indeed to fast the vigils and Lent but is there any place in the world where they carelesse for fasting vigils and Lent than at Rome It commandeth chastitie to priests but is there any place in the world where priests Cardinals and others are more furnished with whoores and bauds It also commandeth them to serve their benefices but of an hundreth priests which are at Rome there are scant one doth it their Religion forbiddeth the sale of benefices sepulchres sacraments and dispensations but is there any place in the world where there is a greater trafficke of them than at Rome It forbiddeth simonie but where are there any simoniakes if not at Rome and in Italie I speake onely of the ordinances which the Romane Church hath made yet her selfe doth not observe them For if I would alledge the ordinances of God which shee observeth no more than the other I should too tediously rehearse them all But breefely the Romane Church hath invented a thousand traditions wherewith it hath burdened the shoulders of poore Christians to their great abashment but in the meane while the Church it selfe will keepe none of them rather that holy seat dispenseth with all them of Italie and Rome and indeed there is no place in the world where the Popes ordinances are lesse observed than there nor where all Religion is in more contempt as Machiavell himselfe confesseth Let Christians then make their profit of this confession of Machiavell and so let them flie the spring of impietie of Atheisme of corruption of manners and of the contempt of all Religion least God punish them and make them perish with such wicked men as make open profession thereof 7. Maxime Moses could never have caused his lawes and ordinances to be observed if force and armes had wanted THe most excellent men mentioned in bookes sayth our Florentine vvhich became princes by their owne vertue and not by fortune vvere Moses Cyrus Romulus Theseus and such like for fortune only gave them the occasion and the matter to execute their vertue As Moses found the people of Israel in captivitie and servitude in Aegypt Cirus also found the Persians malecontent of the proud government of the Medes And Romulus found himselfe deiected from his birth place the towne of Alba Lastly Theseus found the towne of Athens full of troubles and confusions Without vvhich occasions comming by fortune the vertue of their courage had not appeared as also vvithout their vertue such occasions had served thē nothing All those occasions then made these persons happie and their excellent vertue knew well how to make profit of occasions THis Atheist willing alwayes more strongly to shew That hee beleeved not the holy Scriptures dare vomit out this blasphemie to say That Moses by his owne vertue and by armes was made the prince of the Hebrewes We see by the bookes of Moses that he was as it were constrained of God to take the charge to draw the Hebrew people out of Aegypt to bring them into the land of Canaan a place of the primitive of spring of this people And after hee had accepted that charge we reade That God gave him power to doe many miracles before Pharoah and all the people of Aegypt that he might suffer the Hebrew people to returne in peace into the countrey from whence they first came After having obtained permission to returne we see how the people were guided on the day time by a visible and apparent cloud which went before them and in the night by a pillar of fire We reade so many miracles done by God in their passage through the red sea and in the desarts and how Moses did nothing but by the counsell and power of God alone With what boldnesse then dare this stinking Atheist disgorge this talke to say that Moses was made the prince of the Hebrew people by his owne vertue and by armes Could hee by any other meanes than by the Bible know how and what way Moses came to be governour of the Hebrew people for all Paynim authors speak little thereof and that which they speake is but as they read in the said bookes of Moses or by hearesay of such as read them seeing it is certaine that wee have no prophane author in light that were not many worlds after Moses If then Machiavell can say nothing of Moses his doings but by his owne bookes with what impudencie dare hee deliver out a contrarietie from that is there written For to say he was made prince of the Hebrew people by his owne vertue and by armes that is as much as to denie streight that God constrained him to accept that charge to conduct the Hebrew people and that the said people came out of Aegypt by the miracles of God and that they were conducted by the cloud and pillar of fire and that God nourished them all the way of the desart which is indeed to denie all that is written in the bookes of Moses Assuredly there is no man of so heavie and dull a judgement but he may wel know that this most wicked Atheist hath taken pleasure to search out the most savage Maximes that could bee devised assuring himselfe That he should ever find monsters of men which also would delight in absurd and bestiall opinions and would give passage and way to his doctrine And yet the better to shew his beastlinesse this doctrine may be overthrowne even by the writings of the Paynims themselves Trebellius Pollio writeth That Moses was onely familiar Treb. Pollio in Clau. Cor. Tacit. annal lib. 21. with God Cornelius Tacitus going about to calumniate and blame the Iewish Religion contained in the bookes of Moses confesseth That the king of Aegypt made the Hebrew people to goe out of his countrey for sores rottennesse and other maladies wherewith the Aegyptians were infected The Poets and Philosophers when they sometimes speake of Moses doctrine they call it sacred Oracles shewing therby that they confesse That the deeds and writings of Moses came from God and not from his owne vertue But with what impudencie dare Machiavell compare Moses to these idolaters Romulus and Theseus What similitude had they with Moses in their life or in their death Romulus and Theseus were two bastards rude violent men in their youth whereof the one slew his brother and the other his sonne the one finished his daies slaine and massacred by his citizens and the other was banished and chased from his owne Can any finde the like in Moses But this Maxime of Machiavell hath no need of a more ample confutation for the truth is so cleare and apparent to the contrarie that a man may manifestly see that this Florentine is a most wicked slaunderer and impudent lier Yet thinke I good to marke another beastlinesse and ignorance in that he saith That Theseus came to the domination of Athens because hee found the estate of Plutarke in Thes the Athenians in confusion for cleane contrarie he came unto it
respected and doubt honoured for as the Poet Euripides saith At the good accounted â—â— of Noble blood to bee Euri. in Hecu. But double is his honour whom wee vertuous doe see Heere will I ende these present discourses exhorting and praying the French Nobilitie and all other persons which love the publike good of France to marke and earnestly consider the points which above wee have handled against Machiavell For so may they know how wicked impious and detestable the doctrine of that most filthie Atheist is who hath left out no kind of wickednesse to build a tyrannie accomplished of all abhominable vices They which know this I beleeve will couragiouslâ—e employ themselves to drive away and banish from France Machiavell and all his writings and all such as maintaine and follow his doctrine and practise it in France to the ruine and desolation of the kingdome and of the poore people I could much more have amplified this discourse if I would have examined all the doctrine of Machiavell For hee handleth many other very detestable and strange things as the meanes to make conspirations and how they must bee executed as well with sword as with poyson and many other like matters But I abhorre to speake of so villanous and wicked things which are but too much knowne amongst men and have contented my selfe to handle the principall points of his doctrine which merit to bee discovered and brought to light I pray God our Father and Creator in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ our onely Saviour and Mediator that he will preserve his Church and his elected from the contagious and wicked doctrine of such godlesse and prophane men as are too common in the world and that he will not suffer them which are of his flock to bee tossed and troubled by a sort of turbulent and ignorant spirits But that he will grant us grace alwaies to persevere in his holy doctrine in the right way which he hath shewed us by his word and well to discerne and know abusive lying and malitious spirits to detest and flie them and continually to follow his truth which will teach us his feare and his commandements and by his grace will bring us unto eternall life So bee it FINIS THE INDEX OR TABLE OF Machiavels Maximes confuted in those discourses divided into three parts The Maximes of the first part doe handle such Counsell as a Prince should take A Princes good Counsell ought to proceed from his owne wisedome otherwise he cannot be well counselled Max. 1. The Prince to shun and not to bee circumvented of Flatterers ought to forbid his friends and Counsellors that they speake not to him nor counsell him any thing but only in those things whereof hee freely begins to speake or asketh their advice Max. 2. A Prince ought not to trust in Strangers Max. 3. The Maximes of the second part handling the Religion which a Prince ought to observe and be of A Prince above all things ought to wish and desire to bee esteemed Devout although he be not so indeed Max. 1. A Prince ought to sustaine and confirme that which is false in Religion if so be it turne to the favour thereof 2. The Paynims Religion holds and lifts up their hearts and makes them hardie to enterprise great things but the Christian Religion persuading to Humilitie humbleth and too much weakeneth their minds and so makes them more readie to be injured and preyed upon 3. 