the great and Menagenis a Cooke like to Strabo Pomp. And therefore that noble Roman Pompey being yet but a very young man heating by common report that he much resembled Alexander the great in countenance gestures and outward behauiours but specially likened to Alexander for the growing of his hayres vpwardes vpon his forehead in which some write that Alexander Hector and Pompey much resembled Alex. Hect. and Pomp. Opisthocomae one the other this noble Captaine I say esteemed little to be like Alexander in externall forme and frame of his body but he exercised how he might imitate Alexander to be like to him in qualities and actions of the minde Non ex apparatu sed ex animo reges so that he imitated Alexander in valour and magnanimitie of minde and not in forme of his body By such meanes Pompey became afterward to bee compared and was called Pompey the Great after hee Pompey had subdued Sertorius in Affrica as Alexander the great was called in Persia after he had subdued Darius This was a more laudable imitation in Pompey then in the great men and Captaynes of Macedonia who would wish nothing more then to bee called Opisthocomae for so the Grecians called Alexander for that his haires vpon his forhead grew vpward but good Captaynes must not be like the Macedonian Captaynes following onely Alexander to be called Opisthocomae but like Pompey imitating Alexander in greatnesse and valour of minde There were many Opisthocomae in Macedonia yet not one like Alexander many crooked noses in Persia but not
shewed himselfe a wise man and gaue wise Iephtha counsel to his Captaines how they might find out the false Ephramites from the true Israelites by pronouncing of the letter Shiboleth and that before the Ephramites Iud. 12. should passe ouer Iorden lest they should gather head against the Israelites againe Great wisdome it is to looke in time to such and to cut off the heads of them that would willingly haue many heads like Hidra I wish there were no heads of Hidra yet lurking in any English Laerna Thus was Iephtha called from the land of Tob and Gedeon from the Barne-threshing to kill and destroy Gedeon these wicked Madianites and false Ephramites which were scattered and dispersed into all partes of the world Was not Dauid called frō a Shepheard to be anoynted Dauid a Shepheard king in Israel by Samuel while yet Saul liued for the sinnes of Saul and to ouerthrow the house of Saul for all the practice and policy of Saul to the contrary Was not Ieroboam the seruant of Salomon called Ieroboam a seruant anoynted king in Israel by the Prophet Ahias in the time of Salomon of his sonne Rehoboam and to take ten of the twelue Tribes from Salomon And was not Iehu from a soldier called and anoynted king by Elizeus Iehu a soldier seruant while Achab yet reigned in Israel to destroy Achab and all his posterity for the Idolatry of Achab The iust iudgement of God against wicked Princes And so in other like practisers that seek by policy to ouerthrow kingdomes Saul with all his policy with his sonnes his seruants and his daughter that he maried to Dauid onely to deceiue Dauid could not preuent Dauid of the kingdom It was the purpose of God Salomon for all his wisedome and royalty and his friends could not hinder Ieroboam his seruant from the kingdome It was so determined Achab with all his gods and Idols could not preuent Iehu nor take reuenge vpon Elizeus no more thē Benhadad king of Syria could feed his wrath vpon Elizeus no policy no practice no coūsel against the Lord. Elizeus looking in the face of Hazael said that hee should be king after Benhadad in Syria withall wept knowing how he would strangle his master Benhadad the king and how Tyrant-like he would plague Israel during the time of his cruell gouernment Many had cause to weepe if men knewe as Elizeus did what policies are practised in many mens hearts And therefore had olde Osiris king of Egypt the Osiris his scepter likenes of a mans eye in the vpper end of his Scepter to signifie that kings should be circumspect and wise to see vnto the policy and practice of wicked men for against such wise and godly Princes no policy can preuaile no more then a little cloud can darken the brightnes of the Sunne And as the Sunne with his brightnes lighteneth all the Sky so doth a vertuous Prince with his wisdome his subiects for so Aristotle sayth Vnica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Polit. sola virtus Principis prudentia The only vertue of a Prince is to become wise to chuse such Wise Counsellers as Moyses did of graue godly wise men which counsell was called synadrion to help to ayd him in the gouernmēt of 600000. men that in a wildernes By counsel Commonwealths Kingdomes stand So in Salust it is sayd vnto Caesar Quò magis Imperium cò maior cura So long shal kingdoms prosper while good Counsel gouernes Dum apud eos vera consilia valuerūt For sayd Plato All good and godly Counsayles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred according to that which Christ sayd Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I among them It is neyther sayd Scipio to Micipsa strong armies treasures nor goldē Scepters that vphold kingdoms but truth wisedome and Counsayle So Aristotle Pro. 20. sayth vnto the great Alexander that Counsel is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. ad Alex. Suet. cap. 25. Augustus saying most diuine in matters of states for that hee was euer careful to haue Alexander gouerned by counsaile knowing well the greatnesse of his minde the conquest which he took in hand Many perish for want of counsayle and many more for not accepting of counsell Wise counsayle and the reward thereof was more giuen in Sparta to the Captayne that subdued the enemyes by policy and counsell then by the sword for that attempt sayd Augustus is not to bee enterprised where more feare is in losing then hope in getting the victory The Carthagineans so esteemed wise counsel that if any of their Captains had done any thing but by wise counsel though they had obteyned great victories the law in Carthage was that they should die Great Captaynes wanne more by counsaile then by the Sword Pluraconsilio quà m vi magnos Duces perfecisse Wise Princes must be like Ianus looking backward as well as Tacit. 