designes All these Customes the Commonwealth of Venice observes as a Law Except onely that shee lies open to Fear yet not in her Counsels but from Forraigners through want of a Militia of her own For want of the first Publique Wealth the Genoesse are not Lords of the Sea nor of the new world c. For want of the fifth that is unliablenesse to feare and desire the Genoesse are as it were servants to Forraign Princes For want of the Third vix Just Government abroad the French could never fix their Dominion without the Verge of France In which the Spaniard is peccant too Every where severely and ceremoniously Lording it not at all regarding the manners and Temper of the People they rule over For want of the Fourth Custome that is freedom of speech the Florentine Republique went to wrack Observator Manners doubtlesse i.e. Customes can do more then Laws and either add vigour to the or take it from them Customs have brought Laws under their subjection Obs. Customs are either from 1. Disposition of People or 2. Institution and Education 1. For disposition The French now have much of the old Gaules in them Humanity and Ficklenesse saies the Observator give me leave to adde Feaverish Valour in Warre which L. Florus observes in their Progenitors the Gaules * In their first onsets they are more then Men in their second lesse then Women 2. For Education what power that has over Nature consult Xenophon about the Persians and Lacedomonians 18. Good governors bring in good customes ill men and women ill customes Ergo neither ill men nor any woman are fit to rule the law of Nations is the custome of the whole species 1 All mankind 19. Not a Rigid but easie government fit the Nâ—rthern Nations ☞ as being by nature a fierce people and will hardly brook the Fetters of a Republique as Tartars Muscovites Suedes Germans Switzers c. Where they have Kings by succession the people have much liberty and the Prince little power yet after the Roman Culture they began to live more severely and regularly then before But For Southern People especially those that live under the Tropiques no Dominion fits them but the Despotique 1 Lordly Rule and the severest Lawes because they are weak in strength but strong in subtlety For which Reason they were ever very much addicted to Ceremonies Superstitions c. Observat. The Muscovite and Tartar are * Slavishly Governed for there the North bears Easterly The King dome of Swethland is become Hereditary by occasion of Religion but under such Lawes as are observed in Elective Kingdomes 20. Eastern People incline much to the disposition of the Southern as the Western to the Northern by reason of the Sea adjoyning to them and for other Causes but the Spaniard is like in conditions to the African by his Vicinity or Neighbourhood CHAP. V. Of Legislators 1. A Legislator is he who Foundeth a New Empire commonly upon new Laws Religion and Armes Rites and Fortunate Essayes or Enterprises as Moyses a good Legislator Mahomet a * wicked one A Lawgiver therefore is either a God as Christ or the messenger of God as Moses or a subtle Politician ☞ that can counterfeit the good ones as Minos Osiris Jupiter Mahomet Zamolxis and the like who to gain belief and love from the People feigned themselves to be sent from God For ☞ A Lawgiver should be most renowned most wise most Divine and most Reverend Observator To pretend the Commands of God might perhaps bring some successe to a * skillfull man amongst a rude and ignorant People as Sertorius amongst the Spaniards or to the Spaniard now * grown civill and learned too amongst the Americans by the help of Naturall Philosophie Physick and Astronomic But in a learned age and place This Plot and Artifice is cold and ridiculous 2. Every Artist because is wise is a King in his owne Art for a Physician hee 's Lord and Ruler over a sicke King and so a Mariner in a Tempest saies to the Priests and Captaines and the principall men Sit you here stand thou there c. Therefore must the Lawgiver be versed in all these Arts at least understand their ends how they conduce either to the prosit or prejudice of the Republique to purge out the superfluous and retain the necessary Hence it was Plato banish'd Poets out of his Republique because they were full of lies and Ribaldry and by crying up wicked men cry'd down goodnesse and discouraged vertue Hence Moyses expell'd false Prophets and Painters that pictured the Deity and Hucksters and whoremongers c. A Legislator must bee throughly skill'd in the Temperament and manners of Countries by the Air and the Earth as likewise happy or unhappy accidents that usually befall such and such a place c. as Inundations Fires Leprosies Famines c. 3. Legislators ought to reform and purifie not Exth pate Religion 4. The Noblest Profession in Mountainous Countries are 1. Shepheards as in Switzerland and Scythia In plain Conutries 2. Husbandmen as in AEgypt In Maritime Countries 3. Seamen and Merchants who for the profit they bring in the monies that they returne and exchange and arts and Trades they bring from Forraigne Countries have ever been held in highest place and esteem But Where other especially superfluous Arts are preferred before these Imminent both losse and ruine must needs follow after 5. A Divine Legislator hath the Idea of his own Repubque in the Court of Heaven The Humane Lawgiven in the Government of the Universe and mans Body 6. Man Male and Female are the Elements of a Republique who consists of 1. Soul 2. Body and External 3. Goods 1. The Soul of a Republique is Wisdome and Religion 2. The Body a Senate or Grand Councell or whoever bear any Office advantagious to the Publique 3. For Externall good the Republique hath Souldiers Mercenary and Auxiliary and Forraign Merchants and Artificers For spirits she hath Lawes For Eyes the searchers into Arts and Sciences For ears Spies and Merchants For a Tongue Preachers and Doctors and Embassadors For hands her own Militia For feet Husbandmen and Tradesmen 7. As naturally the Soul rules the * Spirits Policically but the Body Despotically 1. by an Imverious and arbitrary way and the Body rules the Estate as the Soule dictates to it so Religion has a Politique Dominion over Lawes and the Senate but over Souldiers Tradesman such like both Senate Law and Religion rule proportionably 8. Goods of the Mind are first to be look'd after next those of the Body Those of Fortune in the third place Observat. The Lawes of friendship have a stricter tie then those of Civill society Here endeth the first part of Politique Maxims and Cautions MANIPVLVS POLITICVS OR Politique Maxim's and Cautions PART II. CHAP. VI Of Colonies and Cities THey that Rule over Countries lying under several Climes must either govern them by distinct Laws or
