blessed felicitie we may a great deale more perfectly than did all those great and ancient philosophers lead a contented ioyfull and quiet life void of all perturbations and feare for asmuch as they knew the iustice of God onely and not his mercy which is assured vnto vs in his beloued sonne Moreouer they were ignorant notwithstanding their philosophie of the chiefe point of his iustice namely of the beginning of all things and of their end which the word of God teacheth vs together with the truth of that permanent happines of the soule whereof they had but a shadow in their life Heerof our Lorde Iesus Christ himselfe hath left good and sure pledges in the depth of our harts saying that he gaue and left his peace with vs his peace I say in our soules and not with the world Therefore it appeereth sufficiently that nothing is so much to be desired whether we regard profite to our selues or seruice to the whole bodie and societie of our brethren and countrimen as the studie of philosophie which is the knowledge of life and the true medicine and tillage of the soule whereby all vertue is taught vs. The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Of Vertue Chap. 5. ASER. AMongst the infinite number of them that were honoured with this faire name and excellent title of Philosopher which is as much to say as a louer of wisedome there were three principal sects that contended together by generall rules but especially about the souereigne good and felicitie of man namely the Academiks the Peripatetiks and the Stoiks The best of them all and they which came neerest to the knowledge of the truth were the Academiks whose first authors were Socrates Plato who as we heard yesterday alwaies taught that our true good consisted in the tranquillitie of the soule void of all perturbations in stead of them adorned and enriched with all vertue which is the proper substance and matter of philosophie therfore called the onely permanent good of the soule AMANA I can not but greatly commend this paradox of the Stoiks that There is no good but vertue nor euill but vice which is the contrarie vnto it And to go a little further following their opinion and the opinion of many ancient wise men I say that The vertuous man onely is free and happie yea although he were in Phalaris bull and that The vicious man onely is a bond-man and vnhappie albeit he had the riches of Craesus the empire of Cyrus and the glorie of Alexander For great callings are nothing where the mind is not content and where the hart pricked with desire troubleth the tranquillitie of the soule ARAM. Riches saith Pythagoras are no sure pillers and glorie is lesse certaine Likewise beautie and the disposition of the bodie magistracies and honors are all of no force but Prudence Magnanimitie and Iustice are ankers of greatest stay which cannot be plucked vp by any tempest For it is the will and law of God that vertue onely should be mightie and firme all other things being but toyes and fooleries But we must now learne of thee ACHITOB that which is necessarie for vs to know concerning this excellent disposition of the soule ACHITOB. The disputation concerning the good of man hath indeed alwaies been great amongst the learned so that as well their diuers opinions as their arguments would stay vs heere with too long a discourse especially seeing they are vnnecessarie for vs who seeke onely to be instructed in the truth Now that we may attaine heerunto and to the perfect vnderstanding of that matter which is heere propounded vnto vs we will heere set downe this Maxime or principle confessed of al the greatest and most ancient philosophers and agreeable to that truth which is taught vs in the holie scriptures that There are two sorts of goods the one which is the last end the other is the meanes to attaine thereunto The first is the souereigne supreme most perfect and eternall good which we expect and hope for in the immortalitie of the second life when we shall enioy that true and absolute felicitie which neither eie hath euer seene nor eare heard neither hath entred at any time into the hart of man That which we call the meanes whereby we come to the first is vertue onely whereof we are now to speake and which is the proper effect of our regeneration by the spirit of God dwelling in vs. First then let vs consider what vertue is also the diuision sountaine incomparable excellencie and inuincible force thereof with those woonderfull effects which it worketh in him that possesseth hir wherein also we will see some notable examples of ancient men Vertue as the philosophers say is a disposition and power of the reasonable part of the soule which bringeth into order and decencie the vnresonable part by causing it to propound a conuenient end to it own affections and passions wherby the soule abideth in a comely and decent habit executing that which ought to be done according to reason But to speake more briefly Vertue is a proportion and vprightnes of life in all points agreeable to reason The diuision thereof is altogither like to that of philosophie For they are so linked togither that it is all one to be vertuous and to be a philosopher the one being the matter and substance of the other Vertue therefore is diuided into Contemplatiue and into Morall The eternall Wisedome by the operation of his spirit guideth and lifteth