11. Ann. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forward It was Sertorius saying to Pompey the great Quod respicere magis quà m prospicere oporteat Ducem That a wise Gouernor looketh backward as well as forward But Ambition sayth Seneca neuer looketh backe but forward Plut. in Serto. how hee may enterteyne factious and seditious men to hold him vp They neuer thinke of their owne liues when they imagine to preuent others of their liues Sedition therfore is as dangerous to Kings in their kingdomes as to Commaunders in Field in the Army For so Seneca said Idem ius habet aduersus imperia atque aduersus imperantes Sectio 2. SERVIVS GALBA vnder pretence Oros lib. 5 cap. 21. of doing of some great good vnto the Lusitanians assēbled the chiefest men the gallantest Youths of three great Cities to the nomber of seuen thousand whome hee most trecherously and falsly slewe which mooued great Sedition and tumult in Spaine against the Romanes Hastrubal intending vnder the colour of hunting to inuade Numidia being resisted by the Numidians told them hee came but to hunt Elephants By the like policy of hunting Hanibal got Tarentū Such a hunter was Nymrod that hunted kings and kingdomes and therefore he was called The mighty Gen. 10. Hunter Ninus was a great hunter of kingdoms countries So may it be said of Cyrus and of Alexander so great hunters were they that they died in their hunting out of their kingdomes Hunting is a military exercise which made Sertorius Plut. in Serto. to vse hunting and to trauaile the hard rockes of Affrica and that he and his soldiers thereby might better indure labour and payne against the Romanes hee acquainted them so much with hunting that they were able to sustayne any hardnesse The cause therefore why Brasidas compared hunting to warre was for that the like stratagems are often inuented and executed in warres against soldiers as the Hunter doeth against diuers kindes of beasts specially
heauen to burne Samaria Nescitis cuius Spiritus estis Luc. 9. Many practise such policyes with such furyes as the Syrians that went from Damasco with two eyes to kyll Elizeus at Dothan but they were brought blinde 4. Reg. 6. from Dothan to Samaria among their enemies Others practise the like policy with Gehezi and run after Naaman the Syrian for gifts rewards vntill the 4. Reg. 5. leprosy of Naaman come vpon them and their houses for euer Some trusting to their strength put their hands to many dangers like Milo Cretoniates who drew a great yron wedge out of a strong clouē oake with one hand Gel. li. 15. cap. 16. thrust the other hand into the cleft where the wedge was but the oake fastned vpon his hand and held him vntill wild beasts came to deuoure him Hermes the Egyptian sayd that vngodlines is a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermes cap. 12. heauy sicknes to the soule of man who is neuer quiet nor resteth but in actions of vngodlines Antiochus was so vngodly a king that he was wont to say that he would make Ierusalem a graue to bury the Iewes 2. Mac. 9. Benhadad would bragge that the dust of Samaria would not suffice that euery one of his soldiers should 3. Reg. 20 haue a handfull Sennacherib was wont to bragge of king Ezechias that neyther God nor man might deliuer him out of 4. Reg. 19 his hands Dripetine Mithidrates daughter Queene of Laodicea had double teeth set in a rowe one row beside another in such deformed sort that it loathed any man to looke vpon her and yet not so lothsome to behold as to heare the brags and blasphemies of these blasphemers The Greekes yeelded diuine honours to them that would kill a Tyrant neyther can it bee a greater sacrifice Alawe against Tyrants in Greece to the gods saith Seneca then the death of a Tyrant Spolia opima Ioui A rich spoyle vnto Iupiter Wherefore Hermodius and Aristogiton two Citizens of Athens for killing of Pisistratus the Tyrant had graunted them for honour that no man should euer be called after their names in Athens for that they were much plagued by Tyrants In Greece a Lawe was made that Tyrannorum filii conscii parentum sceleris haud secus morte et exilio mulctentur that Tyrants Children should be banyshed or dye with their parents Sectio 12. DARIVS Signet vpon Alexanders hand mooued much the Macedonians to doubt Darius Signet of their kings fauour Pompeyes Signet vpon Caesars finger much spited the Romanes that were Pompeyes friends The Signet of Marcellus the Consull vpon Hanibals finger being slain in an ambush so astonished the Army Marcellus Signet that Crispinus in great haste sent Letters to Salapia and to other ports and townes about Apulia that they should not giue credit vnto Hanibals Letters though they were sealed with Marcellus Signet It was the maner of Alexander after hee had conquered Darius when hee wrote his Leters to Persia to seale them with the Signet of Darius and when he wrote to Macedonia he vsed his owne Signet So Iulius Caesar after king Mithridates was subdued by Pompey soone vanquished king Pharnaces Mithridates sonne without any great warres but by yeelding of his Crown and his Signet vnto Caesar so he wrote to his friend Anitus to Rome but these three words Veni vidi vici No Nation resisted Caesar after he had conquered the Gaules but his owne nation the Romanes Diuisions ouerthrew kingdomes and Empyres so was Greece by Graecians and not by Philip of Macedon so were the Israelites after their diuision into two kingdomes ouerthrowen within them selues by their owne nation the Israelites The Romanes though not equall in number to the Spaniards nor in strength to the French men nor in subtilty to the Affricans nor in knowledge to the Grecians yet in time the Romanes mastered all these and many more nations Armis et viribus sayth Vigetius Pietate et religione sayth Cicero