violently as of old the Giants and afterwards Brennus and Attila and many more 4. The first thing that gained Dominion amongst Men was 1. POWER 2. WISEDOME 3. LOVE The mixture of all three is rare and admirable Power without wisdom is Brutishand Barbarous Tyranny this is Lyon-like Dominion Wisedome without Love is but a Cheating Hypocritical Dommion This is Fox-like Hence Lewis the II. of France gain'd the title of Lewis the Fox But Love cements all and makes Dominion durable Hence Poets say that Cupid or Love is the Antientest of all the Gods for indeed Love made the World and Harmony preserves it 5. The Supreme Power is the Power of the Sword that is the Power of Life and Death which resides in them to whom the last appeale in Criminalls is referred 6. Dominion of one Good man is called Monarchy Dominion of one Evill men Tyranny The Dominion of many Good ones Aristocracy The Dominion of many Bad ones Oligarchy The Dominion of all Good ones Policy The Dominion of all Bad ones Democracy It is the Office or Duty of those that Rule 1. To teach and instiruct Their subjects 2. Defend Their subjects 3. Nourish or Feede Their subjects 4. To maintaine the rights of Their subjects Which seeing no King can undergoe of himselfe alone he does the 1. By Priests Doctors and Lawes 2. By Souldiers 3. By Husband-men Merchants and Artificers 4. By Judges that judge according to Law On the other side the people owe to their Prince two things 1. Reverence 2. Obedience 8. Those are called Kings which preferre the publique before their own private good but Tyrants which doe the contrary 9. A Kingly Government does very rarely degenerate except by degrees into a Democratique yet in Athens it did so which Originally was a Monarchy 10. When a Popular State by Mis-government is corrupted there springs up in lieu of it either a Tyrant as Pisistratus at Athens or a * King as Cosmo Medices at Florence Or Vassalage under strangers those of Pisa by this meanes became slaves to the Florentines Common-wealths by Luxury and Pride shrink and contract themselves into an Oligarchy So Some fell into the hands of a Decemvirate or Government by Ten-Men which lasted not long but was quelled observe it by the People Rising under the conduct of Virginius so the Athenians under the conduct of Thrasybulus cut off and suppressed the Thirtie Tyrants 11. Strife betwixt Commons and Nobles encreaseth a Common-wealth but if the Commons bee Conquerour so as To draw the Nobles to their Bent The Republique goes to wrack as it hapned in Florence a state of all others most subject to changes But if the Noblest win the day Tyranny forthwith steps in as heretofore in Genoa and the Republique falls to ground But Contentions about the Change of Religion or the Sharing of State which by a new Name we call Levelling is ever the utter undoing of all especially where the Conquerors are but few Yet in Flanders Holland and Friesland they are not so much wasted by varieties of Religion as the French Polack and English are because they are compell'd into Union by the common enemy the Spaniard Observator The strife of Peares and people so long as they keepe from down-right blowes may be reckoned in the number of those which Herod calles Good and advant ageous contentions but when by Ambition and Avarice the Sedition of the Apuleij and the Gracchi and after them the warrs of Sylla and Marius crept in the Republique of Rome began to look Monarchish which as Jul. Caesar invaded upon a Popular Accompt so would Pompey have probably done upon the SENATES In some places such is the Education of divers that are called Noble-men that you may expect Vertue from any men sooner then from Them Strifes about Religion are there most Pernicious and Destructive where Provision is not made * for Dissenters That they may live secure and the Supreme Magistrate makes not their security good to them in good Earnest whereupon Tumults and jarrs about Religion have risen that have vexed Germany but almost quite destroyed both France and the Netherlands So much for Internal changes Externall follow Such are Forraign Invasion Plagues Inundations and Conflagrations Uuniversall Which Disasters oft-times so change the face of things that Inhabitants are glad to begin the world again These we may not as the Author here seemes to do impute to any Magicall Fatality in the Numbers of 7. or 9. which yet he laies have been Experimentally found ominous nor yet to the ill-complexion of starrs that as I may say attend the Horoscope of such and such Kingdomes and Commomvealths though I will not deny but God the great Demiurgus brings many Plagues upon men and Cities by the Ministry of the Planets but ascribe these Calamities to the FINGER of GOD which writ the PERIOD of the ASSYRIAN EMPIRE upon the Wall Dan 5. and levell'd Sodom and Gomorrah with the plain wheron they stood Gen. 19.25 Cities and Countries are sometimes destroyed by Naturall Causes but yet the hand of God may set them on work as if AEtna by its Eruptions should destroy Sicily or Vesevo Campania as it has sometimes done Earthquakes in Italy are Naturally frequent by reason of the many hollow Grots and Mountaines in that Country but if they bring destruction to whole Countries or Cities as they have not long since done vere Digitus Dei firy sins of that Sodom c. The City of Venice is subject to Oblimation or the casting up of Mud and Sands which may in time choake her up and be her ruine which of her self is so admirably complexion'd that she can never Perish Observator Some remedies for this disease though perhaps not strong enough shee has already invented and may devise more and better Yet this advantage her Seas bring that they are her Bulwark against strangers upon confidence whereof shee has no Militia of her own yet fears a Tyranny from her own strength and hence perhaps it may fall out that by hyring of forreign Commanders she may at last come to ruine CHAP. III. Of the Essence Constitution and Division c. Princedome and Dominion c. THE Romans upon the suddain Emergencies of danger by War or seditions did chuse themselves an extemporarie Monarch which they called a Dictatour whence at last by the Authors leave we may inferre thus much That a Monarch is the best safestengine for any People in time of War or Danger Hence Homer makes his wise-man Ilysses vote clearly for that to carry on the Grecian Warre It is not good to have many heads say's he let there be one Chief one King For 1. The Dominion of one good man is alwaies better then the Dominion of many nay of all good ones Yea 2. The Male-administration of One is much to be desired rather then that of Many or of all in a Princedome or Rule 3. Simply