4. The great Doctors of the Christian Religion by a great ostentation and stiffenesse have sought to abolish the remembrance of all good letters and antiquitie 4. When men left the Paynim Religion they became altogether corrupted so that they neither beleeved in God nor the Divell Max. 5. The Romane Church is cause of all the calamities of Italie Max. 6. Moses could never have caused his lawes and ordinances to bee observed if force and armes had wanted 7. Moses usurped Iudea as the Gothes usurped a part of the empire 8. The Religion of Numa was the cheefe cause of Romes felicitie 9. A man is happy so long as Fortune agreeth to his nature humor 10. The Maximes of the third Part entreating of such Policie as a Prince ought to have That Warre is just which is necessary and those Armes reasonable when men can have no hope by any other way but by Armes Max. 1. To cause a Prince to withdraw his mind altogether from peace agreement with his adversarie he must commit and use some notable and outragious injurie against him Max. 2. A Prince in a conquered countrey must establish and place Colonies or Garrisons but most especially in the strongest places and to chase away the naturall and old inhabitants thereof Max. 3. A Prince in a countrey newly conquered must subvert and destroy all such as suffer great losse in that conquest and altogether root out the blood and race of such as before governed there 4. To be revenged of a citie or countrey without striking any blow they must be filled with wicked manners 5. It is follie to thinke with Princes and great Lords that new pleasures will cause them to forget old offences 6. A Prince ought to propound unto himselfe to imitate Caesar Borgia the sonne of Pope Alexander the sixt 7. A Prince need not care to be accounted Cruell if so be that hee can make himselfe to be obeyed thereby 8. It is better for a Prince to be feared than loved 9. A prince ought not to trust in the amitie of men 10. A prince which would have any man to die must seeke out some apparent colour thereof and then hee shall not bee blamed if so be that he leave his inheritance and goods unto his children 11. A prince ought to follow the nature of the Lyon and of the Fox yet not of the one without the other 12. Cruelty which tendeth and is done to a good end is not to be reprehended Max. 13. A Prince ought to exercise Crueltie all at once and to doe pleasures by little and little Max. 14. A vertuous Tyrant to maintaine his tyrannie ought to maintain partialities and factions amongst his subjects and to slay and take away such as love the Commonweale Max. 15. A Prince may as well be hated for his vertue as for his vices 16. A prince ought alwaies to nourish some enemie against himself to this end that when he hath oppressed him he may be accounted the more mightie and terrible 17. A prince ought not to feare to be perjured to deceive and dissemble for the deceiver alwayes finds some that are fit to be deceived 18. A Prince ought to know how to wind and turne mens minds that he may deceive and circumvent them 19. A Prince which as it were constrained useth Clemencie and Lenitie advaunceth his owne destruction 20. A wise prince ought not to keepe his Faith when the observation therof is hurtful unto him that the occasions for which he gave it be takeÌ„ away 21. Faith Clemencie and Liberalitie are vertues very domageable to a prince but it is good that of them he only have some similitude likenes 22. A Prince ought to have a turning and winding wit with art and practise made fit to be cruell and unfaithfull that he may shew himselfe such an one when there is need 23. A prince desirous to breake a peace promised sworn with his neighbor ought to move warre against his friend with whom he hath peace 24. A prince ought to have his mind disposed to turne after every wind and variation of Fortune that he may know to make use of a vice when need is 25. Illiberalitie is commendable in a prince and the reputation of an handicrafts man is a dishonour without evill will 26. A prince which will make a strait profession of a good man cannot long continue in the world amongst such an heap of naughty wicked people 27. Men cannot be altogether good nor altogether wicked neither can they perfectly use crueltie and violence 28. He that hath alwayes caried the countenance of a good man and would become wicked to obtain his desire ought to colour his change with some apparent reason 29. A prince in the time of peace maintaining discords and partialities amongst his subjects may the more easily use them at his pleasure 30. Civile seditions and dissentions are profitable and not to be blamed 31. The meanes to keepe subjects in peace and union and to hould them from rebellion is to keepe them alwayes poore 32. A Prince which feareth his subjects ought to build fortresses in his countrey to hold them in obedience 33. A Prince ought to commit to another those affaires which are subject to hatred and envie and reserve to himselfe such as depend upon his grace and favour 34. To administer good Iustice a Prince ought to establish a great number of Judges 35. Gentlemen which hold Castles and Jurisdictions are very great enemies of commonweales 36. The Nobility of France would overthrow the Estates of that kingdome if their Parliaments did not punish them and hould them in feare 37. FINIS
emptie his bodie he slew him with many prickes of a dagger So that a man may say that it was the divell which played him this part because he trusted in diviners and necromancers For had it not been that consultation wherby Macrinus was brought in perill of his life he durst never have enterprised that which hee did But necessitie makes men enterprise yea even the most cowards The yeare 1411 the lord de Rays in Bretaigne marshall of Fraunce to come unto Monstr lib. 2. cap. 248. great estate and honours gave himselfe to sorcerie and negromancie and caused many little children to be slaine for their blood wherewith he writ his divelish invocations The divell brought him to that greatnesse and height that hee was taken prisoner by the commaund of the duke of Bretaigne who caused his indictment to be made and he was publikely burned at Nantes There may be alleaged infinit examples of the judgements of God excercised against Atheists contemners of God and of all religion yea euen in our time as of that tragicall Poet Iodellius whose end was truly tragicall having like an Epicurean eaten and drunken his patrimonie he miserably died through hunger Lignerolles also the courtier who to make it appear that he was a man of service in court made an open profession of Atheisme and what was his end Certaine it is that from whence he looked for his advancement he received his merited ruine and destruction And la Lande Bissy Gaiscon and others which I will not name for the respect I have of their parents had they not unluckie ends after they had emptied and spoyled themselves of all pietie and Religion But I will not stay here to make plaine so cleere a thing of it selfe yet would I set downe one example very notable for hypocrits which make themselves great Zelators of the holy mother church and under False Zelators of the ancient Religion spoiless wicked that pretext and colour they bring into ruine and combustion their owne countrey saying That men ought inviolably to keepe the Religion of his predecessors and in the meane while their hearts tende to no other purpose but to spoile saccage and enrich themselves with the publike ruine Iosephus rehearseth That in the time of the emperour Claudius and the emperor Nero the Iewes raised up many ciuill warres in Iudea and Samaria that so customablie Ioseph de bello Judaico lib. 4. cap. 5. lib. 7. that they made no accompt of any other occupation but to live by booties rapines so that Vespasian lieftenant generall for the emperor Nero was sent against them with a great armie all the wickedest men of the countrie which were worth nothing and which could not live but of the good men gathered themselves together called themselves Zelators saying they would fight for the Temple of Ierusalem for the conservation of that Religion which they had received and learned of their forefathers and that to die for it they would not permit any other Religion to be received and exercised in their countries but their owne that was auncientlie used from hand to hand of their auncestors since Moses and Abraham Vnder the shew of this goodly name of Zelators and under colour of this boasting that they would fight die for the conservation of their ancient Religion they take vp armes and elected for captaines the worst persons they could finde amongst them Vespasian many times cavsed it to be tolde them even by Iosephus who writ this historie and was of their owne nation and had beene a captaine that he would change nothing of their Religion but maintaine them therein and in all their liberties and franchizes but like verie hypocrites and liers they thinking one thing with their hearts and saying another with their mouths would never hearken unto peace in any sort nor upon any condition whatsoever Vespasian seeing their stubbornesse was constreined to war upon them in all extremitie which endured long yea untill he came to the empire after the deaths of Nero Galba Otho and Vitellius which raigned not long Finallie these goodlie Zelators which would never hearken unto peace by their obstinacie came to such an extremitie that they themselves set their temple on fire in Ierusalem for the conservation whereof they said they fought and burnt it wholie they overthrew also both themselves and their Religion for which they bore armes and committed a thousand sorts of cruelties impieties saying they fought for pietie Brieflie this devoute zeale which they bragged they had to the ancient Religion of their fathers although they had but a masking and false countenance thereof was cause of the ruine of Ierusalem and of all the countrie and of the death of a million of men A prince then must take an other maner of resolution than that whereof Machiavell speaketh namely That he resolve himselfe to feare God and to serve him with an heart pure and without dissimulation according to his holy commaundements in doing the exercises of the true pure Religion of God which is the Christian if he do this God wil blesse him and make him prosper in his affairs Hereof there may be alleadged many examples I will content my selfe with a few of the most notable Godlinesse blessed of God The emperour Marcus Antonius the philosopher a prince both good and wise Xiphil apud Dionin Marco Anto. Capitol in Mar. though a Painim making warre against the Marcomanes and Quadiens people of Alemaigne was once with all his armie in a uery great danger and perill being enclosed in a withered and drie countrie where his souldiers for lack of water died of drought insomuch as his enemies keeping the passage intended to vanquish them without any stroake striking By hap or rather by Gods providence the emperour had in his armie a legion of Christians and it was told him by his lieutenant generall That he had heard say that those Christians by their praiers obteined of God whatsoever they demaunded which the emperour vnderstanding addressed himselfe to them of that legion which was a good zeale in the Painim though without knowledge and praied them that they would pray unto their God for the salvation of his armie Which presently they did with a good heart desiring God in the name of Iesus Christ our Saviour to conserve that armie and the emperour their prince and to draw them from the danger wherein they were Soone after their praiers God hearing them sent presently a terrible lightning upon the enemies and a great rain fell upon the Roman soldiers who had died of thirst but that they received the raine upon the hollow bottoms of their targuets bucklers and morrions In somuch that the God of hosts fighting for them they got the victorie without stroke striking cleane contrarie from that the Marcomans Quadiens looked for whereupon the emperour was much ravished with admiration and after greatly honoured the Christians Constantine the Great the