but most writers affirme Viget lib. 1. cap. 28 that the Romanes became Conquerours Humanitate et vnitate which is the onely cause of all Conquests Cotys of Thracia seemed herein to imitate the Romanes who was certified that the Athenians had graunted him to bee free Denizin of Athens and I will sayd Cotys make all the Athenians free in Thracia Val. Max. li. 3. cap. 7 and wil make Athens and Thracia all one Sic Thraciam Athenis aequauit Cotys The sower of all discord is Sathan the Serpent that soweth Tares amongst good Wheat while we sleepe Math. 13. We haue no helpe against this Serpent but watching and praying The Hebrues that were bitten by Serpents in the wildernes were healed by looking vpon the brazen Numb 21 Serpent in that wildernes The Egyptians could saue themselues from Serpents of Ethiopia by their Birds Ibides The Arabians had remedies against their venemous red Serpents by eating of an Arabiā fruit where those Diodor. Serpents bred The Graecians by the counsell of Theophrastus and practice of Ismenias had their remedies against the stinging of Vipers The Apulians had their salue to saue them from the Alex. li. 2. cap. 17 biting of Tarantula by musike The Romans found meanes to mitigate the plague in Rome as you haue heard clauo fixo But a greater plague ceased in Israel by Iaels knocking Iud. 4. a great naile into Siseraes temples Yet against the Serpents teeth which Medea sowed whence sprang armed men out of the earth who deuoured one another no helpe no remedy was found against these Serpents The viperous biting of seditious treacherous men that bite a great way off that no man shall see them nor know them before they haue bitten Non prius intelligas proditorem quà m proditus sis sayth Seneca How then shal we preuēt such with all the wisdom we haue or punish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such with all the Lawes wee haue For sayth Cicero Crimen conceptum aut cogitatum paenam non meretur Faultes conceyued and thought on which no man knoweth but God himselfe ought not to be punished for sayth Cato Voluntates non sunt legibus obnoxiae A mans thought is vnder no law but vnder Gods lawe But yet in another place Cicero vrged before the Senators that Clodius seruant for that he thought to kyll Pompey the great being then a sole Consull of Rome which was the father of the countrey and as a king of the Romans thought no lesse in his heart then Caligula did that wished Rome to haue but one neck because he might cut it off with one stroke but that stroke fell vpon Caligulas necke so such cruell Tygers are often Curt. lib. 7 made foode to feede fowles Nothing is so strong saith Curtius but sometime the weakest may ouerthrowe it We see the long great trees that long were in growing in one howre to be cut downe All Countreyes ought to bee
one like Cyrus many that had long heads in Athens and yet not one like Pericles Aristotle the Philosopher writ vnto his M. the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist prâ—s ad Alex Plut. in Demet. AlexaÌ„der of another likenes that should be in a Prince that it was more Princely for a King to haue a noble mynde endued with noble vertues then a gallant body furnished with gay Garments like Demetrius who had more care of his Astrologicall cloake then of his Kingdome to hang the world on his backe then to thinke in his minde of his people Like Nero who ware no Garment twise but dayly new-inuented Garments Or like Caligula who ware Sacras Deorum Vestes to set foorth the greatnesse of his Authority These were Reges ex Vestibus non ex Virtutibus For the most part of Heathen kings studying how to please the people with outward shew and pompe would paint their faces and anoynt their eyes to seeme to bee of greater Maiestie with their Subiects So the Kings and Peeres of Ethiopia were wont to bee anoynted with Vermillion that they might seeme young and fayre to be amiable vnto the people The Kings of Assiria vsed to anoynt their eyes and Alex. lib. 6. cap. 6. to paint their faces with like policy to entise blind and coÌ„mon people to esteeme them rather gods then men according to king Cyrus Decree for that they held their Crownes vnder Cyrus For then the Persians had all other kings vnder their obeisance as the Romanes had afterward And therfore Cyrus made a Lawe that the great Kings of Persia in any Feast or Triumph should anoynt their faces adipe Leonino that they might seeme more manly and more Princely to allure the people to accept their greatnesse and to ad nyre the Maiestie of their presence They write that Augustus Caesar was instructed with Augustus Caesar Cyrus Lawes for in his third Tryumph he vsed the like whether it was for loue or for feare his countenance terrified the Army of M. Antonius in the Battayle of Actium And yet among these Heathens there were many that despised those externall shewes and pompe Such a one was Agesilaus among the Lacedemonians Epaminondas among the Thebanes and Fabricius among the Romanes It is historied that Germanicus the Emperour was so amiable and louing in sight because in sight he seemed Germanicus so plaine a Prince in Apparrell so plausible so gentle in speache for that hee was a singular wise Prince that they that saw him and heard him were so addicted vnto him that he was so beloued of his Subiects so magnified of his Nobles that it was neuer heard that Germanicus was eyther hated of the one or enuied of the other Such is the force of Vertue Si cerni potuit oculis sayth Plato that it would mooue much affection and loue in men by looking the like sayth Cicero the Report of vertuous men whom wee neuersaw doeth Cic. de nat Deo li. 1. breed such affection that good men are desirous to see them The presence of a good and a godly Prince is great and so great that the Prayer and presence of king Abia 2. Chron. 〈◊〉 13. 