farre as it is agreeable to Nature it is invariable but as it serves present necessities it may and sometimes ought to be altered God himselfe also gave a Positive Law which is immutable where it containes the Law of Nature where our necessities onely mutable as the Law of Moses in the Decalogue remains in full force for ever but not in the forbidding of Swines-flesh which was made on purpose to * avoid Leprosie Yet ☞ No man can alter Lawes but he that made them or he that is Created his substitute for that very purpose Observator Note This observation cannot refer to any thing in the Antecedent Paragraph Nature is the work of Reason without us Humane Reason is the work of Nature within us The will of man is of its own Nature mutable but Reason Immutable except improperly namely when the matter about which which she is conversant is mutable 6. Politique Reason which some call the Reason of State and of old was the same with Equity does transgresse the strict Letter of the Law but not the sence and scope of it becauses it does not abrogate or interpret c. any thing but for a greater good as in the case of Fabius Vitulanus to whom the Roman Senate granted his life which was forfeited to the Law and Horace that slew the three Curatis * in the quarrell of the Roman Empire But the Reason of State as it is now adaies is nothing else but a devise of Tyrants that carries the face of Equity supposing it lawfull for them to transgresse not onely their owne but even the Lawes of God either to gaine or maintain their petty Dominions But The difference between Reason of State and Equity is this For Equity respects the Publique Good and Truth but Reason of State looks upon onely the private and seeming good of the Power in being Now since Machiavel was found to play Achitophel the name being confessedly impious Princes began that they might cover the shame of it to call it the Reason of good Government Which names though given by a knavish Godfather may bear an honest meaning As for example Cleonymus put to death the Ephori of Lacedamon by a right reason of State but so does not the Great Turk his Brethren because although he seem to do it for the Common good yet being it is against the Law of God and some other way might bee found out to prevent their aspiring to the Throne the fact is Barbarous and unreasonable 7. A good Prince wants not this Reason of State because his owne goodnesse is a perpetuall shield unto him and if any rise up against him all the People stand for him as for David whom his rebellious Son had deprived of his Kingdom But a thousand thousand Machiavillian Arts cannot protect a wicked Prince because cause he is both Odious to the People and to God the King of all the World Now hee that jarrs with God the Prime Cause does foolishly depend upon second causes as it happen'd to Caesar * Borgia who under themost wary and provident Discipline and Mastership of Machiavell lost both his life and Fortune Thus are Machiavillians alwaies taken in their owne snare for want of Divine and Heavenly Knowledge and by conceiting that by their owne Wisdome they can Fathome and foresee all things 10. Those Lawes are best which are 1. short 2. easie 3. few and 4. fitted to the Manners or Genius of the People and the Publique good Tyrannical Lawes 02 are Many and those obscure difficult like so many snares that serve the turnes of some one or few but not at all accommodated either to the Manners or advantage of the Publique 9. Where Lawes are often changed they are the forerunners of the instant raine of a Republique as Florence found it therefore by sad experience Observator Lawes belonging to Governments ought not to be alter'd unlesse necessity compell nor yet others but where the profit is very evident and very Great 10. Where there are more Laws to * punish then to direct or instruct it is a sign of an ill tempered Government 11. The Acts of Laws are to command what is good to restrain what is evill and to tollerate things indifferent 12. Reward and Punishment are the two 2 spurrs of the Law to prick men forward to observation of them Observat. No Law can stand without punishment of the transgressors of and where no punishment is expressed there it is Arbitrary otherwise it were rather a Counsellthen a Law but whether a Reason ought to be annexed to every Law it cannot universally be defined Saleucus and Charondas and Plato too follow'd this course being to make Laws for Free People they thought good to use perswasions Where as Seneca having an eye upon his * own Times affirmes A Law with a Preface to be a foolish thing being a Law should command and not perswade and Dio Chrysostome compares Custome to a King but Law to a Tyrant in that Custome gives Law to men willing to receive it but Law binds the unwilling also 13. The three Guardians or Keepers of Laws are 1. Honour 2. Love 3. Fear Hee that secures not his Law by these three is either a weak or Ignorant Lawgiver or elsea Tyrant c. 14. Where a thing which once was good becomes hurtfull it is to be forbidden Where an Evill thing does prosit the Publique if it be Evill of Punishment and not Evill of Offence it is to be Commanded Where in its own Nature indifferent as it falls out Good or Evill to the Republique it is to be according Commanded or Forbidden 15. The Laws of men make rather good Citizens then simply good men Yet Princes and Rulers ought to be simply good because they are the * Light and the Law of others 16. The Law ought to make and ordain Equality as the Nurse of the Common-wealth but not a Levelling for as the Observator saies excellently such strings make no Harmony but an Equality opposite to that destructive * consiming inequality which is fatall to Common-wealths For example Extrem Poverty makes Theeves Insidious Perjur'd Ignorant and Instruments of Rich wicked men On the contrary very Rich men are Proud Luxurious Unlearn'd Contumelious and I may adde out of * Aristotle Injurious too Very crasty men are commonly given to change Very stupid are voluntarily servants or slaves Onely moderatemen are Stable in their place and stations where they live The Florentine Republique was ever the most unstable by reason of the subtlety of their wits The Venetian the most firm and stable of all by reason of a Mediocrity and allay of Dullnesse 17. A good Custome is a second Law which does more preserve a Common-wealth then the Law it self Five Customes made Rome the Princesse of Republiques as Cato in Salust witnesseth 1. Publique Wealth 2. Private Poverty 3. Just Government abroad 4. Freedome of speech at home 5. Unliablenesse to fears or