vp the contemplatiue vertue to hir proper end which is that happie and immutable knowledge that concerneth the maiestie of God This did Socrates call Religion and the greatest vertue saying further that the contempt thereof brought vpon men a cursed ignorance and that no man ought to persuade himselfe that he could finde amongst the race of men any greater vertue than religion and pietie towards God whose honor is the foundation of euerie good worke which if it be ouerthrowne the other parts are as soone dispersed as the peeces of a ruinous building Yea religion is not onely the head of iustice and vertue but also is as it were the soule to giue vigor and strength vnto it From this supreme science floweth prudence which is a worke thereof appointed to gouerne rule and moderate by the meanes of morall vertue the passions and affections of the vnreasonable part of the soule in all mediocritie by cutting off all excesse and defect of those passions and by moderating them between too little and too much thereby to â—â—epe men from erring As for example she holdeth a man within the limits of prowes and valure least he should cast away himselfe through rashnes or cowardlines she causeth him wisely to vse liberalitie bicause he should not be spoiled by couetousnes or fall into prodigalitie And that he should not be cast downe too much in aduersitie nor lift vp
we consider that this tabernacle of our body which is weake vicious corruptible casuall and inclining to putrefaction is dissolued and as it were pulled downe by death that it may afterward be restored to a perfect firme incorruptible and heauenly glory shal not this certain assurance compel vs to desire earnestly that which nature flieth and abhorreth If we consider that by death we are called home from a miserable exile to dwel in our countrey yea in our celestial coūtrey shall we not conceiue singular consolation thereby But some man may say that al things desire to continue in their being For the same cause I say we ought to aspire to the immortalitie to come where we haue a setled estate which is not seene at all vpon earth How commeth it to passe that the bruite beasts and sencelesse creatures euen wood and stones hauing as it were some feeling of their vanitie corruption are in expectation of the iudgement day that they may be deliuered from their corruption and yet we that haue some light of nature boast that we are illuminated by the spirit of God lift not vp our eies aboue this earthly putrefaction when we talk of our beeing But what shal we say of those men whose number alas is very great who quenching all natural light opposing themselues directly against the testimonies of truth which presse their consciences sound daily in their eares dare yet doubt of yea impudently deny this day of iudgement and the change of this mortall life into a second which is immortal If the word of god so expresly set down for our assurance be of so litle credit that it wil not satissie them yet how is it that they are not conuinced by the writings of so many Ethnike and heathen Philosophers who make the immortalitie of the soule out of doubt by the consideration of the being of this life conclude a iudgemēt to come which bringeth perpetuall happines and felicitie to the soules of the blessed euerlasting miserie paine to them that are vnhappy Plato vnder the name of Socrates may serue for a fit teacher for such Epicures and Atheists that wil not heare the heauenly word of the almighty Frō whence commeth it saith he that we see so many wicked mē passe the course of their days in worldly happines and fclicitie and die in great rest quietnes whereas on the other side so many good men liue die in great afflictions most hard calamities The reason is bicause God doth not punish and chastise all the wicked vpon the earth to the end men may know that there is a iudgement to come wherin the vngodlines of such men shal be corrected Neither doth he recompence all good men with blessings in this world to the ende they may hope that there is a place in the other life where the vertuous shal be rewarded Likewise he doth not punish all the wicked nor reward al good men here beneath least men should thinke that the vertuous folowed vertue in hope of a carnal earthly reward or eschewed vice for feare of punishmēts torments in this world For so vertue should be no more vertue seing there is no action that may cary the surname of vertuous if the intent of him that doth it be in hope of some earthly carnal recompence not for the loue of vertue it self that he may be accepted of God and so conceiue hope of eternal rewards in the other life Also he punisheth and correcteth some wicked men vpon earth rewardeth some good men least if good men only were afflicted the wicked suffred in quiet men might be brought to beleeue that there were no prouidence that the diuine nature had no care of vs so all men would giue ouer themselues to folow iniustice By the sequele of this speech Plato inferreth proueth that there is one God that hath care ouer his cretures that naturally euery spirit loueth him better that striueth to resemble him in manners fashiōs of liuing that reuerēceth honoreth him thā those that feare him not but despise him whose conditions are altogither vnlike his Moreouer he prooueth euidētly that good men in feare reuerence of the