14 ouerthrew 500000. Israelites The Prayer and presence of king Asa ouerthrew Zerath the Ethiopian king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. in Apophth with his great Army of ten hundreth thousand and therefore Antigonus hearing one of his Lieutenants and Captaynes saying that the enemies king Ptolomey his Army were more in number then they Antigonus seemed to bee angry and said How many doest thou number me for Alexander was euer wont to say in any danger by Sea or by Land to his Souldiers Alexander is heere Habetis Alexandrum So often would Caesar say in any peril Ye haue Caesar his fortunes with you so he said to Amyclas his pilot It was an vsuall speache of the people of Sparta to aske where the enemyes were and not to aske how many they were But we leaue those Princes to Fortune Qui plura Fortunae quà m virtuti tribuunt The greatest praise and commendations of Christian Princes must not be attributed to the Actions of Fortune as the Heathen Princes doo but to the benfites of Vertue who by the greatnesse of their wisdome and vertue haue their authority from God For the Crowne the Scepter and the Kingdome it selfe is from God who made them so great that he called them Goddes saying Ye are Gods on earth but how Pietate et iustitia saith Augustine And so in Plato a King is called Deus quispiam humanus and yet in Homer a King is called but Pastor populi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the King of Kings is called the great Shepheard for a king ought to haue as great care ouer his people as a shepherd ouer his sheep Adrian the Emperor said Rempub. non esse suam sed se Reip. For as without a King neither towne city country or kingdome can stand so ought a King to gouerne and rule his subiects that he may deserue the name of a King not of a Tyrant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. ped 9. for it is fit saith Cyrus that a Gouernour must farre excell those whom he gouerneth in vertue wisdome Such as Caleb was with Iosua and such as Iethro was with Moses and such as Nathan was with Dauid If such wise Counsellers attend vpon Kings in Court that Court shall flourish and that Common-wealth shall prosper Wise men in Court with Princes are as Preseruatiues kept for a sicke body That made Salomon to aske for wisdome onely to gouerne his people That made Vlisses to crie out in Homer to Minerua Si te Diua Minerua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Odyss vtar If I can haue thy company O Goddesse I esteeme not who wil be against me That made Pericles to forsake his youthfull companies to haue sage and wise men about him wheÌ„ he in Athens succeeded Themistocles in publike gouernmeÌ„t of the Athenians And that made Dion to speak of Plato hauing had proofe of Dions speach of Plato Platoes wisdom counsell Mallem vnum Platonem quaÌ„ mille Antimachos For Plato gaue such counsell to Dion not to please but to profit Dion Such couÌ„sel gaue Solon to the Athenians Non quae suauissima sed quae optima But good counsel is often reiected Ieremy gaue good 3. Reg. cap. 12. Good couÌ„sell counsell to King Zedechias but hee reiected it Lot gaue good counsell to the Sodomites but they regarded it not The Elders of Israel gaue good counsell to Rehoboam but hee esteemed it not Wisdome crieth out in the streets offreth her seruice free vnto Princes and yet some Princes regard her not But truely that Prince is happy where wisdome may say Habito in consilijs That wisdom guided Noah in the Arke that wisdome instructed the Patriarkes before the Law to liue vnder the Law Iephtha
with Samsons heyfar to their owne ouerthrow and some with Minoes Cowe to breed many monstrous Minotaures to deuoure their country And too many plow against the law of Moses with an Oxe and an Asse and all this to practise policy Sectio 6. IN Greece were two generall factions the Doreans and Ionians the Lacedemonians tooke part with the Doreans and the Athenians with the Ionians From these two Factions Two generall factiōs in Greece grew in Greece such seditions that the Boetians the Argiues Elians Mantineans and others some affecting the Doreans with the Lacedemonians some affecting the Ionians with the Athenians that it brake out into ciuil warres which continued 27. yeres to the destructiō of the Empire of Greece which somtyme gaue so many ouerthrowes to the Persians so many victories at Marathō at Artimesium at Salamina other-where that now by meanes of their factions seditions Philip of Macedon saw such oportunity to subdue the Graecians which hee long thirsted for that he ouercame Greece with Greekes for so it is written Graeci Graecorum manibus mactabantur by meanes chiefly of their ciuil seditions and factions he wan more townes in Greece by Greeks then by the Macedonians The like of the ciuill warres among the Romanes the Danes thought it the fittest time to winne Rome Front lib. 1. cap. 10 Scorylo in such a seditious time as Philip did Greece yet Scorylo their Generall at that time appoynted doubting much of this enterprise caused two great mastiue dogs to fight eagerly before the people that both were wel wearied then Scorylo brought in a Wolfe in the sight of these mastiue dogs straight wayes both the dogs left off fighting both of them ran fiercely fought egerly with the Wolfe The fierce ciuill warres and fighting of the Romanes at home sayd Scorylo will euen so do when they see a Wolfe I meane a forrayne enemy to commence warre against them There was also in Athens two factions Pericles being the authour of one and Cymon the sonne of Milciades Two factions in Athens the other Pericles affected the cōmon people and Cimon preferred the Nobility and fauoured their proceedings in such sort that Athens was neuer quiet but when it was disquieted with it selfe by meanes of factions which do nourish seditions hauing their busie-brayned Oratours to force the Athenians to fight with their tongues consilio calamis linguâ for it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Aristoph the disposition of that City neuer to consult as Demosthenes sayd but too late euery towne in Greece was so factious that the glory of Greece by meanes of factions and seditions continued but 50. yeeres and some odde in