make exchanges of Inhabitants by mutuall transplantations So the Romans to secure their Empire carried Colonies over into Germany that by their example the Germanes unaccustomed to Romane Lawes might be the better acquainted with and subject to them Observator The Trans-Rhine which are the true and proper Germanes for the much greatest part were never Conquer'd by the Romans but retain'd sans mixture their own Language and Manners till under Lotharius they â—oluntarily submitted to the Romane Yoak You shall find more Germane Families in Italy then Roman Families in Germany 2. Colonies are best made up of Citizens bred up in the Metropolis of the Kingdome or in the Neighbouring Towns for example either of Romans or Latines and because so many be planted as will be able to defend the Province and any Enemy whatever 3. If Colonies be sent from a Free-State it is good to build their Cities on the tops of the Hills for defence of their Liberty if from a Monarch better in the Plain 4. That Cities may wax great 't is expedient they be Situate either upon the Banks of Rivers or neare the Sea-shore and in a Plain Where necessaries for life are easiest to be had commerce with strangers is most convenient But for the Defence of Liberty and Lawes and the Non-impayring of Valour they are more commodiously seated upon Mountaines and Rocks Withall great respect is to be had to the wholesomnesse of Water and Air and Winds and the Prospect to the severall Quarters of the Heavens 5. Planters of Colonies are to be divided into 1. Governors as Priests and Judges 2. Protectors as Soul-diers and Commanders 3. Artizans and such as * feed the Republique As Husbandmen Shepherds and the like Observator Nothing hinders but he that Vses Husbandry may also follow a Trade either by himselfe or his Wife Rules that prescribe exact proportions of allowances for every person in a Plantation do often faile in the Practique Plaines bear most Corn Mountaines most Wool Hence c. came Chaffering and Exchanging and Merchandizing and stamping of Goynes c. and for want of Souldery hereupon were Forts and Guns invented CHAP. VII Of the instruments to gain keep Kingdomes c. TO gain keep and govern Kingdomes there are three principal l instruments The 1. Tongue 2. Sword 3. Treasure 1. For the Tongue t is the instrument of Religion and Prudence That is of the Goods of the Minde 2. The sword is the proper Instrument of the Body and its Goods 3. Treasure is more the Instrument of Fortunes and Estates which serves the Body and Minde onely Secondarily but the true Instruments are the Tongue and the Sword 2. They that use the sword only founding their power upon that those quickly lose their dominion as Tamberlaine Attila and Brennus and most of the Northern nations The Jesuites in Japan gaine first soules then Kingdomes to Spaine and the Papacy by their tongues There be that gaine Dominion by crying up some new sect built upon some specious colour of truth by sowing discord betwixt the old Religion the new Sect which shall be attempted and fitted to the gust and palate of the multitude But such Dominion is of it selfe not very long liv'd Ring-leaders of Heresies although commonly they gain much they keep little as for example John of Leydon Dulcinus Theudas Observat. John of Leydon was an ignorant fellow a person of of no worth at all who through the hatred against the Priests of his time whose lives were abominable in the eyes of all men gathered together a rabble of the basest people They that use well the sword and tongue do lay the foundations of durable Dominion but then the sword must be just and the tongue veracious Thus did Moses build the Empire of the Jews namely in veracity and justice which impious Machiavell never took into consideration p. 147. The Law of Moises survived the Empire of the Jews but Mahomets Laws shall sink with his Empire Thus fell the laws of Alexander with his person and power Thus Numa's Belus and Minos Pythagoras and Zamolxis his lawes are extinct even for want of justice and veracity He that knows not how to give lawes to those he conquers doth quickly lose the Kingdome he has gain'd Thus Charles the fifth lost Tunis and Germany which he had wonne for want of skill to secure his conquest by the addition of Lawes and Colonies This misfortune often befell King Pirrhus but not so the Romans Observ. He had need be a very wise man that can give lawes to men of a different Religion that shal be lasting and fitted to the disposition of them that receive them as it appears by the Romans in Jewry who did the utmost of their endeavour with all their skill strived to establish the state and tranquility of that untractable people by lawes conforme to their tempers and humors as the excellent orations of King Agrippa and Josephus made to their Countrymen the Jews do witnesse 5. he that defends his Dominions by sword and tongue preserves them better and more safely then he that makes use but of onely one For 6. Men of Arts are usually oppressed by Men of Armes Thus Saturn being a Priest as antient Kings were left his Kingdome to Jupiter and Perseus the Warriour dethron'd Atlas the Scholler and Astrologer Thus was Pythagoras supported by souldiers * and the Pope till such time as he felt the use of his weapons was often made a prey to his enemies and many times good man to his friends Observator Here the thrice worthy Grotius notes well upon this late passage concerning the Bishop of Rome that the benigne aspects of opportunity made way for that power which the Pope now enjoyes as for instance the Christian World split into many petty Kingdomes Italy torn in pieces and sluggish withall an age too dull to apprehend the meaning of that Artifice in due time and diverse other causes which you may find in Guicciardin and Machiavell 7. He that uses only Armes for the defence of his Empire and neglects witt and eloquence makes but a paper building rules but weakly and this is the reason why the Emperor of Germany prevailes no more having a people of different perswasions in Religion to rule over and usually such Princes become a prey to those that make the best use of their witts Hence came it that the Popes did so frequently make and un-make Emperors at their pleasure Therefore as Salust observes did the Romans wisely ever exercise both mind and body together For He that exerciseth both makes his Empire last longest as the King of the Turkes and Abassines and the Dake of Muscovy Fabulous Philosophy affirms as much whiles it gives Pallas the Goddesse of wisdome a Book and a Spear to make her invincible but to Mars only Arnour who as the Poets sings was therefore often Conquered Hence was it that 9. The Northern Nations that fell like swarms