Deitie striue to imitate it by good works done to the benefit and safetie of others and contrarywise that the wicked despise God and all lawes both diuine and humane whereupon it followeth that God loueth good men and hateth the wicked And bicause we see that good mē are subiect to calamity ignominy in this world we must therfore vndoubtedly confesse that there is another life after this wherein good men are eternally rewarded the wicked punished Otherwise it would folow that God cared more for the wicked than for the good which were too absurd to graunt From hence that diuine Philosopher draweth this conclusion that the life of a wise man ought to be a perpetual meditation of death and that the very feare to die not any desire to liue is that which maketh death fearefull to them that know not the immortalitie of the soule Now then ought not these men to blush for shame that dare doubt of the second life and future iudgement when they heare this discourse of an Ethnike and Pagan destitute of that true light of God and sincere religion which is manifested to vs in Iesus Christ Truly nothing is more cleere in all the holy scripture than that as before the first day mētioned in Genesis all things were possessed of Eternitie so that there was neither time nor yeere nor moneth nor season but all things were in that Eternitie so when the last day shal come all shall be eternall for the felicitie of the good torment of the wicked But to returne to our speech of death the worde of God giueth vs to vnderstand of three kinds of death the one is the separation of the soule from the body with the dissolution of the body vntill the resurrection and of this is our present discourse The second is the death of sinne as it is said oftentimes that they are dead that nourish themselues in sinne The third is called in the Apocalyps the second death and sometimes eternal death vnto which the wicked shal be condemned in the last iudgemēt Therfore to cōtinue our speech of corporal temporal death if the doctrine of the sonne of God be neuer so little apprehended of vs by faith we shall see cleerely enough that the faithful ought to haue that in great request which to humane sense seemeth neither happie nor to be desired seeing it turneth to their saluation It belongeth to him that will not goe vnto Iesus Christ to feare death and to be vnwilling to goe to Christ is a badge of such a one as wil not raign with him What traueller hauing passed many dangerous wayes reioyceth not when he draweth neer to his countrey
THE FRENCH ACADEMIE wherin is discoursed the institution of maners and whatsoeuer els concerneth the good and happie life of all estates and callings by preceptes of doctrine and examples of the liues of ancient Sages and famous men By PETER de la PRIMAVDAYE Esquire Lord of the said place and of Barree one of the ordinarie Gentlemen of the Kings Chamber dedicated To the Most Christian King Henrie the third and newly translated into English by T. B. Imprinted at London by Edmund Bollifant for G. Bishop and Ralph Newbery 1586 TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS AND WORSHIPFVLL GENTLEMAN AND HIS SINgular good friend Maister IOHN BARNE Esquire T. B. C. wisheth grace and peace in this life and euerlasting happines in the life to come SIR hauing at length finished the Translation of this French Treatise of Morall Philosophy I presume the rather to recommend it to your Worships fauour bicause your selfe did first commend it vnto me for the varietie of excellent sayings and examples wherewith it is replenished And surely I perswade my selfe that howsoeuer for want of a skillfull Translator it hath lost much of that grace which otherwise it might haue had yet by reason of the matter it selfe good disposition obserued throughout the whole booke it will be of some account with so many as preferre the soundnes of substance before the swelling froth of curious phrases True it is that many words vsed by the Author and retained by me are almost the same with the originall toongs from whence they were deriued and peraduenture will sound harsh at the first in their eares that neuer heard them before but if they will haue patience a while and let them passe to and fro vpon the file of their teeth no doubt but in short time they will be as smooth as other Greeke and Latine words which now are taken for meere English I might heere alleadge reasons to prooue the necessitie of retaining such words in translating namely that many of them are proper names and words of Arte that as all occupations and handicrafts haue their seuerall names of instruments belonging to their science so is it with Philosophy and with euery part thereof but I make no doubt of finding the Reader fauourable in this point considering that it tendeth to the enriching of our owne language and hath beene practised by the learned of all nations that haue gone before vs as is euident to such as are skilfull in the toongs Concerning the profite of this booke I referre the Reader either to the title thereof which promiseth no more in my opinion than is performed with aduantage in the bodie of the same or else to the Authors Epistle to the Reader wherein he setteth downe a summarie of that doctrine which is afterward handeled more at large Wherein howsoeuer he hath very excellently behaued himselfe and as I am