any greatnesse And in Sparta for all Lycurgus care and his lawes he could not free Sparta from factions and yet he deuided Two factions in Spartae Obas and Philas them all into 2. factions whom Lycurgus himselfe named Obas Philas which lawes decrees of Lycurgus were so kept for 500. yeres without violating them for none in Greece durst breake Lycurgus lawes but Agesilaus and that but once vpon great necessity to punish seditions In Carthage also they had two factions the one faction followed Hamilcar Hanibals father and after him his son Hanibals the other followed Hanno his friēds so that in kingdoms and coūtries factious men moued such sedition wherby no greater harmes happened to kingdomes and countries then by practising seditions and factions Hamilcar Hannibals father so hated the Romans that hauing 4. young youthes to his sonnes sayd that hee would haue 4. Lion whelps nourished brought vp with his 4. sonnes as mortall enemies to the Romanes and sware Hannibal his eldest son being of 9. yeres old Polib 2. to continue an enemy to the Romanes during his life and further to shew his malice enuy towards the Romanes he raised vp the dust frō the earth with his foot and said that then should be the end of the warres between Rome Carthage when one of both those Cities should be brought to nothing but such dust In Rome before Fab. Max. time they had but foure Foure factions in Rome factions which were deuided by Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome and by him named Palatina Colina Exquilina and Suburrana after the name of the foure gates of Rome at that time being the Infancy of Rome But after it grew from foure factions to be fiue and thirty Tribes that euery Tribe was full of diuers factions and the Romane Empire waxed so mighty that Fabius Maximus when he was Censor in Rome for that he brought all forraine factions within Rome to be one of these foure which Seruius Tullus named Fab. named Max. Vrbanas factiones was so gratefull to the Citizens of Rome that they named him Fabius Maximus which was the first time that he was called Maximus for abridging the multitude of factions that then would haue growen in Rome vnto infinite numbers if Fabius had not brought them vnder one of these foure But in the time of Sylla and Marius factions began so to multiply in Rome as it did in Greece that likewise The ciuill wartes of the Romās it brake out into ciuill warres which continued from Sillaes time vnto the last ouerthrow of Mar. Antonius welnigh fourty yeeres to the destruction of the whole Empire some following the fury of Marius as Sertorius Cynna Carbo and others followers of Sylla as Metellus Pompey and others that none might dwell in Rome but those that eyther should bee on Marius side or on Syllaes Thus was the Empire deuided by factions from Sylla to Caesar from Caesar to Augustus sometime running from Caesar to Pompey and from Pompey to Caesar vntill they and their factions were slayn by the sword and their countrey welnigh destroyed Of all miseries ciuill warres is most miserable and a very Ocean sea of all miseries in which Nobilitas cum plebe perit wherof Homer exclaimed said Let him be cursed as an vnnatural monster no man that seeketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Iliad 1. Cic. Phil. 12. his countries harme And Cicero in like sort cryed out vpon him Quem caedes ciuium quem bellum ciuile delectat and wished such to be cast out of the society of men and to weed them out of the bounds of nature Factions among great men are more dangerous hard to be quenched for that these potentates draw the people and moue them which are compared to the sea vnmoueable vntill a tempest rise and therfore Plato thought good to ioyne Aristides surnamed the iust for his iustice trueth and constancy with Themistocles being haughty and somewhat ambitious And Lycurgus much commended the policy of Agamemnon Lycurgus to put Vlisses forward to clayme Achilles armour as wel as Aiax who iudged himselfe most worthy in respect of his valor to be next Achilles throughout al Greece This discord was tempred by Agamemnon by
giuing Achilles armour to Vlisses that wise and politike men might be estemed as well for counsell as valiant men for valour Augustus the Emperour was written vnto by his deare friend Maecenas that if hee would haue a quiet Empire and his subiects to loue him he should cut off faction the chiefe cause of sedition and that the name of factions or any other new name tending to moue quarrels and debate might be quite excluded out of Rome And so doth Aristotle exhort that Magistratuum potentum contentiones the beginning of brawles Arist pol. 5. and contentions should be stayed and stopt by lawes if not by lawes by the sword Adulta seditio melioribus consilijs flectetur sayth Cicero What slaughter came of the cynders and ashes of Pompey the great of Cato of Scipio and of others to reuenge their death vpon Caesar and his friends What murther what warre was to reuenge the murthering of Caesar vpon Brutus Cassius and others The Lawe of Thrasybulus which curbed the thirty Tyrants in Athens could doe no good in Rome though Cicero did what he could in perswading Thrasybulus law to take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place with the people For then euery man in Rome seemed as a Serpent one to another ready in armes one to kill another Orosius hereupon induceth a Fable of Medea of a Serpent slayne of whose teeth set in Oros li. 6. cap. 17. the ground by Medea grew so many armed men who presently fought so within themselues that one destroied another Such was the slaughter by the ciuill warres at Rome Sectio 7. THeopompus being demaunded why did Sparta flourish Is it for that their kings gouerne their subiects wisely or that their subiects obey their kings faithfully Theopompus answered We practise in Sparta but to indure labour Theopom saying of Sparta No seditiō in Sparta to ouercome our enemies and to obey our kings howsoeuer kings gouerne the commaundement is giuen to subiects frō