and naturally God is the Sole Lord Paramount as having Power-Absolute over all whose Will as most wise is a law to it self and transcends the whole Scale and Predicament of things But 4. Man is onely Lord in Degree and Measure because his Will cannot be a Law unlesse Regulated and bound up by the Law of God either Naturall or Positive 5. Hee knows not how to rule a Kingdome that cannot manage a Province nor can he wield a Province that cannot order a City Nor he order a City that knows not how to Regulate a Village nor hee a Village that cannot guide a Family Nor can that man Govern well a Family that knowes not how to Governe himselfe neither can any Govern himselfe unlesse his reason be Lord Will c. and Appetite her Vassalls Nor can Reason rule unlesse her selfe be ruled by God and wholy be obedient to him Ergo Without the Divine Rule no Man is truely a King or Prince according to Nature but rather to be counted a Scourge of God c. Executioner of men But neither according to the Divine Rule is any Prince simply a LORD but a RULER and PASTOR of his People * and the Vice-gerent of the LORD GOD by whom Kings Reign 6. Therefore ought a good Prince so farre to Excell his Subjects in Vertue as the Shepheard does his Flock who is of a Superiour species to them Now seeing all men are equall as to the Species it must here follow that Princes as such must have somewhat of God c. peculiar Impresses of Elohim the Deity in them Therefore 7. Wisdome alone Rules best of all not Sophisticall but Philosophicall yet not the wisdome of the Cloister or the Cell but Civil Wisdome not opposite but Subservient to God 8. The Dominion of The The 1. Male Over 1. The Female is Naturall 2. Father 2. His Children 3. Oldmen 3. Young men 4. Strong 4. The weake 5. Schollars 5. Master Nature doth bring forth men 1. Of strong Intellectuals though weake in constitution of Bodies to be Priests Philosophers Councellors 2. Active and strong bodies with couragious minds to be Souldiers 3. Gross braines and rude hands to be husbandmen 4. Heavy and robustuous for the Cavalry or Horsemen 5. Laborious and nimble-handed to weaving and other Manufactures 6. Ready tongues and learned for Embassies and Orations 7. Other sharp wits for Merchandize 8. Just men for the Bench or Tribunall 9. Weak in Body and mind for * service and to be instruments for their betters 10. Men of abilities both of body and mind to be Commanders Kings and Masters of the Militia 10. That therefore there is the best Republique where every man bends himselfe to those duties and imployments which Nature hath fitted him for For then Reason and Wisdom bear sway and that the worst where men are put upon imployments which are contrary to thein grain and Genius for then Fortune and Chance that is the force of Ignorance rule the rost 11. Whence Magistrates are chosen because they are the Sons of Nobles or Sons of ☞ friends of such as are in present power or for their Wealth or bought Honour and not because they are good or wise men There the Republique falls to ground 12. A Common-wealth goes to wrack soonest when the Portion makes marriages and Equality of Wealth and not an equall * strength of body and mind whence according to the Pythagorean the best Issue is to be expected * though Plato think more rightly the best breed to be of strong bodies and good wits or on the contrary 13. All mischiefs sway where women have the Liberty to do and say what they please c. 14. These wee count CITIZENS who not onely are capable and partakers of dignities and honors in the Republique but such as by any Function be it never so mean as the members of the body contribute to the use and advantage of the whole The rest wee count strangers Excrements of a Common-wealth such as are many Noble-men now adaies 15. The true Office of the Noblenesse or Peereage in any Republique is to defend that and private persons The Office of the Commons to seed and sustaine it The Office of the Wiser sort to rule and Instruct it He that takes no prosession or calling at all upon him is to be look'd upon as an Excrement or Drone But they that mediate betwixt God and Man are to be esteemed as the Diviner part of a Common-wealth Such are the Legitimate Priest-hood CHAP. IV. Of Laws and Customes and that which is called the Reason of State 1. THat * Good Men may be borne and imployed in those Offices and Functions to which they were born every Community stands ever in need of a Law 2. As Virtue is the Private Law of Individualls or singular Persons so Law is the Publique Vertue of a Community Therefore being Virtue is the rule of Actions and Affections in a particular Person ordained by the Decree of a Potent and * pliant Reason for a chief private good so Law is the Rule of affections and Actions Publique Constituted and published from the Dictates of Common Reason which respect the chiefest common good 3. The chief good is Preservation that either Private or Publique which is as far as may be gathered from Conservatives simply or Expulsives of Destructives Simply to Coserve is to Enternize or perpetuate Therfore simply both the Private Publique chief good is from GOD that Eternall chief Entity But partiall from other things as namely Instrumentally and Dispositively from the Rules of Reason 4. Wherefore No Republiques ☞ can make Laws where there is not common Reason and common consent unlesse where by common Reason and consent The Matter is put into the hands of the Wise-men Such as were Solon Lycurgus and Numa Or unto one whom God has Delegated for his Vicegeret as Moyses c. As for Minos and Mahomet either Craft or the the Devill led them on to be Apes of the true messengers from God as Moses was Observat. Here the Observator steps in and saies I see no reason why the Edicts of one or many Rulers may not deserve the name of Lawes not at all awaiting the Peoples Consents For neither in prescribing medicines do Physicians require the consent of their Patients 5. 1 The Eternall and first Law is that whereby God did Fashion Create Govern and change all things and bring them about to his own ends Even changable things unchangably 2 From this is derived the Law Naturall planted in the minds of men and in the whole Volum of nature which is Gods Art and Natures Directory Neither can it be violated but by God and that by him as a Lord not as a Legislator 3 From the Law Naturall is is derived the Law of Nations Common to all men 4 From the Law of Nations the Positive Civill Law is derived and so