wasted and burned so many bookes as they could finde being enemies of all learning and letters and who within this hundreth yeares hath restored good letters conteined in the bookes of the auncient Paynims Grecians and Latins hath it beene the Turke who is a Paynim It is well enough knowne that he is an enemie of letters and desireth none Nay contrarie it hath beene the Christians which have restored them and established them in the brightnesse and light wherein we see them at this day The knowledge of the Greeke Latin and Hebrew tongues in other countries have beene brought in by others but into our countries of France that they have come and doe so flourish wee may thanke king Francis the first of happie memorie and since the restauration of tongues and humane sciences men have well experimented that they are verie requisite and profitable well to understand the Scriptures of our Christian Religion so farre are wee off from rejecting them And as for that which Machiavell saith That our Christian Religion hath sought to abolish the memorie of all antiquitie how dare he openlie oppugne the manifest truth for none is ignorant that the true and primative antiquitie is of the Hebrews whose bookes have been conserved translated expounded by the Christians And as for the antiquitie of the Paynims doth any man finde that the Christians have caused to perish Homer Hesiodus Berosus or any other authors of antiquitie nay they they are which have conserved them which have aided themselves with them and which have interpreted them Eustachius the great commentor of Homer was not he a Christian yea a bishop But I shame to stay in the confutation of the impudent lies of this Atheist for young and meane schollers may easilie impugne his impudent lies Machiavell saith That it succeeded not so well with our Christian Religion as it would when it went about to abolish good letters because it was constreined to use the Latin tongue wherein all humane sciences were written Herein doth he manifestlie shew his beastlinesse and ignorance for who constreined our Christian doctors to write in Latin the olde and new Testament were first written in Hebrew and Greeke therefore the Latin doctors if they had list might have written in these languages as did S. Chrisostome S. Athanasius S. Basile S. Cirill Eusebius and manie others yet if writers had used these languages men would nor have ceased to preach in Latin to the Latins in the French to the French in the Allemaigne to the Allemaignes and to other nations to everie one in his language for it hath been seene not past threescore yeares agoe that in Italie France Alemaigne Spaine and other where the Christian Religion was not written in the mothers tongue yet men left not to hold the said Religion in the said countries but since it hath beene brought into everie of those languages for the commoditie of the people as it was brought into the Latin tongue by S. Augustine S. Ambrose S. Ierome S. Gregorie and other Latin doctors of the primitive Church of their time yet if they had written in Hebrew or Greeke the Christian Religion had not left and ceased to subsist and stand for that And although the Latin prophane books had perished the Latin language which then was vulgar had not therefore perished therefore doth Machiavell well shew his beastlinesse to say that the Christian Religion hath beene constrained to use the Latin language and that by that meanes the prophane Latin authors have beene conserved But what means he when he saith That if the Christian Religion could have formed a new tongue it had abolished the memorie of all antiquitie hath there been at any time in any countrie any Religion which hath formed a new language and how comes it that a Religion can bee received by the meanes of a new unknowne tongue If the Christian Religion had invented a new tongue it could never have been understood nor received and by consequent could not have abolished the bookes written in the Latin tongue likewise using the Latin tongue that was in common use it could no more abolish the books written in that tongue according to the saying of the said Machiavell and therefore take it which way you will if the Christian Religion had invented a new tongue or that it had used the Latin tongue as it did and doth it could not extinguish abolish the bookes written in the Latin tongue therefore Machiavell knows not what he saith As little knoweth he what he saith when he holds That sects and Religions have varied twise or thrice in five or sixe thousand yeares and that the last causeth alwaies the remembrance of the first to perish for who hath revealed unto him this secret who hath told him newes of things done before Moses time if it were not Moses himselfe Brieflie there is neither reason nor historie whereupon he may found that impudent lie But hereby he would shew that if any doubt whether he be not a very Atheist that he hath no more cause to doubt for for a proofe hereof he makes a declaration that he beleeves nothing of that which is written in the holy Scripture of the creation of the world nor of the Religion of God which wee hold since Moses For by the holy Scripture it is seene that there are not yet six thousand yeares since the creation of the world It is also seene that the Christian Religion of Messias and Christ changed not since the said creation but hath alwaies endured and shall endure till the consumation of the world And as for Painim Religions they have changed from one into an other in a little time and in one same countrie as histories do shew At Rome in the time of Romulus there was a Religion such as it was which Numa changed and devised an other more cerimonious After the religion of Numa changed strange Religions of the Grecians others were received at Rome insomuch that about five hundreth yeares after Numa when his bookes were found in his sepulcher and men read them they found no part of their Religion in them as shall be more fully said in his place Brieflie these Painim Religions still and often changed in regarde of their forme and ceremonies but in substance they changed nothing since the children of Caine who began to follow the false Religion for whatsoever outward change there was within it was alwaies divelish Religion having for his author the father of lies of falsenesse and therfore Machiavell knows not what he saith but that he is an Atheist and so would manifest himselfe to be one by discovering that he beleeved not the holy Scriptures He thought to have immortalized his name by making himselfe knowne to posteritie that he was a perfect Atheist replenished with all impietie like as Nero did who soughr meanes to make Suet. in Neron cap. 55. in Calig cap. 31. men speake of him after his death in sleying his mother
which is so odious to the world brought him to prison where they caused him to finish his daies I will then conclude this recitall That if all Christian princes would practise the Magistrall determination of our masters of Sorbonne and of the Vniversitie of Paris the same would fall unto S. Peter which fell unto Frier Iohn his bird Yet is it not onely by the change of lead into gold that his Holinesse dooth Froisart lib. 2. chap. 132 133. 135. 140. much evill to provinces farre from Rome but also by his interdicts and excommunications In the time of the aforesaid schisme of Popes hee of Rome who was called Vrban sent Buls unto king Richard of England who tooke his part and was an Vrbanist by which hee commaunded him to make warre upon the king of France who was a Clementine and gave him power to levie silver upon the Warre for the Pope of Rome English Cleargie Moreover hee gave so great quantitie of pardons to all them which with a good heart did furnish silver for that warre that it seemed hee meant cleane to have emptied both hell and purgatorie of Englishmen for every man or woman might draw out his father grandfather great grandfather uncles aunts children nephewes and others ascendants descendants and collaterals by paying so much for every poll He further promised their soules to be guided right into paradice which died in this warre or which died that yeare after they had paied the money for that said warre nor that there should be any necessitie for the said soules to stray out of their way by purgatorie and the Limbo but to goe right to paradice The said buls being thus preached and published through England there was every where a great prease that yeare to die and to give silver so that in a small time there was heaped up the summe of 2500000 franks One part of this silver was given to the bishop of London who was chosen generall to make warre upon the Clementines in Spaine and the other part was delivered to the bishop of Norwitch who was elected generall of another armie to make warre upon France which also was Clementine And indeed these two armies did much harme as well in Spaine as in France yet the bishop of Norwitch being a young man and inconsiderat entring upon Flaunders an Vrbanist the king of Fraunce meeting him therewith 100000 men constrained him to retire homeward with shame and great losse In the yeare 1513 happened great damage and hurt unto the kings of Fraunce Annales upon the said yeare Du Bellay lib. 1. of his Memories and of Navarre by the meanes of an interdict and excommunication which Pope Iulius the second of that name cast against all the princes which had sent their embassadors to the counsell of Pise whose lands and seignories he exposed and gave as a prey to all men that would take and invade them For under colour of those wicked and detestable buls the emperour Maximilian and the Switzers constrained king Lewis the twelfth to abandon and forsake Millaine and almost all that hee held in Italie And on the other side the king of England fell upon Fraunce which by the Pope was exposed as a prey with an armie of 3000 English assaying to conquer part thereof But God suffered it not for in the meane time this wicked Pope died and the interdict was revoked and peace made with the English On the other side also king Ferdinand of Arragon feigning he would come to prey upon France entred into the kingdome of Navarre and got and usurped it upon king Iohn d' Albert The Pope cause of the losse of the kingdome of Navarre from the right heirs who was disseased thereof without being defied yea before he knew the king of Arragon his purpose whose successours have alwayes since detained and usurped the said kingdome of Navarre upon the said king Iohn d' Albret and upon his lawfull successors as they doe yet by this title onely of usurpation prey and bootie yet notwithstanding the said unjust usurpers call themselves most Catholike I could here accumulate many other examples of many great domages losses committed by Popes in strange countries and even in Almaigne where they have commonly sowen warres betwixt the emperour and the princes of Almaigne but I will content my selfe with the abovesaid examples for I will not at length handle such an ample and almost infinit matter but it sufficeth mee to have shewed That the contrarie of that which Machiavell saith is true and that the Pope and his holy seat doe much good in the place where they are and many evils and mischeefes in farre countries And as for that which Machiavell saith That Italie is the province of