God to vse their shield not the sword The law in Sparta was therefore that the souldier that lost his shield in the field among the enemies should dye for it The sword is put into the hands of princes to punish offendors and to cut off disobedient and seditious subiects Chirurgians cut off rotten putrified members from the sound members which may be well likened to Gangraena which must of necessity be cut off lest the whole body perish God vsed to shew such seuerity to those factious Rebells the Iewes for their disobedience that fire came from heauen aboue and burned them and the earth belowe swallovved them for their factious disobedience which of all other Nations were most factious to Moses in the wildernesse to Iosua at Iericho and from time to time to the Iudges in Israel It was euer the wonted practice of policy among the seditious and factious people to taunt Magistrates or to speake some whispering speech against a prince to feele and to heare who will ioyne with them to moue seditiō These be the Vipers that bite men priuily these be the domesticall Serpents the secret brue-bates of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commonwealths in whō there is no fayth found nor othes to be beleeued as Aristophanes sayth Augustus Caesar hearing that a slaunderous fellow one Elianus spake vnreuerent words of the Emperour the Magistrates willing to punish him Augustus commaunded Suet. in Aug. those that accused him to goe and tell Elianus Sciat Elianus Augustum habere linguam that Augustus had also a tongue both to punish and to pardon Philip of Macedon in like sort to his friends that perswaded him to banish the like lewd fellowes for their speach out of his court and countrey sayd God Plut. in Apotheg forbid lest they should speake of mee more in another Country then in Macedonia But these were dilatory plees to looke further vnto thē to find more fellowes of the like practice The example of Raymerus is much more commended which looked vnto the disposition of his Noble men and saw them vntractable little waying the care and loue the king had vnto them contemning despising both him and his lawes giuing eare to seditious men vntill the king saw their practice waxed angry perceiuing that they esteemed him not as their king caused 11. of these whom he saw most contentious to Lips lib. 3 be put to the sword in the City of Osca giuing them this taunt withall Nescit Vulpecula cum quo ludat A caueat not to pluck haires from Lions as the prouerb is Lecnem vellicare To serue a king saith Brasidas consisteth in three precepts Velle obedire vereri Brasida◠precepts A certayne king in Persia vsed in like sort as Raimerus did in Spayne but of meaner persons which for some reprochfull taunting wordes that they spake of the king he caused those scoffers nostrils quite on both sides to be cut off saying Ecce sigillum Regis in conuitiatores Behold the kings seale against scoffers This seuerity is more commended in these princes then the clemency of Philip or of Augustus What became of the taunt which the Egyptiās gaue to Ochus K. of Persia naming the K. the Asse of Persia King Ochus taunt to the Egyptians said Ochus Faciam vt hic asinus vestrū bouem depascat I wil make the Asse of Persia eate your Oxe of Egypt for the Egyptians worshipped an Oxe which they called Apis as one of their chiefe gods which within a while after Ochus surnamed Artaxerxes marched with a great Oros li. 3. cap. 7. army and subdued Egypt and sacrificed their Oxe and their god Apis according to his promise Cotis a Thracian K. answered one that said his seuere gouernmēt was rather fury then clemency towards his Cotis subiects Yea said Cotis hic furor meus sanos reddit subditós Clemency must be ioyned with seuerity This my seuerity said Cotis shall make my subiects both to loue me and to feare me Nimia clementia nocet Had Artabanus obserued the rule of Raymerus or the seuerity of Cotis he needed not to haue fled secretly Artabanus from Parthia to king Izetes beyond Armenia a far meaner king then himselfe neither to feare the snares and trappes of his subiects being so great a king called the king of kings for so the kings of Parthia are called but hee was restored to his kingdome by this meane king Izetes A thousand mishaps may happen to princes which subiects are free of Examples may be found of Iugurth king of Numidia and of Persius king of Persia who were taken Captiues in their owne kingdomes and dyed prisoners in Rome Charles surnamed sapiens the French king saw the king his father taken captiue in his owne kingdome and caried into England and the whole kingdome of Fraunce possest of Englishmen The Romane Histories are full of these horrible examples that by seditions and factions the whole Empire was welnigh destroyed that I
need not declare of Tomoembeus the great Soldan of Egypt and Affricke king and Lord of so many Nations in his owne kingdome Tomoembeus Lip lib. 2. how cruelly and strangely he was both depriued of his kingdome and of his life And how the great king de nouo orbe Mexicanus after infinite good Mexicanus successe of great fame and fortune lost suddenly both fame and fortune I need not confirme these histories with authority as of Achab Zedechias other who felt the iust Iudgemēt of God neyther of Manasses and Nabuchadnezar one 2. Reg. 10 confessing the Lord to bee God being a king among beastes the other a captiue and a prisoner out of his owne kingdome of whom the Greeke Prouerbe is verified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misery captiuity and want make kings to know thēselues It is a true saying Miseria bona mater prudētiae Augustus Caesar would know of his friend Asinius Pollio if he would come with him to the battell of Actium betweene Mar. Antonius and him He answered the Emperour In ciuil warre I wil take no part but Vell. 11. I will rest and be a pray to the Conquerour Tit. Atticus though Pompey by a Decree pronounced him a Rebel that would forsake his Senators the Consuls and the state of the Common-wealth