of Bees upon the Southern Regions who excell'd them in religion and Policy received Laws from them they had conquered So the Tartars and the Turks a Northern people had lawes from the conquered Arabians and Religion too and the Hunns Vandals Lombards and Goths from the Romans whose Territories they had invaded Here the observator justly gives a check to the Author and saies that Both the Goths that rul'd in Italy and Spain and the Vandals in Asrick to alienate and estrange the minds of their own people from the Romans Jeroboam-like end avoured with barbarous cruelties to promote the Arian Heresia by all possible means they could 10. God that he might plant Religion and Learning among the Northern people and Armes and Numbers amongst the Southern did often make an enterchange and engrafted them one into an other like Plants to make them the more generous but in both destroyed the degenerous Plants from the sonnes of Japhet Empires descended from Sem Priesthood and Laws from Cham Servants and as the Author but mistakingly affirms Tyrants for as the observator notes the greatest Tyrants that ever were came rather out of Asia then Africa which was Chams portion CHAP. VIII Of the causes of policies and first of the first cause God and Religion THere are three causes if we speak politically which found and govern Empires that is 1. God 2. Prudence 3. Occasion But in some one is more evident then the other As In the Kingdome of the Jews God was most evident in that of the Romans Prudence in that of the Spaniard occasion albeit to speak Physically God is the cause of all causes 2. All Dominations except impious Machiavels have confessed that prudence hath not power sufficient to foresee the good and evill which all waies and in all things do await them Therefore did all Nations fly to God some by a straight others by a crooked way Therefore The Assyrian AEgyptian and Persian Kings consulted the will and pleasure of God and implored his ayde by Astrology in the starres The Greeks by Oracles of the Sibylls The Romans by sooth-saying and Auguries whom the Brasilians do but a little recede from but the Christians in a direct path seek God and fly to the spirit of God in his Prophets * and councellors and his Ministry 3. Every Princedome is protected by its own proper Angell and every Law as it is good is from God neither can their be any Law established which is void of all good as Divines and Nature teach us 4. The Priesthood supplies the place of God in every Dominion and therefore no Common-wealth no assembly of men either was or can be without a Priesthood because not without God 5. Priests ought to be wise but rather in contemplatives then practicalls Valiant but most in suffering sober liberall ingenious true not lying so much as in jeast faithfull cheerfull but enclining more to austerity then scurrillity gentle prone rather to meeknesse then Rusticity whose Character should be Piety Wisdome Charitie and tender-heartednesse without hypocrisie Priests consult what is to be done Rulers command that to be done which is contemplated or cousidered and souldiers and artificers put commands and consultations in execution 6. Religion ever ought to be had in high esteem and veneration not in vulgar and mean account 7. The Priesthood ought not to be prostitute to the people lest it lose its honour and reverence Therefore Aristotle no less ignorantly then impiously would make old Souldiers Priests Here the Author puts the foole upon the Calvinists under which notion he comprehends the worst of Schismaticks who saith he both all and some count themselves Priests which the famous Observator here seems to prove to defend out of places with reverence be it spoken mis-urged both out of the Scripture and Fathers in defence of common or universall Unction and by an injurious Concession makes the Calvinist guilty of the Schismatiques Phrensies whereas 't is most evident both out of Calvin and Beza in their severall discourses and conflicts with the Antiministeriall Enthusiasts that they were quite of an other temper and opinion ever bearing high for an Ordinate Ministry though they brought not clean or Primitive hands to that great Work 8. That Religion which contradicts Naturall Policy ought not to be retained Therefore the Maccabees in time of necessity taught that Warre might be piously made on the Sabbath day when the Jewes under Pompey and Antiochus being that day assailed not defending themselves perished God gives no Law to his People whereby his People should be destroyed which is opposite to their own being Observator Rituall Lawes do easily give place to Occasions and Times whence comes the Hebrew Proverb The life endanger'd violates the Sabbath and that other The Sabbath was given into the hands of man and not man into the Hands of the Sabbath Yet the foolish gloss of some Jewes was such that some of them kept themselves in the self same Posture both night and day and therefore paid dear for their Superstition being not onely by Pompey but by Nebuchadnezzar Sossius and Titus taken Captives upon the Sabbath day 9. The Doctrine of fatall Necessity is pernicious in and to Commonwealths for it makes Subjects seditious and Princes Tyrannous both pleading Necessity for the Mischief they Act and thus much Cicero acknowledged But 10. This Doctrine of Necessity does no hurt among the Turks because they are rude and illiterate and are kept within compasse by force not by Law But in Italy where they are a sharp witted People it would make them stark mad and all turne Libertines and lay all their sinns upon Gods score as the Author of all Evill but above all it would make their Princes Tyrants in Imitation forsooth of God craftily imputing their own offences to their subjects that they might God-like Torment them to their owne glory Then which what can bee more destructive to a Commonwealth 11. Sophisticall Sciences that thwart Religion ought to be Banish'd the Common-wealth as Plato teacheth Aristotle his School did the Jewes much mischiefe under Antiochus and now to Christians as Averroes did too both to us and his own Saracens See S. Vincentius Lirinensis Observat. What is spoken here of Aristotle does very well agree with the opinion of the antient Christians In whose Iudgement Aristotle was accounted Impious In the judgement of all the Greeks and amongst the Latines Saint Austin Plato's Philosophy is more consonant to Christianity Aristotle coming but very lately into esteeme and reputation with the World Animadversions What the Fryer or Grotius affirme of Aristotle is onely true Accidentally Vitio Utentis and so all the Sect of Philosophers fall as well as Aristotle under Tertullians Character that they are PATRIARCHS of HERETIQUES but I am clearly of opinion that Plato's Idea's in the head of an ENTHUSIAST or NATIONAL THEOLOGUE have done much more hurt to Christianity then Aristotles subtleties ever did who being as himself justly boasts