perswaded gone farre beyond those that haue handled the same matter before him yet considering each mans infirmitie to be such that he attaineth not to perfection in any worke neither speaketh all things that are to be spoken of the same thing nor yet is free from error in those things which he speaketh or writeth I exhort all that shall peruse this Treatise following so farre onely to approoue euery sentence and example of life as it may be prooued out of the records of holie Scripture Moreouer as many as are desirous to be bettered by the reading of this booke they must thinke seriously vpon that ende vnto which this Author had regard when he penned it which was the same that Aristotle had in writing his Ethicks or booke of Manners namely the practise of vertue in life and not the bare knowledge and contemplation thereof in braine And least any man should haue that opinion of these Morall precepts which all men haue of Platoes Common-wealth or of Aristotles Felicitie of Tullies Orator or of Moores Vtopia that they containe in them rather an Idaea of good life than such a platforme as may be drawne from contemplation into action he hath ioined works with words practise with precept and the fruits of rare examples with the faire flowers of Philosophicall instructions But many are so farre from conceiuing any such excellencie in them that so soone as they heare the name of Philosophy they thinke they haue sufficient cause to condemne as hurtfull all the writings of Philosophers alleadging that sentence of S. Paule Beware least there be any man that spoile you through Philosophy not considering that the Apostle doth in the very next wordes expound himselfe and sheweth that he meaneth nothing els but the deceitfull conclusions of mans reason disagreeing from the doctrine of Christ reuealed vnto vs in his word I grant that the word of God is onely perfect and containeth in it an absolute rule both of pietie towards God and humanitie towards men but it followeth not therefore that we may not vse the benefit of humane precepts or tread in the steps of heathen men so farre foorth as their learning and liues dissent not from the truth of holy Scriptures Will any man refuse pearles bicause they are offered him in base vessels Or not vse a light bicause it is not put into a siluer candlesticke And shall we passe ouer without profite so many good precepts and woorthy examples of learned men bicause they proceede from the twilight of naturall knowledge and not from the cleere sunne-shine of the word of God Let vs rather harken to S. Augustine in his second booke of Christian doctrine where he hath these words agreeing very fitly to this matter As for those saith he that are called Philosophers if they haue vttred any truth agreeable to our faith doctrine especially the Platonists we are not onely not to feare it but rather to challenge it from them as from vniust possessors thereof For as the Egyptians had not onely idols and heauy burdens which the people of Israell were to detest and flye from but also vessels and ornaments of gold siluer and raiment which that people at their departure out of Egypt challēged couertly to themselues for better vses although not of their owne authoritie but by the commandement of God c. So the doctrine of the Gentiles hath not onely counterfet and superstitious forgeries and heauy packs of needeles labour which euery one of vs departing from their societie vnder our Captaine Christ ought to detest and shun but also liberall Arts meete to set foorth the truth by and certaine profitable precepts of manners yea some true points concerning the worship of one onely God What their knowledge was concerning themselues and their dutie one towards another the whole Treatise following expresseth at large vnto which I had rather referre you than vse any needeles repetition in this place And as for that other point concerning the knowledge of one only God it is most certaine that from the light of Nature holpen with industrie studie and education according to
to conclude our present discourse we say that friendship is so excellent a thing that there is no comparison betweene it and any other worldly good that it is vertue which frameth and vniteth togither perfect friendships and that if they be once forsaken they cannot longer continue Therefore honestie as Cicero saith is to be placed aboue friendship and profit and religion iustice and fidelitie are to be preferred before the vniust requests of our friends howsoeuer they might be profitable for this life either to them or to our selues We say that whilest we labour to make all men our well-willers by doing them good according to the duty of a good nature if we meete with one sure and certaine friend amongst them all we haue gotten a great and incomparable treasure seeing there is nothing more fit for life or more commodius for a good and happie life than to liue with a vertuous man and our friend whose fidelitie integritie and constancie are ruled by charitie Lastly we say that three things are very requisite and necessarie for the foundation and assurance of this friendship namely vertue as that which is honest Conuersation as pleasant and agreeable Profit as helpfull Which is as much to say as that we must receiue a friend after we haue knowen and prooued him that we must reioice in his companie and