in so troublesome a time yet Atticus was of the like opiniō as Q. Hortensius Hortensius saying was who often vsed to brag that he had neuer byn in any ciuill warres Cicero wrote his Epistle to them being his deere frends that scattered cattel wil come to their flocke how much more should such wise men be a cōfort Cic. ad Att. to their afflicted countrey and follow the best sort seing Cato himselfe Viua virtutis Imago was a Captaine in these warres Obserue the nature of factions in the best men Cicero and Cato went out of Rome as men determyned and resolute to take part with the best men and with the state of the Empyre to abide what so euer came of it Pomp. Atticus Q. Hortensius men of no lesse iudgement and credit in Rome then they were forsooke to be factious or to take part with eyther Pompey or Caesar at that time spake Cato to Pompey to strike the ground according to his promise yet Solon in Athens decreed a law that they which would be neuters in ciuil warres Gel. li. 11. cap. 12. and seperate themselues in their Countries calamities they should be banished igne aqua The Prophet Elizeus spake to Ioas king of Israel being in such distresse as Rome was and bade Ioas smite the ground with his foot and Ioas smote the ground three times and ceased Elizeus was angry and sayd Thou shouldest haue smitten fiue sixe or seuen times and so 4. Reg. 13. many victories shouldest thou haue had ouer the Assyrians as thou strookest the ground So Pompey also sayd to Cato If he should but strike the ground of Italy with his foot hee should want no men Plut. in Pomp. on his side to fight against Caesar But Pompey could not keepe promise with Cato as Elizeus did with Ioas. Many promise more then they can performe and doe deceiue themselues and others I could well compare these seditious people to Balaam who being sent for by king Balac promising him great rewardes to come and curse Israel as Balaam rode on his iorney an Angel with a drawen sword in his hand stood in his way which the Asse sawe and started but Balaam sawe not the Angell vntill his Asse spake to him and asked Balaam why he strake him These Asses cary some false Balaam or other not on their backs but in their bellyes that had rather go with Balaam to Balak to curse Israel and to conspire against their owne natiue countrey and if they can not preuaile Num. 22. by cursing banning they will practise another way by policy and counsell as Balaam did to deceiue Israel But these practisers doe as Benhadad did when hee was ouerthrowen in the mountaines he said that the The blasphemy of Benhadad 3. Reg. 20. Gods of the mountaynes were against him and therfore Benhadad would haue a battell in the Valley with the Israelites so these Balaams Asses euer haue done and will do if they faile of their practice in the mountaine they wil practize in the valley if they fayle in the valley they will practise their policy in Kings Courts Rebelles haue their snares layd downe how treason may be wrought and their places appointed where their treason may be performed and their time when to execute their treason So did Pausanias kill Philip of Pausanias Chaerea Macedon at a Marriage So did Chaerea kill Claudius the Emperour going to the Theaters So did the fryer of Fraunce murther the King at his confession What dare not practisers of policy do if they dare kill Emperours Kings and princes Claudius Nero sound no better way to feare Hannibal his great enemy then to throw Hasdrubals head into the Tent of his brother Hannibal which so amazed Hannibal and his army that they made haste from Carthage to Italy That Hanibal had nothing to comfort him but to nippe the Romanes of so many heads of Senators of Consuls of Praetors and of Romane Magistrates at the battell of Canna of Trebeia and of Thrasimena that requited his brothers head But these nippes were betweene Hanibal and Scipio For it was Sillaes practice to put Italy in fright and to make Rome amazed at his tyranny against his countrey that Cato wondred much to see so many heads of Magistrates and of Roman Citizens vpon poles hanged Plut. in Caton Oros li. 5. cap. 21. on euery gate at Rome about the Capitoll and in the market place and that no Romane for Romes sake had killed Silla When Golias head was caried by Dauid to Saul the Philistines fled and they were followed vnto Geth and vnto Acaron and the slaughter was great of the Philistians and their terrour was more to see their Captaine Golias without a head and therefore was the Sword of Golias hanged in the Temple at Ierusalē as a Trophey of victorie as the picture of the Sun 1. Reg. 17 was vpon Ioshuas Tombe for his victory at Gibeon When Holophernes head was brought frō the campe to Bethulia by Iudyth a womā the slaughter was great of the Assyrians and much more were they astonished Inaith 14 and ashamed to find their General Holophernes without a head and that by a woman It was great policy in Alexander the great to commaund all his souldiers to shoote their pieces and their arrowes together toward king Perus in India perceyuing Ore lib. 3. cap. 19. Dioder lib. 17. that the soldiers would fly if the king were slaine And therefore diuers great Captaines did practise such policy afterward to their soldiers as Leuinus the Consul perswaded his souldiers and shewed them a naked bloudy sword in his hand