Christendome where there is least Religion he saith very true but what would hee now say if he were alive hee should then find that if in his time they had so well profited in his schoole as to be very great Atheists and contemners of God and of all Religion that now his schollers know farre more than his master And there is no doubt but alreadie long agoe all Religion is contemned in Italie yea and even the Romane Catholicke Will you have a better example than that which M. Comines rehearseth He saith That in the time of king Lewis the twelfth there were two houses at Florence which were principall that is to say of Medicis and of Pacis which were in quarell and enmitie together They of the house de Pacis favoured the Pope and the king of Naples and by their counsell and advice did they enterprise to slay Lawrence de Medicis who was cheefe of his house and all his race and to surprise him the better unprovided and without heed taking they resolved to sley and massacre him with all his race and sequele upon a solemne feast day at the houre that the great Masse was sung and that when the priest begun to sing Sanctus Sanctus it should be the watch word to rush upon them And indeed they executed their enterprise except that they slew not Lawrence de Medicis who saved himselfe in the revestrie but Iulian his brother and certaine others of his race were slaine I demand of you if they which enterprised and gave counsell to attempt such an act beleeved in the Masse we need not doubt but they were very Atheists But if in that time some hundred yeares agoe Italie were so furnished with Atheists and contemners of Religion what thinke you it is now In conclusion Italie Rome the Pope and his seat are truly the spring and fountaine of all despight of Religion and the schoole of all impietie and as they alreadie were in Machiavels time as he confesseth so are they farre more in this time For although the papall Church of Rome both heretofore made and yet dooth certaine demonstrations to sustaine a Religion yet in effect it maintaineth it no otherwise but by subtilties and words for it commaundeth
great Atheist and contemner of God He was cunning enough to practise Machiavell his Maximes For to counterfeit his Suet. in Cal. cap. 51. Dion in Calig devotion he caused to be bruted That he often spake with Iupiter and that he had great familiaritie with Castor and Pollux which he said were his bretheren and that he had good acquaintance with the Moone by this meanes he not only persuaded the people that he was very devout but also that by the means of that privitie with the gods he participated even the diuinitie with thē yet never man more boldly despised all divinitie than he But consider what such kinde of people are there was never cowardlie beast more fearfull than this wicked Atheist as soone as he heard it thunder saith Suetonius he would cover and quickly wrap his head and hide him in and under his bed I pray you what other thing was this but an extreame feare of conscience when he heares the thundering and resounding voice of him whom he contemneth One day being beyond the Rhine with a great and puissaut armie as he passed over a little straite on foote one that was nigh him began to say unto him Sir if now the enemie should appeare and shew himselfe wee could not be without feare What then did this cowardly Atheist at that word he straight mounted on horseback and fled as fast as he could But as he was cowardlie so was he very cruell and so shall you almost ordinarilie finde in these Atheists both crueltie and cowardise together In the end God sent him his due reward for he endured not long but was massacred and slaine by Cassius Chaerea and Cornelius Sabinus captaines of his guarde whereby this wicked contemner of God felt the just divine vengeance and so knew he that he was a mortall man and not God that caused himselfe to bee worshipped as a God Dion writeth That after his death some did eat of his flesh to prove if the flesh of the gods were of a good tast The emperour Phillipus who raigned in the primitive Christian church was a wicked Arabian who had no feare of God but was the most cruell and wicked of the Pompo Laetus in Philli. world as commonlie Arabians are yet to cover his vices wickednesse he did that which Machiavell commaundeth a Prince here for he fained to be a Christian and something fauoured the Christian Religion which before had beene greatly persecuted but God soone punished this dissimulation and hypocrisie for he raigned but five yeares and by his souldiers was massacred both he and his sonne at Verone The emperour Iulian who was called the Apostata all the time of his youth in the time of Constantine the Great his uncle was instructed in the Christian Religion Pompo Laetus in Iuli. Am. Marel lib 21 2◠but upon a foolish curiositie he gave himselfe to diviners and sorcerers to know things to come which made him forsake the Christian Religion yet he alwaies feigned himselfe to be a Christian because for the most part the nobilitie and the men of warre were so therefore to please them he often went unto the Christians Churches and there used the exercises of their Religion After he was created emperour in the towne of Paris and had set a sure foote in the empire he began to discover that which he had alwaies kept in his heart that is To make open the Temples for Images and to set vp the Paynims Religion which Constantine the Great had suppressed and to establish their sacrifices and although hee durst not prohibit the exercise of Christian Religion yet under hand he sought by all meanes to destroie it for he forbad that any should receive any Christians to be regents and balemaisters and caused to be sowen all manner of partialities and divisions that he could amongst Christians Finallie after he had raigned by the space of a yeare and seven moneths he was slaine of the age of two and thirtie yeares making warre against the Persians Some write That as he died he blasphemed despightfully against Christ crying Thou hast vanquished thou Galilaean Behold the unhappie end of this Atheist and Apostata It is commonly seene That such men as have no God doe give themselves to sorcerers and diviners for of necessitie they must have a master and after they have forsaken God they must needs take the devill for their master and governour The emperour Bassianus Caracalla being a true contemner of God fell to delight in magicke and witcherie insomuch that by the art of necromancie he would needs Dion in Anto Caracalla Herod lib. 4. cause to come unto him the soule of his father Severus and the emperour Commodus to know of them if he should recover of the disease whereof he was sicke The soule of his father or rather some evill spirit appeared to him holding a naked sword in his hand but spoke not a word unto him but that of Commodus appearing also said unto him these words Get thee to the gallowes Being in warfare in Mesopotamia he had two lieutenants generall Audentius and Macrinus which hee incessantly outraged and mocked so that neither of them greatly trusted him he had also at Rome one Maternianus who executed all his affaires whom hee much trusted therefore hee sent unto him a commaund to assemble all the diviners sorcerers and negromancers that could be found to consult together and so search out if any secret enterprise were intended or practised against him Maternianus executed his commandement and upon a consultation of them they made answere that Macrinus had determined to slay the emperour Bassianus Maternianus which before loved not Macrinus failed not to advertise the emperour hereof but the packet of letters was presented unto him at a certaine houre when hee was very attentive and given to take his pastime insomuch as hee commanded Macrinus his lieutenant who was by to take the packet and open it to tell him the substance of them after at some houre of Counsell Macrinus tooke the packet and opened it within which he found many letters speaking of many of his affaires and amongst others one was found containing there solution of the said consultation Macrinus then was much abashed and joyfull withall abashed he was that the said deceiving diviners and necromancers laid to his charge a thing whereof hee never thought Ioyfull also he was that that letter fell not into the emperours hands whom he knew to be very cruell and readie to execute his choller Therefore he hid from him this letter and shewed him the other but thinking of his owne cause he resolved to slay his master rather than to attend whilest he were slaine himselfe and the sooner for feare Maternianus should write againe of the same cause Macrinus then suborned a captaine of certaine footmen called Martialis which also had himselfe a quarell to the emperour to slay him who espying one day the emperour going out of the way to
and declared unto him that he had had a revelation from the god Serapis to addresse himselfe unto him of which god Tacitus himselfe saith that even in his time none knew his originall at Rome But these painims which knew not Christ nor any Christian religion but a little by hear-say did thinke that the Christians adored that pretended god Serapis as is seene by a missive which the emperour Adrian writ to Servianus consull recited by Vopiscus Vopisâ—us in Saturnina by whome it is said expresly That in the towne of Alexandria they which worshipped Serapis were Christians So that hereby we may know even by Tacitus his owne confession that the author of that miracle to heale the blind man was that God which the Christians adored which was Christ and not Serapis But as ordinarily it happeneth things that are done in far countries are disguised by such as tell them so must we understand that men spoke well all over the world of the miracles which Christ and his Apostles had done in Iudea and in places thereabout but they disguised them attributing them to strange gods and to prophane men and never accounted them as the very truth was Of the same stampe is that which Suetonius writeth saying that Vespasian healed one which was lame and impotent in his thigh Sueton. in Vesp cap 7. and a blind man also who had a revelation of Serapis to go for his helpe to Vespasian That also which Spartianus writeth in the life of the emperour Adrian That a blind woman recovered her sight in kissing his knees and one blind-borne recovered his sight in onely touching him and by that meanes Adrian lost a feaver which he then had For we may easily see that these were Christs miracles or his Apostles which the Paynims would faine steale from them to and for their princes as also to persuade the world that there was no divinitie in them For a resolution then of this point the promises of Messias have beene knowne through the world as also his comming even to the Paynims For prophane authors do often make mention of Christ even Tacitus who sayth That Christ was put to death in the time of the emperour Tacit. Annal lib. 15. Tiberius by Pontius Pilate his lieutenant in Iudaea Behold then how the principall points of our Christian Religion may be proved by humane reason and prophane authors so great and resplendent was and is that light For our