but the Germanes were hindred by their own Discords and Germany hindred France and France Spain just as the Persian and Tartar keep the Turk from being Emperor of the World 18. Charles the great and Constantine declared themselves Defenders of the Pope but Henry and Frederick enemies for under Frederick those pernicious factions of Guelfes Gibellines that is Imperialists and Pontificians arose in Italy Julian the Apostat endeavoured to make Gentilisme and Judaisme aemulate one the other and vie for the Mastery but perished under the attempt The Mahometan Sect has many defects in it First because if their armes faile they fall 2. Because it admitts not of divers Princes 3. Because in many things it opposes God And. 4. Because it is as a place of torture to all its enemics The Duke of Muscovy a Country assailed by no man defends himselfeby his scituation and schisme and stands rather by the discords of Christendome then upon his own bottom as indeed the Turk himselfe partly doth Charles the fifth was a man that bid fairest for the Universall Monarchy When Constantius countenunced the Arians and Julian Paganisme the Pope was not a man in power had no dominion then Here therefore then is an error or fallacy of no cause put for a cause Here in this Paragraph the fryar seems to dream of the return of a Golden age of Innocence under one I know not what Monarch of all as Adam was at first and seems to point at the Spaniard for the man the Observator suspects some poison here but I think there is much more vanity then venome 20. That the world may be governed by one man the Empire of Augustus does partly prove it That the Spaniard does rule the 2 Hemisphears by Religion which is the very soule of an Empire and Dominion being all in the whole and wholly in every part 21. If the World were governed by one man as Alexander said by one Sun warres would cease and Pestilence by communication of Arts and Medicines and by transmigration from infected into wholesome ayre By the same transmigrations might Inundations and fire be avoided so famine likewise might be averted by transportation of provision from plentifull into needy Countries c. Animad. These are but the fumes fancies of an idle braine doting upon the Spanish interest and the Papall and so I dismisse them proceeding to CHAP. IX Of the second cause of gaining and governing Kingdomes which is prudence A Monarchy is fitter to gain a Common-wealth then to conserve Dominion Monarchy is sooner depraved then many Rulers Grotius confesses then a few as Oligarchy which I undèrstand not neither of them gives their reason nor I my assent The Observator adds For duration no Common-wealth in the world is worth the naming but the Venetian and yet the Egyptian Assyrian and French Kingdomes have lasted longer then that Some are Kings 1. By Nature Rationall as it were Kings of wisdome as Socrates and Cato 2. By Fortitude as Domitian and Vitcllius 3. By both as Alexander Augustus and David 4. More by Nature then Fortune as Scipio and Hannibal 5. More by Fortune then Nature as Tiberius Galba 3. Prudence the second cause of Dominion does properly belong to those that are truely Kings and to such next under God is Dominion due which prudence is directly opposite to Craft or Subtlety which is proper only to Machiavels Tyrant Prudence is consonant to God that is to eternall wisdome Craft agrees to nothing but a mans own will and pleasure that is acts all Arbitrarily Prudence is magnanimous Craft base yet proud Prudence alwaies advances wise and valiant men and puts them in place of power and trust Craft depresses and destroyes them that she may rule over Bastard-Subjects when the Legitimate are cut off Prudence treasures up riches for the good of mens souls and that their numbers may encrease Craft aymes at money and strong holds and rejoyces in the Diminution and lessening of her subjects Prudence even in losing conquers Craft by conquering is a loser Prudence is mercifull Craft is cruell Prudence is that of principall men and Chieftaines such as Cesar craft belongs to servile persons such as Davus Prudence has an eye to the Stern but Craft to the Oare Prudence makes Lawes for every mans good but Craft only for her own Prudence punishes and gains good-will by it and makes subjects the better Craft punishes and becomes odious and the people the worse for 't It is proper to magnanimity and valour to gain Dominions as to Cesar and Charles the fifth but to justice and temperance to preserve them as to the Venetians and he that is adorned with all vertues is fit for both as Augustus 5. He that acquires Dominions must have such a Prudence as is magnanimous stout liberall just c. but somewhat inclining to pride boldnesse prodigality but severity mixt with it c. He that keepes and preserves Dominions must have the same prudence but inclining to Pusillanimity to fear Tenacity and some Licentiousnesse c. 6. Hee that gaines a Kingdome different from him in Religion must either Translate the Seat of his Empire thither as the Turk did into Constantinople or else Translate the Inhabitants into an other Region as Nebuchadnezzar did the Jewes into Babylon and plant new Colonies in the Metropolitane Cities of the Conquer'd Province which shall be of thine own Religion and Laws place new Preachers there change Laws and bring down the chief of the People as Cyrus did in Lydia and the Spaniniard in America But if they will buckle to thy Religion thou maist make them Artists and Mechanicks serviceable to thy Colony if not doom them to slavery and Transplant them farre enough be sure from thy seat Imperiall But if they embrace the same Religion with thee as the Neapolitanes with the Spaniards treat them gently receive them into Common friendship and change not their Customes nor Polirie but by degrees let the Supreme Judges be made out of thine own men the inferiour out of theirs If they did violently oppose thine entrance Levell the Peers with the People but if they did receive the as friends Transplant them out of their Native soyle and drill them with Honors Rewards and Promotions but be sure let not the chief heads be left behind for they will either grow insolent upon Familiarity and render thee odious to the People or else they will rebell By these defects Pyrrhus and Charles the fifth lost all the Provinces they had gain'd on a suddain But beware lest by Calumnies and fraud you depresse any man for by that meanes you only prepare Ruine and Conspiracies against your self and so alienate their Affections that upon the least occasion they will rebell against you 7. He that invades an others Kingdome must not stick at the mischiefs following viz. To strike at the Head change Lawes pull down Forts and Castles Extinguish the Blood-Royall or Translate it Animad. This savours