was welseene made supplication to his coūtrey gods as the maner rites of the Romans were to giue him some certein signe who shuld succeed him in the Empire being aduertised that the first that would come and salute him the next morning should succeed him in the Empire caused presently Euodus his Chamberlain to cal all his sonnes to come in to him to preuēt others but as Euodus went out of the chamber came in Caeius the sonne of Germanicus his brother and saluted the Emperour whereby he knew that his diuination Tiberlus deceiued by his diuination failed him that none of his children should succeede but Caius his brothers sonne according to Salomons saying Man determineth God disposeth Many in this age would faineknow the successions of Empyres kingdoms but they are not of wise mens opinions Animi morbus est de his quaerere That which is onely in God to know is not fit for man to search for Hermes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ambitious men want no boughs to clime Hannibal perswading king Prusias to commence warre against the Romanes answered Hannibal that hee would enterprise nothing before hee had consulted with a Sooth-sayer To whome said Hannibal Carunculae vitulinae mauis quà m veteri Imperatori credere De diui lib. 2. Canst thou beleeue king Prusias rather the lyuer of a beast or the flying of a Fowle then beleeue an olde Captaine who had bin Generall against the Romanes 17. yeeres who to my losse haue learned to be a Soldiour can better counsell thee then the Soothsayer The likesaying is tepbrted of king Mithridates that in spite of fortune after she had done what she could sayd I can counsel others not to trust Fortune though it be often true Rara est Virtus quam Fortuna non gubernat But what is it but Superstition wil do Which made Cato to say and to wonder Lib. 2. de Diui. Quod non rideret Aruspex Aruspicem cum videret that one Soothsayer would not laugh when he saw another Pub. Claudius in the first Punicke watre iesting at so many Augurers commaunded some Chickens that would eate nothing out of their Cage or Coupe to be drowned in water for that they might drinke because they would not eat in contempt of their Diuination but he was condemned to death by the people for not esteeming Auguration Lib. 2. de nat Deo For the like cause his fellow Consull Lu. Iunius to escape the danger and wrath of the people slew him selfe Athens more superstitious then Rome where Diagoras was banished Socrates poysoned and Timagoras imprisoned Such Augurations and Soothsayings had bene in honor and worship in old time and of such credit that it was death among the Romanes and the Persians to iest at it for their Magicke among the Persians and Auguration among the Romanes without which their kings could not be in times past elected Scipio and Figulus because they were elected became Magistrates and not allowed by the Augurers 2. Diuin Lawes being wrongfully created they both refused forsooke their Offices and were also reiected of the people Paul and Barnabas after the restoring of an impotent cripple being so borne of his mother the people Acts 3. in Lystra cryed out that Gods are come downe in the likenesse of men And they called Paul Mereurius and Barnabas Iupiter and the Priests of Iupiter brought Bulles trymmed with Flowers and Garlands vnto the gates where Paul and Barnabas lodged and there would haue sacrificed with the people In like maner one Demetrius a Syluer-Smyth vnto Diana stirred vp sedition among the superstitious people saying that Paul perswaded the people not onely Acts 19. at Ephesus but throughout all Asia that they bee not Gods which are made with hands so that the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana and the Image that came downe from Iupiter should be nothing esteemed and that her magnificence which all Asia and the whole world worshipped should be destroyed In Ierusalem their superstitious Idolatry was the onely cause of the ouerthrow of both the kingdomes of Iudah and of Israel euery one worshipping seuerall gods of strange nations And therefore the Prophet sayd That the Plummet of the house of Ahab the Line of Samaria should be stretched ouer Ierusalem that as Samaria was destroyed with her Idols so shuld Ierusalem with her Images Cicero doth report of certeine Chaldean Phylosophers being in his time at Rome who shewed their cūning Cic. de Diuin 2. vpon three of the greatest men of Rome of equall fortune and greatnes and therfore one enuying the other much doubting one of another cōsulted with certein Chaldeans then at Rome by whom they were certified in the presence of Cicero that eche one of these 3. viz Crassus Pompey Caesar should liue to be very old they should dye in their houses should with honor and fame accomplish all their actions wheras in truth they dyed afterwards otherwise and that out of their countrey Crasius first was slaine among the Parthians and his head sent by Surena to Pacorus king of the Parthians Pompey was slaine in Egypt and his head sent by Ptolomy to Caesar And lastly Caesar was slaine in the Senate house among the Senators Their dumme stratagems must be preuented as Iehu did by the messenger of King Ioram who came to Iehu 4. Reg. 9. saying Thus saith the king Is it peace Iehu What hast thou to do with peace sayth Iehu come behind me follow me What peace should be when factious and seditious men bearesway or what peace can be sayd Iehu to king Iorā whiles the whoredome of thy mother Iezabel her witchcrafts are yet in great nomber whē Iuda Israel agree not in one religion When Achab and Baeals priests rule Israel they must bee preuented as Philip of Macedon did the Embassadors of the Etoliās Front lib. 1. cap. 4. who comming to entreat for peace were kept in talking of peace vntill king Philip had won Thermopyla and placed his garrison there These rebellious Practitioners haue and also had their Embassadours alwayes abroade to knowe if it bee peace for them to come there if they fayled of their purpose which should more feare God in their countrey then feare their enemies out of their countrey But as Benhadad coūsayled Iehoram that he should make streets in Damasco for him his people to dwel 3. Reg 20 as his father made streets in Samaria for the Assyrians to dwel saying My people shal be thy people So Rebelles were promised Townes and Citties to dwell in and therfore said they Litet silibet to practise treason murther and sacriledge There were many Antigonies in Greece one Antigonus Many Antigonies in Greece surnamed Gonatus for that one knee was bigger thē another all his care was to make both his knees of equall proportion that it might seeme vnto the people but of one quantitie Another Antigonus surnamed Polyorcetes for