religion herein may summarily be comprehended To beleeve in God and in him which he hath sent Iesus Christ our Saviour If these Atheists then will put out their owne eies to the end they may not know God and the Christian Religion neither by holy Scriptures nor by humane reason nor by the witnesse of prophane authors which speake thereof as of a thing divulged and notorious through all the world we know not how to doe any other thing but to leave them as desperate persons to welter in their ignorance brutalitie and darkenesse till God by his just judgement have sunke them into the bottomelesse pit Now to come to our Maxime We say That to maintaine falsenesse in Religion is to tread God and his Religion under their feet Yet true it is that the auncient Romanes have approved and maintained the falsenesse of Oracles although it were not falsenesse invented by men but very diabolicall illusions as shall be said in another place True it is also that they sustained and allowed the bookes of the Sybils and the augures taken by the flight of birds and such other follies But these proceeded from the want of knowledge of the true Religion and for that they suffered themselves to be guided by the Paynim Religion which consisted in vaine ceremonies and foolish lies Yet notwithstanding whensoever by good reason they could know that any falsenesse had slided into their religion they maintained it not but tooke it away An example hereof is this The religion of Bacchus was first brought into Rome by a Grecian priest who made sacrifices and ceremonies in the night time and at the beginning women onely assisted and were present there who after their sacrifices banqueted together The Romanes thinking no harme suffered it for a time but in succession of time men also resorted thither with women pell mell as they say and brought thither a new ceremonie namely to put out candles and ring bels to the end none might heare such as cried when they were forced and ravished There was all villanie committed not onely towards all sort of women but also towards young boyes The Consuls and Senat having discovered this proceeded criminally against them which were found in such assemblies as guiltie of the ravishments of women and of Sodometrie and there were found culpable hereof more than seven thousand whereof the most part fled and some slew themselves others were executed by justice and an edict was made Forbidding all sacrifices from thenceforth to be made unto Bacchus Even naturall reason made those poor Paynims which were ignorant of Religion to understand that that Religion could not be true but is false and rejectable which containeth in it any punishable crime And if they could also have knowne the other falsities of their Religion as well as this I beleeve they would have cut them of whatsoever Machiavell sayth But in points of Religion we may not any thing stay our selves upon that which the ancient Romans have done or said unlesse we will seeke light in the darkenesse In the yeare 1509 about twentie yeares before the Canton of Berne had forsaken Munst lib. 3. dâ— Geograpsis the Papall Religion the Iacobins of Berne would have introducted certaine new miracles devised by Apostata persons to draw unto them the devotion and offerings of people But that seignorie would not follow the doctrine of Machiavell to approve such false miracles but by burning executed good justice upon the authors thereof In the yeare 1534 the parliament of Paris condemned certain Friers of Orleans Sledan lib. 9. which would falsely have made men beleeve the appâ—rition of a spirit who desired as they said that there might be good store of Masses said to deliver him from Purgatorie for it was found out to be but an imposture deceit and invention which the Friers had made to abuse the world and to draw water to their mills There were many judgements of the said court of parliament wherby the falsenesse Papon in his collections lib. 1. of reliques was condemned and prohibited As of the image of our Ladie which was painted in an old Table that had many yeares remained in a painters shop for a shew which Table a Curate nigh unto Paris bought good cheape and boring two holes where the two eyes were of that noble Ladie and at the time when vines weepe placed behind in them two sprigs of the vine tree so that pitifull Ladie wept in the church where she stood which drew great numbers of pilgrimes to
the studie of holy letters commenced and so die they like beasts Therefore are not the old doctors any thing to be reprehended because they admonish men to reade in great sobrietie the writings of Paynims and that men give not themselves so much thereunto as for to know humane sciences they abandon and let goe the divine knowledge which is as much more excellent than they as God is more excellent than man Yet is there some Paynim authors which ought never to be read of Christians or at the least ought not to come in the hands of youths which of themselves are but too much enclined to vices and lubricities For a young scholler can hee better learne in a stewes amongst whores and ruffians the tearmes of all villanie and lubricitie than in that filthie Martiall or in Catullus or Tibullus or in certain books of Ovid And therefore although wee never read any of these poets and so our youth gave themselves only to Virgil to learne all Latine poësie it were ynough and that alone author out of whom all others are but small rivers might learne them all the poësie that need be knowne Yet I will not say but there are many other good poets very worthy to be read as Horace Lucane Claudian and others but hee that well understands Virgil he needs not have to doe with others for the understanding of poësie And in every science it seemeth to be the best that men may well employ their time which is deare and short to reade few bookes to make good choise of them and well to understand them But for proofe of this which I come to say and to shew that Machiavell is a shamelesse lier in that he dare affirm That the doctors of the Christian Religion would or sought to abolish good letters I will here set downe the advice and counsell that they have given touching the studie of humane letters of the Gentiles Doctor Beda as Gratian reciteth in his decree sayth That they which will forbid the reading of the Gentiles bookes do hinder men from having â—7 Dist Turbat apt spirits to comprehend and understand the holy writings because humane sciences doe fashion our minds and understandings to the better abilitie to understand holy letters and that Moses and Daniel which were learned in the letters of the Aegyptians and Chaldeans doe serve us for an example not utterly to reject the humane letters of the Paynims But here I will translate the very words of Doctor Beda He troubleth sayth hee and causeth to faile the vivacitie of readers spirits who esteemeth that men ought altogether to forbid the reading of secular bookes wherein we ought to take that which is good as our own Otherwise Moses and Daniel would not have learned the wisedome and letters of the Aegyptians and Chaldeans the superstition of which people they abhorred S. Paule also doctor of the Gentiles would not have alledged certaine verses out of the Gentiles bookes in his writings Why then should we forbid men to read that which by good reason ought to be read But some reade secular letters for their pleasure only beeing tickled and delighted with poëticall figments and fictions or els for the ornament of their language others read them for their erudition and to detest and confute the errors of the Gentiles and to applie and make serve the good things that they find there to the use of the erudition of sacred letters and these verily doe merit only praise by studying of secular letters And for this cause S. Gregorie reprehended a certaine bishop not because he had learned humane letters but because he expounded them unto the people against the dutie of a Bishop whereas hee should have expounded the Gospell Behold what was the opinion of this Theologian doctor touching the studie and reading of the writings and sciences of the Paynims S. Ambrose upon S. Luke speaking of the same matter saith That we reade the bookes of the Paynims to divers ends namely for not to be ignorant of that they handle and to follow the good things in them and to reject the evill S. Ierome upon the Epistle to Titus sayth That Grammar and Logicke are profitable sciences to know to speake well and to distinguish the true from the false and that sciences humane may serve Christians to apply them to good uses and therefore saith he it is necessarie of necessitie to know them to the end that we might shew That the things which have been said by the Prophets many hundreth of years before are since come to passe and described by the bookes both of the Greekes and Latines S. Augustine also against the Manicheans saith That if the Sibils or Orpheus or that other poets of the Gentiles or the philosophers have written any true thing of God men must and may serve themselves therewith to vanquish the vanitie of the Paynims but yet ought we not therefore to give authoritie to such authors By which words he well shewes that he approoveth the reading and studie of the Gentiles bookes as well poets philosophers as others S. Basile also in his treatise he writ of the manner of reading the Gentiles bookes not onely reprehendeth not the reading thereof but contrarie exhorteth Christians to reade them and to applie the reading of those bookes to his true end and purpose which is the pietie and edification in the faith and Christian Religion And to conclude we read that by a Counsell it was ordained That every where schooles should be established to teach youth humane letters and liberall arts The article of the said Counsell recited by Gratian in his Decretall De quibusdam 37 Dist is this Report is made unto us of certaine places where they have no care to have schoolemasters for the studie of letters therefore let all bishops subjects and people in place where need shall be performe their duties in placing masters and doctors which may daily teach letters and liberall arts for by their meanes the writings and commandements of God are declared and manifested What now then will this slanderer Machiavell say Can hee yet say that the doctors of the Christian Religion have or would have abolished good letters and the writings of the Paynims Will he not hold himselfe vanquished of a lie by so many authorities as we have alledged of S. Ierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregorie Baeda and S. Basile which are the principall doctors of the Christian Church and the authoritie of the Counsell which is as an approbation of the universall Church shall not all this be sufficient to shew the impudencie of this Florentine But now am I desirous to know of this Atheist Machiavell what was the cause that so manie good bookes of the Paynim authors were lost since the time of the auncient doctors of our Christian Religion was it not by the Gothes which were Paynims For at their so manie irruptions and breaking out of their countries upon Gaule Italie Spaine they