vse him in our need as we desire him to do the like by vs. So that he which can boast of such a friend is very happie Of Reprehension and Admonition Chap. 14. ACHITOB DIuine Plato writing a letter to Dionysius the tyrant of Syracusa in the behalfe of Helicon the Mathematician after many and great commendations spoken of him addeth this that he wrote these things of a man that is of a liuing creature by nature mutable and soone changed The like also he spake of those that were well brought vp and instructed in Athens I feare yet quoth he that being men and the ofspring of other men they will make knowen the great infirmitie and frailtie of mans life which truly being compassed about and as it were besieged with infinite miseries is so easily troubled that the wisest stand alwaies in need of instruction and ought to be awakened and admonished of their dutie Whereunto the free reprehension and sweete admonition of a friend doth not a little profit Wherefore my counsell is that we handle it presently without departing from the matter of our former discourse ASER. True friends saith Socrates must not through flatterie seeke to gaine the fauour of their friends but reprooue them rather that for their benefit they may reduce them to a better way AMANA To admonish and to be admonished saith Seneca are proper to true friendship And Cicero saith that a man may despaire of his safetie whose eares are closed vp against the truth and cannot abide reprehension Let vs therefore heare ARAM handle this subiect ARAM. One of the greatest most profitable and necessarie fruits which spring out of euery good and holie friendship and are noted and reaped by the acceptable and long conuersation of a prudent wise friend is that free reprehension and sweet admonition which ought to be mutuall betweene all true friends seeing the fraile inconstancie of man is such that euen the iustest man as the scripture saith sinneth seuen times a day But man hauing pride and presumption naturally rooted in his soule howsoeuer he seeth a mote in his brothers eie yet he perceiueth not the great beame that closeth vp his owne eies This maketh him bold as it is the propertie of vice to be headstrong to defend and maintaine that he hath alwaies done well and not easily to harken to his reasons that reprooueth him were it not that the mightie and inuiolable bond of friendship as of a second-selfe did constraine him to lend his eare to his friend through the opinion which he hath conceiued of him and his vertue True it is that if there were amongst vs such a reformation of life and maners and that loue ioined with obedience might take place now as it did long since amongst the Lacedemonians who obserued this custome inuiolable to punish him that did not reprooue anothers fault committed in his presence with the same punishment which was inflicted vpon the offender himselfe sharply to chastice him that resisted or was angry at the reprehension we should not see so great winking at vices and imperfections nor such impudent resisting and shameles contempt of all good admonition as raigneth now a dais amongst vs who vnskilfully terme this friendship not to correct one another but rather to couer to winke at all faults But seeing our age is so greatly corrupted we may easily know what a pretious and necessarie thing it is to haue found a prudent and wise friend who knoweth how to vse wholesome and sharpe reprehension as a preseruatiue medicine that saueth the patients life being ministred in conuenient time and to purpose Which thing if it be not wisely obserued herein as in all other things it greatly hurteth and depriueth the admonition of profite and efficacie Therefore a friend being opposite to a flatterer who studieth for nothing but to please to do and to speake to his liking whom he flattereth which is enough to ouerthrow friendship whose strength is onely in vertue ought to deal as a skilful musitian who in the tuning of his instrument setteth vp som of his strings and letteth downe others So a prudent friend yeeldeth vnto some things but refuseth and contrarieth others changing his minde as honestie and profit require He is not afraide sometime to make his friend sad with intent and purpose to profit him not to breake friendship Likewise he is not greatly to care although he see his friend angred so that he be bettred considering that anger may better be tollerated than vice Agesilaus king of Sparta said that he liked well to be praised of such friends as would not spare him at all but were ready to blame him also whensoeuer he gaue them occasiō so to do To this effect Epictetus said that as a woolfe in some sort resembled a dog so a flatterer was like a friend and therefore that we ought to beware least in stead of good dogs for safegard we receiue vnto vs most pernitious hurtfull woolues For it is better as Antisthenes said to stand at the curtesie of crowes than of flatterers seeing the one deuoure dead carkasses and the other liuing men Now let vs consider of the meanes how to vse aptly and to purpose this so healthfull medicine in friendship I meane reprehension and admonition Sometimes it is necessarie saith Cicero for vs to rebuke our friends wherein we are to vse a more austere countenance and vehement speech but too great seueritie and ouermuch sadnes ought to be far from vs. For although grauitie be a vertue yet friendship is more familiar free and pleasant