does breake and effeminate it self by the spoiles and delicates of Conquer'd Provinces as it fell out to the Lombards Goths Huns and Gaules who possessing themselves of Southern Kingdomes full of delights and pleasures They quickly lost both their strength and Empire Which happen'd also to all Kings of Naples by reason of the soft delicacies of Air and Soyle Josuah found out a good remedy for this who would not quite extinguish all the Natives of Canaan that his People might still have some body whereon to whet and exercise their Valour So Scipio Nasica advis'd the Romanes not quite to destroy Carthage lest Rome should grow effeminate by losing her Rivall 24. By joyning in Commerce and Traffique c. with two potent Princes Thus came the Raguscan to serve the Turk and thus the Genoesse to be under the Spaniard But the Wise Venetian prevented this For he would never put to Sea with the Spaniard neither would he ever Traffique with him nor hold any thing by way of Tenure or Homage in the King of S'pains Dominions as the Genoesse and others do 25. Heavy Taxes and Impositions often lose Kingdomes and enrage the People into Mutinies and Rebellion as it hapned in Israel under Rehoboam and the Duke of Alva in Flanders 26. The Cruelty of Provincialls may be the losse of a Kingdom which rule by pride and Avarice This the Axe must cure as Goesar Borgia did by Orcus of Cesena Punishments must ever be exacted by the sword Tributes by the tongue the Militia by both 27. A Crown gain'd may be lost if the Issue Royall find friends to help them to their right as in the case of Ioas who was establish'd in his Throne by the high Priest against Athaliah and her usurpation c. 28. A Kingdome may be lost by the conspiracy of strong and Potent men as the Tarquins were Erected by Brutus and Lucretius and the Magi of Persia by Darius and his Complices Hidden Vertue in any man is a dangerous thing especially if it be afraid of the Prince that rules for it will at last break out to the Princes loss if not Ruine as it did in Brutus and his confederate Valour and Light must be ever set high on a Candlestick Smother'd Fire may do and indeed ever does most mischief Observat. How dangerous it was for Tiberius to advance Seianus himselfe a well born Person to so great Honor the Frince perceived and remedied but not without hazard Therefore both hee from that time forward and others took a course to cast Honors upon meaner Persons and those but Temporary Animad. This observation becomes a man born in a popular state But God himself seems to make it a curse when the Honorable person is overtop'd by mean fellowes Isa. 3.1 2. 3. The conspiracy of one man with himselfe to murder a King c. is Inevitable as that of Adad against the * King of Edom and Pausanias against Philip of Macedon and Frier Clement against Henry the third of France A conspiracy of many is hardly to be avoided Therefore Probity and the Peoples love when all is done is the strongest Guard a Prince can have 26. Lastly a Kingdome may be lost when the Subject are wasted by Warre and so through want of Defendants it lies open to Invasion as now saies the Author Spaine does Enfranchizing or Endenization is the onely cure for this disease by admitting Forreigners into your Freedome as the Romans did the Latines and so fill up your number CHAP. XII Of the fall and change of Republiques where many Govern c. 1. TO take off the dissentions between Peers and People the Author would have them all participate of Honors as at this time it is amongst the Biscainers Or as amongst the Jewes that one Family chosen out of all the rest should rule Observat. 'T is expedient that betwixt the Peers and the Plebeians there should be a middle sort and degree of Persons as a Seminary of Nobility such as were the Knights and Gentlemen of Rome for this degree is a kinde of tye or Ligament of both the other 2. The Peeres contend with the people usually about honours Offices Tributes and Matrymonie and Lands and the like and if the Nobility get the day the Republique is ruin'd for it is necessary for them to keep under a jealous and suspicious people and thence comes their downfall But if the people gain the day the matter 's worse then before for either the Nobles are driven into banishment or else they call in strangers and so the people become a prey to every crafty Citizen or forreign potentate or valiant Commander If once the Nobles mix and couple themselves with the Plebians to the end they may partake of the government with them they grow vile and despicable both together and so the common-wealth falls to ground as it alwaies happened in the Florentine republique and divers times in that of Genoa The remedy is if the People of a middle Size betwixt the Nobles and the pelting Plebeian get the upper hand and share Magistracies and honours now and then and Lands and Provinces also By such contentions Rome flourished and grew great and yet granted the honour of Victories and the credit of them to the Commons but Florence perished under them 3. A republique is often destroyed when Lawes are made to the advantage of great ones and pressure of the people 4. When the Powers in being usurpe Anthority over the people and keep guards for their defence as the Decemviri did at Rome and the Thirty Tyrants at Athens 5. The Luxury of the Nobles and their neglect of Armes and Arts makes them vile and cheap in the peoples eyes and so makes a republique sink into a base Democracy 6. When a Patrician grows too rich or potent and Emulations grow rife about priority then the republique 's lost So Sylla when he had subdued Marius and Cesar when Crassus was slaine and Pompey conquered who were then Rivalls in the Empire carried all before them and were Tyrants at pleasure 7. Correspondency with some forraign Prince of any person in power may ruine a republique 8. When any fawning Poplicola in a time of Famin or other occasion endeavours to gain the people by opportunity and advantage and by such arts gets the power into his own clutches these must be lookt to and suppressed as Metius was in Rome c. and Manlius c. which King David neglecting in Absosom run the hazard of his life and Crown 9. A Republique falls to ground oft-times because it wants a Militia when the people Patritians mutually fear one another and thereupon call in forraign Commanders which is usuall in Venice Which commanders after some signal Victory obtained either themselves seize upon the common wealth as Sforza did at Millain * and Bartholomew Coline might have done at Venice or else they betray it to forraign Princes as Malatesta did Florence 10. The faction of Citizens