doctrine doth How then dare that filthie Machiavell say That men become wicked like unchained slaves when Oracles failed where found he this where ever read hee that men were worse and more evill conditioned in the time when Oracles failed than before Rather contrarie we reade That when Oracles failed which was in the time of the primitive Church men which gave themselves to the Christian Religion were of an holy life and conversation they which gave not themselves to that Religion but persevered in their Paynisme did yet alwayes learne of the Christians that which made them better and of more account Let any reade the workes of Seneca Plutarke Pliny the Second and of many In the primitive Church the Paynims learned of the Christians other Paynim authors which were in the time of the primitive Church and he shal find infinit godly and Christian sentences which the Paynims learned of the Christians of their time as may be necessarily supposed For such sentences were never borrowed of Plato Aristotle or of other Philosophers which were before the comming of Iesus Christ As for example when Plutarke disputerh of the tranquilitie of the soule to flie anger to shun usurie of the profit that a man may draw from an enemie of such as God punisheth slowly and of many other points hee uttereth many sentences which are truly Christian and doe hold nothing of the Philosophers doctrine which were before Christ our Saviour And all the workes of Seneca are full of Christian sentences insomuch that many have esteemed That Seneca himselfe was a Christian yea that he was well knowne of S. Paule which it may be was not unworthie to be beleeved For Seneca who was in the time of Nero and was a learned man and a lover of the learned might well have heard Paule speake who at the said time was a prisoner at Rome for the doctrine which hee preached and might well have beene so curious as to talke with him to understand what was that doctrine whereof all the world spoke But whatsoever it was none can denie that the writings of Seneca in many places doe not demonstrate that hee learned many things of the Christians Wee may then conclude That in the time when Oracles failed and that Christian doctrine began to bee published and divulged through the world men became better and not more wicked like unchained slaves as this mocker Machiavell saith For although even in that time there were found certaine Atheists like himselfe men must not therefore inferre that all the world or the most part thereof became wicked Neither hath Machiavell uttered this opinion as having read it in any good author but only thereby to blame the Christian Religion as the cause of the corruption of manners But he impudently lieth like a shamelesse slaunderer which dare bee so bold as to deliver such talke without any proofe and the contrarie whereof is alreadie clearely proved 6. Maxime The Romane Church is cause of all the calamities in Italie THe Romane Church saith Machiavell is cause that Italie which of old vvas the most flourishing province of the Romane empire is at this day dismembred and cut into pettie Seignories as is seene By the meanes wherof she that vvas vvont to subiugate vanquish other provinces is now exposed as a prey for all strange kings vvhich vvill attempt it vvith a strong arme And although of all Christianitie it be nighest unto the Roman Church yet hath it of all other least Religion because therein that most holy Court doth little els but sow partialities and disorders And he that vvill proove vvhether such evils proceed from the Romane Church let them procure that she may remove her seat such as it is for a small time unto the countrey of the Switzers vvhere men live in great rest and unitie For there should you shortly see it fill the vvhole countrey vvith disorder and confusion ALthough the Romane Church be contaminated with many The papall seat doâ—h evill rather far off than nigh vices yet doth Machiavell shew himselfe here a notable slanderer against it for experience hath made us long time know That it rather doth mischeefe far off than nigh hand and that she ordinarily enricheth the place where shee abideth Wee reade That she hath held her seat at Avignon by the space of seventie yeares so that by the affluence plentie of gold and silver which ordinarily arrived there the towne became so opulent rich that it yet tasts thereof and gladly desireth it might bee alwayes there As for the Suiffes of whome Machiavell speaketh I am assured that there are they who would it cost them much money that the seat of the Romane Church were amongst them and if it were there the Pope should not lacke people for his guard for they would furnish him of as many as he would and his Cardinals also for their pay And I am also of that mind for their entertainement they would also accord them letters to be denizons and free burgesses in all their townes though it bee contrarie to their customes to receive strangers For so will they bee glad that there shall every day arrive in their countrey plentie of silver which they cannot but love better than either the Popes benedictions or pardons yet would they also be glad to reape their pardons at a low price And notwithstanding Machiavell saith That if the Romane seat were there placed there would be no good peace for sowing divisions amongst the Suisses that is not likely no more than it so did in Avignon or the countries about it For whereas Machiavell saith It soweth divisions and partialities in Italie that rather happeneth by the humor of that countrey people which are naturally subject to nourish divisions and partialities amongst both themselves and other nations where they have credit as experience is in Fraunce Moreover the Romanes themselves are not of Machiavels opinion neither doe they complaine that the Romane seat brings them any domage At the beginning of that great schisme of Popes they shewed well how greatly they feared to loose their seat For so much were they afraid that the Cardinals should againe have a French Pope which might againe dwell at Avignon where the said seat had so long before remained that they constrained the Cardinals by force cries and popularie violence to elect a Pope of their owne nation insomuch that all through the towne of Rome and before the place where the Cardinals were assembled to make their election all the people in a mutinie cried with an high voice Wee will have a Romane or at the least Froiss lib 2. cap. 12. an Italian This was the cause that the Cardinals gave them a Romane whereof the Romane inhabitants were so joyous that they tooke him on their shoulders to honour him the more and so long and so farre carried him through Rome that they stifled him and smothered him with the great prease amongst their armes When
it never came out of the countrie of Palestine but out of Mëdia insomuch as by the tongues corruption these people were called Maures of Medes as Salust saith who is a more credible author than this beast Machiavel who saith Salust bello Iugurthi that the Maurisians of Africke came ancientlie from Siria And as for that inscription Nos Maurusi c. alledged by Machiavel out of Procopius true it is that Procopius saith that in Numidia in Africke the Maurisians Procopius lib 4. de bello Vandal builded a towne called Tinge and there set vp two pillars of white stone where they put the said inscription in the Phoenician tongue letters but Procopius saith not that hee either saw or read as Machiavel saith the said inscription graved in the pillars And it is not likely to bee true that they could have endured from the time of Iosua till the time of Procopius which were 2500 yeeres more entier and whole beeing of white stone no not although they had beene of Rocke stone which will endure longer than the white stone which is soft seeing the wars and devastations ariving during that space of time in Africa and all the parts of the world Also other authors farre more authentike and ancient than Procopius which speake of the affaires of Africke doe nothing touch the said inscription absurd also it is to say that the Maurusians would make knowne to their posterity that they were cowards flying before their enemies without any resistance absurd also it is to say that in one same towne they should set up two pillars of one same thing but rather to mortalize the memorie of their flight they would have erected two pillars in divers places distant one from another to the end that if one perished the other might remaine But wee need not be abashed of Procopius who was a Rethorician a Sophister and a Grecian which are three qualities yeelding presumption that he might as too light forward in his accompts feigne too much touching that inscription For in the same place hee saith that the Maurusians a people of Phoenicia abandoned their country and went to dwell in Africa flying before Iosua the people of Israel and father that they were a people composed of the Iebusites Gessurians and other people named in the Bible But the Bible confuteth him therein For it is written that neither the Iebusires nor the other Canaanites were driuen out of their countrey by the Hebrewes but were made their tributaries And therfore to conclude this point neither Machiavel not Procopius his great author is therein more to be credited than the Rabbines dreames which hold That the Romanes sprung from the Idumaeans and the Germaines from the Canaanites Yet let this bee said not any way to diminish the credit and authoritie of Procopius who notwithstanding I confesse is well to bee beleeved in the hystorie which he hath written touching the gests and wars made in his time by the emperour Iustinian and his lieutenants Belisarius Narces and others 9. Maxime The Religion of Numa was the chiefe cause of Romes felicitie ROmulus saith Machiavell all the time of his kingdome used Discourse lib. 1. cap. 12. the Romane people to make warre which made them martiall rude horrible fierce sanguinarie and without all humilitie and civilitie But Numa Pompilius succeeding Romulus in the crowne perceiving hee had to doe with a people very hard to governe and to bring under pollicie without softening and mitigating of their mindes thought it best to devise some goodlie Religion well adorned and decked with beautifull ceremonies because without Religion hee thought it impossible to maintaine any pollicie amongst men Wherfore assoone as he came to the crown he began to make divers goodly ordinances touching Priests and the ceremonies of Religion making the people beleeve that hee had them revealed from the goddesse Egeria And this fell out so well for him that after his opinion saith Machiavell the Religion which hee instituted was one of the principall causes of Romes felicitie For it served to give hart and hope to souldiers to cause them range in battaile to hould them quiet in the field to maintaine good men and to overthrow the wicked to appease mutinies in the people and in all things to make them obedient But a Prince ought not to thinke it impossible for him which was possible for king Numa nor to bee any thing discouraged if the subiects he hath to deale with bee any thing wittie that they vvill not suffer themselves to be carried to a nevv faith For I may vvell say saith he that the Florentine people are not very beastly and rude yet Frier Ierome Savanarola preaching at Florence made ten thousand Florentines beleeve that he prively had conference and spoke vvith God vvho revealed unto him such things as hee preached in the pulpit MAchiavell having assayed to instruct a prince to reject all Religion out of his heart and to be an Atheist a contemner of all pietie now would he persuade him to invent and compose a new Religion that is gallant and beautifull well farced and stuffed with ceremonies such as Numa his religion was yet not to beleeve therein but for his subjects to beleeve that with the feare of religion they might the better be detained in their offices duties and that the prince might be the more encouraged to procure the building of a new Religion such as that of Numa was he saith it is no difficult thing to do alledging the example of the Florentines whom Ierome Savanarola made beleeve what he would by fayning he had a revelation from God But it is no mervaile if this Atheist who hath no religion doth thus play with Religions deriding all willing also to persuade a prince to forge a new one for out of a vessell full of poyson what other thing can come but poyson But it is strange hee will propose Numa for a prince to imitate in the making of a new Religion for the greatest thing Numa invented in his Religion was the temple Dionis Halic lib. 1. of Faith where he established many ceremonies to induce people to reverence their Faith and to feare perjurie hee ordeined also that upon controversies happening amongst parties they should bee bound to goe to the said temple and there sweare with certaine great ceremonies upon the truth of the points of their contentions Secondly hee persuaded the people that such as usurped upon the limits of others possessions were predestinate to the gods of hell to the end every man might bee afraid to take anothers goods But doth not Machiavell teach the plaine contrarie doth not hee say That a prince nor any other ought to observe his faith but for his profit doth he not also say That a prince should know the art of trompery deceit and that hee should make no scruple to bee perjured shewes hee not also That a prince in a conquered countrey ought
to plant colonies and chase away the ancient naturall inhabitants from their goods and possessions All which things are directly contrary to the Religion of Numa which he commendeth so much but it is likely that this ignorant beast praiseth Numa his Religion without knowing that it conteined the points which we now speake of I doubt not but some wil judge at the first sight That this religion of Numa could not bee evill which taught so good things as to observe Faith not to bee perjured nor to usurpe others goods and possessions but it must not be approved therefore for one must not by an evill and false introduce a good thing This was good to bring the people to an observation of Faith but to build a temple to Faith to imagine it was a god or goddesse and to doe service and ceremonies unto her these were damnable and against Gods honour from whom they steale the glory that belongs unto him when they by forme of Religion do honour to another thing than him be it a creature or devised thing Therfore was not that a christian oration which was made by Monsier Capel the kings advocate in the court of Parliament at Paris in Anno 1535 whereby praising the dead king Francis the second of that name of happie memorie because hee had care of Religion hee shewed That realmes and commonweales of the ancient Paynims which had good care well to observe their Religion obtained prosperitie in all felicitie For that saith he although their Religion was false and that they lived in error and darkenesse yet they prospered because esteeming it good and true they had it in a singular reverence and observation This oration of Capel had truly a little of Machiavell his doctrine to say that a false Religion was cause that the Paynims prospered But to shew that Machiavell knowes not what hee saith I will here recite an historie Tit. Livius lib. 10. Dec. 4. to this purpose In the yeere 574 after the foundation of Rome in the time of the consulship of Lucius Manlius and Fulvius Flaccus as men digged the earth in a certaine place in Rome they found the sepulchre of king Numa where there were two arches of hewen stone in the one of which Numa was buried in the other were the bookes found which he had written wrapped in waxe in such sort as they seemed to be new there were seven in Latin touching the ceremonies of the Religion which hee instituted Incontinent a fame went of these novels all over how the bookes of king Numa were found touching Religion insomuch as every man attended that they should be divulged and that by their meanes all abuses in the Romane Religion should alwaies bee reformed Yet to doe nothing rashly the consuls gave charge to Quintus Petilius lieutenant of justice well to turne over and peruse those bookes and to report the truth of them unto the Senat. Petilius read them from the one end unto the other and of them certified his opinion unto the Senat and it was found that the Religion which was handled in those bookes was of no accompt and that it should bee a pernitious and damageable thing to the common wealth to bring that Religion into use so was it resolved by a decree of the Senat that those books should bee publiklie burnt before all the people which was done I would now gladly know of Machiavell who so much esteemeth the Religion of Numa without ever having seene his bookes if hee can yeeld a better jugdment of them than the Lieutenant Petilius who read them and than all the Romane Senat. Is not this as a blinde man to judge of coulours who speakes of a thing hee knowes not As for Frier Ierome Savanarola the Florentins shewed well that hee was no such De com lib. 2. cap. 25. 53. 54. man as would leade them to any new Religion neither preached hee unto them any other Religion but the old Romish Religion only denouncing unto them somtime the vengeances punishments of God which from heaven should fall upon them if they repented and amended not their sinnes and this hee assured them as though hee had had some revelation from God But amongst other things which hee preached and affirmed most was that there should come a king out of France into Italie which should deliver the countrey from so many tyranizers and potentates as then held the countrey in great servage and slaverie This talke pleased some which desired change though others delighted not in it About the time that hee made those sermons king Charles the eight made a voiage unto Naples who assoone as hee was seene in Italie all the world began to say and beleeve that Frier Ierome was a true prophet and that hee had well foretould that which they see come to passe The worst was that the said king did nothing worthie of accompt in the voiage insomuch that the best part of Ieromes prophesie which was to purge Italie of so many tyranizers remained yet to accomplish Then the reputation of this good Frier Ierome began not onely to diminish but also men began to say and beleeve that hee was an abuser so that in the end hee was accused at Florence to be a most wicked heretike and his enemies said hee were worthie to bee put into a sacke and to be cast into the river and because hee still continued to preach his first theme That the king of France should yet againe come into Italie to performe that which he had not executed in that first voiage and that the will of God was so and if hee did not accomplish it yet God himselfe would punish it the Pope and the Duke of Millan which were hereat troubled for they thought this was but a bait to cause the king of France to come another time into Italie where of they were greatlie afraid therefore ioyned they together against this poore Frier and writ to the seignorie of Florence to doe justice upon him as upon a seducer and an heretike Amongst others which tooke Ierome in hand there was found a Frier for there never was love betwixt the Friers and the Iacobines which would needes mainetaine A disputation by Fire against him that hee was an heretike and to prove his so saying he presented unto Ierome the combat to commit themselves both into the fire and that hee which was not hurt by the fire should be held as it was reason for a soothsayer and the other whom the fire burned for a lyer and an abuser Frier Ierome was sore abashed to heare speake of such a manner of disputation and indeed would not accept it for he was not so learned not so farre a student in Logicke that he had learned such a kind of argumentation to prove his doctrine by fire yet was there found another young Iacobin a familiar friend of Ieromes which accepted the combat to maintaine his friends quarrell Then was the day and place assigned in
But if any demand how diviners and astrologers could so justly foretell the death of the emperour Domitian I answere that we must beleeve that this said prediction was not by art or science but the evill spirit would give boldnesse of enterprising unto Domitians enemies in making them know by frivolous divinations his fatall houre that they might beleeve the starres and heaven to aid their enterprise And God above who serves himselfe with such meanes as pleaseth him to exercise his justice gives efficacie to the spirit of error The same effect came of the divination of Caracalla for it was the cause that Macrinus enterprised to sley him although he never before thought of it till the astrologers declared their divination nay he would never have done that enterprise if that divination had not constrained and drawne him unto it Master Philip de Comines reciteth to this purpose a very memorable hystorie that happened in his time He saith there was at Naples a king called Alphonsus a bastard of the house of Arragon who was marvellous cruell a traitour and dangerous for none could know when he was angry he could so well manage his countenance yea and often betray men as he made them good cheare and he was a man wherein there was neither grace nor mercie neither had hee any compassion of the poore people This king Alphonsus had a sonne also as wicked as he called Ferrand who had found means to bring before him under his fathers assurance many princes and barons of the countrey to the number of foure and twentie and amongst them the prince de Rosane his brother in law having married his sister all which hee caused to be imprisoned notwithstanding the faith and assurance which he had given them insomuch as some remained foure or five and twentie yeares prisoners As soone as the king Alphonsus was dead and Ferrand his sonne was king the first thing hee did at his comming to the crowne was to massacre all those said great princes and barons which he himselfe had imprisoned during his fathers life by a Moorean slave of Affrica which he rewarded and straight after the execution sent him into his countrey This king Ferrand or Ferdinand having newes of the said murder as the king of Fraunce Charles the eight enterprised the conquest of Naples judging himselfe unworthie to be king because of his great and abhominable cruelties sent embassadors to the king to agree and to be at an accord with him offering to yeeld himselfe tributarie to the crowne of Fraunce to hold the kingdome of Naples of him and to pay him 50000 crownes yearely But the king who knew there was no fidelitie in the Arragonian race of Naples would enter into no treatie with the king Ferdinand who being in dispaire to be ever able to hold that kingdome against the king of Fraunce having his owne subjects his enemies died for sorrow and dispaire and left his sonne Alphonsus his successor This Alphonsus the new king was as wicked as his father and had alwayes shewed himselfe pittilesse and cruell without faith without religion and without all humanitie insomuch as perceiving that king Charles approched Rome his conscience also judging himselfe to be an unworthy king he resolved to flie into Spain and to professe himselfe a monke in some monasterie But before hee fled hee caused to be crowned king at Naples a young sonne of his called Ferdinand who was not yet hated in the countrey his nailes beeing not yet either strong or long ynough to doe evill This done hee fled into Sicilie and from thence to Valence in Spaine where he tooke the habite of a monke and in a little time after died of an excoriation of gravell But it was marvellous that this cruel tyrant should be so seized of feare as he should go in no good order away but left all his moveable goods and almost all his gold and silver in his castle at Naples And this feare proceeded to him from a faintnesse of heart for as Comines saith never cruell man was hardie And when one desired him onely to stay three dayes to packe up his goods No no said he let us quickly depart from hence heare you not all the world crie Fraunce Fraunce Men may see how an evill conscience leaves a man never in quiet This wicked man knowing that by his crueltie hee had procured the hatred of his subjects the wrath of God and the enmitie of all the world was tormented in his conscience as of an infernall furie which ever after fretted his languishing soule in the poore infected and wasted bodie And to end this tragoedie straight after he had saved himselfe the king of Fraunce obtained the kingdome of Naples And a little while after the said young Ferdinand sonne of the said Alphonsus died of a feaver and a flux So that within the space of two yeares God did justice on foure kings of Naples two Alfonses and two Ferdinands because of their strange cruelties which were accompained with disloyall impietie and oppression of subjects for alwaies those keepe company together A like punishment happened by the conduction and judgement of God to that Comines lib. 1 cap. 132. 133. and Bellay lib. 1. of his memories cruell king Richard of England king Edward the fourth his brother This king Edward deceasing left two sonnes and two daughters all yong and in the tutelage and goverment of Richard duke of Glocester his brother This duke desiring for himselfe the crowne of England caused his two nephewes cruelly to be slaine and made a report to goe that by chance they fell of a bridge and so were slaine His two nieces he put into a religion of Nunnes saying they were bastards because saith hee the dead king Edvard their father could not lawfullie espouse their mother for that before hee had promised to espouse a gentlewoman which hee named and the bishop of Bath beeing present protested it was so and the promises of marriage were made betwixt his hands The duke of Glocester having thus dispatched both his nephewes and nieces caused himselfe to be crowned king of England and because many great lords of England murmured at this crueltie this new tyrant king which named himselfe king Richard the third made to die of sundrie deaths all such as hee knew had murmured against him or his tyrannie After all this when hee thought hee had a sure estate in the kingdome it was not long before God raised him up for enemie the earle of Richmond of the house of Lancaster who was but a pettie lord in power without silver and without force who but a little before was detained prisoner in Bretaigne To whom certaine lords of England sent secretly that if he could come into England but with two or three thousand men all the people would come to him make him king of England The earle of Richmond hasted to king Charles the eight then raigning in France by whose permission hee levied people in
rather to discharge him of his Office than constraine him to doe a thing against his conscience The prince then which will make a good election of magistrates ought to take care to chuse persons which like Cato will not winke at vices and which will patiently heare parties and judge equally as did Quintius which will be diligent well to draw out the truth of the fact before he give judgement upon any as did Sulpitius which may be such persons as feare to offend their consciences like Helpidius And briefly that they be fearers of God lovers of truth not covetous according to Iethro his counsell Thus doing hee need not feare to have his justice well ruled and holily administred He must take heed he doe not like the emperour Tiberius who gave his Offices to great drinkers and gourmandizers taking pleasure to see a man tunne up much wine and viands into his bellie Neither ought hee to imitate the example of Suet. in Tib. cap. 42. Aâ— Marcel lib. 23 27. the emperour Iulian the Apostata who for a Iudge one time gave to the towne of Alexandria in Aegypt a most cruell and turbulent man And when it was told him that this Iudge was a man very unwoorthie of such an Office I know nor sayth hee how unworthie he is but because the Alexandrians be turbulent and covetous persons I will give them a like Iudge which may deale with them after their merits This was a very inconsiderate part of this emperour to give a wicked magistrate to a corrupted people for their amendment for that is as if one should give unto a diseased person a wicked physician to heale him There was the like fact committed in our time by the Machiavelists but no marvaile if Atheists follow the traces of an Apostata for the one is as good as the other Neither ought the prince also to doe as the emperor Valentinian who constrained the parties to subject themselves to the judgment of suspected Iudges to bee their enemies For all these said emperours were greatly blamed by authors of their time and are yet by all hystories for their so evill choise of unworthie men in Offices which rather they ought to have recoiled and dejected as many other emperors did which for farre lesse causes have cassierd and dispatched them out of their Offices as some have written That Augustus Caesar cassierd a magistrate as ignorant and incapable because hee writ Ixi in place of Ipsi And Vespasian cassierd another because he perfumed himselfe smelled of muske saying he would have loved him better if he had smelled of Garlicke And Domitian cassierd another because he delighted in dauncing and puppet playes for Domitian although otherwise very wicked had this good in him that he caused wel to be chastised all such as our Machiavelists are at this day Likewise also Fabricius Censor cassierd out of the Senate Cornelius Rufinus Senator because hee had vessels of silver weighing tenne marks which at this time comes to 40 crownes But I leave you to thinke if they would not then have rigorously punished such as doe spoile and eate the people which sell Iustice or which commit like abuses which at this day are manifestly tollerated in France since they cassierd men out of their Offices for farre lighter causes as to faile in the orthographie of a word to smell of a perfume to daunce to have plate of the value of tenne pound for these things seeme not to be great faults but at this time men do rather make vertues of them But it is not ynough that a prince make good election of his Officers and Magistrates by the consideration of each mans particular vertues but also in seats where he must needs establish many Iudges together hee ought to take good advisement well â—o compose the bodie of that assembly by considering the qualities required to give a good harmonie and temperature to all the bodie And for this purpose hee ought to compose and temper it of persons of divers estates and divers countries as for example A parliament and judgement seat which ought to bee composed of many ought not to be made of men all of the Nobilitie or of the Clergie or of the third estate but some of every estate Likewise it ought not to be composed of men all of one towne but they ought to bee taken from divers jurisdictions or diocesses And those two points have aunciently been observed in France according to royall ordinances so enjoyning But in the time wherein we are wee may adde by the like reason That in a parliament or the like seat they ought not all to be Catholike Romanes and none of the Reformed Religion For if the estate of the Clergie for the conservation of her priviledges hath well obtained that in all such places there be magistrates of the Clergie although they bee of the same religion in all points with the Catholike Lay-men why should they denie it to men of the profession of the Gospell To this purpose we reade That at Rome there was a time wherein there was many more knights in the assembly of Iudges soveraigne of causes than of Senators insomuch as by soveraigne judgement Publius Rutilius who was a good and sincere man was condemned to banishment because hee had repressed the excessive and undue exactions of Publicans in Asia being evill beloved of the knights which were the greater number of the assembly The Senatours disdaining and grieving at this wicked judgement stirred up Livius Drusus Tribune of the people at whose pursute there was a law made That from thence forward the Senatours and knights should be of a like number in the judgements of causes Which law was found good and profitable to the commonweale as by the contrary they found not good that law which before Caius Gracchus who also was a Tribune of the people would have caused to passe wherby he sought to these that in the judgement of causes there might be two knights against one Senator For herein there is no equalitie nor equitie and therefore by good reason that law was rejected yea and to the ruine of Gracchus who was slaine in the too earnest pursute of that law Iosaphat also king of Iudea after he had established good magistrates through the townes of his kingdome and expressely enjoyned them to execute good justice Paral. lib. 2. cap. 1410. Antiq. lib. 9. cap. 2. to every man without having any regard but to the feare of God and not to the riches nor the dignitie of persons finally established a seat like a parliament in the towne of Ierusalem composed of persons elected from all the lines and families of his kingdome as Iudges holding the degree of supreame jurisdiction unto which men might only appeale from the sentences of inferior Iudges The same temperature kept also the ancient Romanes in all sorts of their magistrates For they not only had of their nobilitie but also of their knights and of