authoritie and credite reioyce them most that stande least in feare of their contraries For when a man seeketh after any of them with an ouer-burning desire whereby also too great a feare of loosing them is imprinted in him the pleasure which he hath by enioying the same is verie weake and vnstable much like to a flame blowen vp and downe with the winde But as for the power of fortune saith the same Philosopher it bringeth downe those men that of their owne nature are cowards fearefull and of small courage Neither must we attribute cowardlines to misfortune nor valure and prudence to fortune who is not able to make a man great without vertue For what good will weapons doe a man without experience riches without liberalitie victorie without bountie and clemencie fighting without valure and boldnesse briefly all fortunes goods without knowledge how to vse them well Let vs learne also that it is too great blockishnesse to attribute the cause of the change of monarchies common-wealths estates of battels lost and generally of all casuall mishaps both generall and particular to certaine second causes one while accusing the ambition of some the ignorance or negligence of others the small courage want of money of men or of munitions But we must looke higher and turne towardes him who vseth such meanes in the execution of his wonderfull counsell when he mindeth to chastise and to punish men for their offences Example hereof we haue in those great monarchies of Babylon of Persia and of Graecia whose markes are no more to be seene than the pathe of a ship in the water or way of a bird flying in the aire And yet they were ouerthrowen and vanquished by such as had a thousand times lesse humane force and chiefe sinewes of warre as treasure men munition and other furniture than their monarches and emperours had who abounded euery way But God purposed to punish their pride and iniquitie Let vs therefore stand in awe not of the goddesse fortune which is but the dreame of man and cannot as Cicero saith greatly hurt him that iudgeth hope grounded vpon vertue more firme than that which is built vpon hir forces but let vs feare him who directeth and disposeth in wisdome all things created to their proper end which is the glorie of his name and saluation of his elect albeit the order which he obserueth the cause reason and necessitie of them are for the most part hid in his secret counsell and cannot be comprehended by the sense of man And yet not so hid but that we ought prudently to consider of those means which he offreth vnto vs for our vse after we haue endeuoured to mitigate and to appease his wrath and anger through the amendment of our life and haue called for aide and helpe of him in all our enterprises grounded by reason vpon dutie The ende of the eleuenth daies worke THE TWELFTH DAIES WORKE Of Mariage Chap. 45. ASER. IT is greate perfection as Seneca writeth for a man to take in hand and desire to obtain but one only thing But no man is one and the same except a wise man all other men are of diuers formes Who knoweth not with how great disquietnes the mind of man is set on fire with what lightnes it is caried hither thither and with what ambition and desire it is stirred vp to take holde of many sundry thinges at once Notwithstanding we must diligently marke how the heauenly wisdome hath made a distinction of estates and kindes of life amongst men from the beginning appointing that of Adams two first children the one should be a husbandman the other a sheepheard Since that the selfe same prouidence hath alwayes commaunded that euery one of vs should looke vnto his calling in all the actions of his life accounting therof as of a station assigned vnto vs by his maiestie and as of a perpetuall rule whereby we must direct the ende of our intents and following the will of God striue to continue such men to the ende of our dayes as we once purposed with our selues to be For we may assure our selues that there is no worke so small and contemptible which doth not shine and appeere precious before the heauenly throne if we do it in faith according to our calling and giue glory to the Eternall for our whole condition and state of life Nowe we know that after God had created man by his almightie power and vnspeakable goodnesse to make him partaker of his glory and to rule ouer the earth the sea and all things contained in them he gaue him presently the woman for a faithfull companion and sweete solace to his life and for the preseruation of his kinde instituting and sanctifying mariage from that tyme forward Therefore I thinke my companions that we ought to handle this first bicause it is the first calling of man most common and most honorable to the end that we may as we sayd yesterday begin to apply the actions and practise of the vertues of which we haue hitherto intreated to estates and conditions of life whereunto eche of vs may be called AMANA If we could saith Plato behold with bodily eyes the beautie that honestie hath in hir we would be farre in loue with hir but she is to be seen onely with the eyes of the minde And truely with the same eyes we may behold it in mariage if we consider narowly the honestie of the coupled life when it is in euery respect absolute than the holy bond whereof the earth hath nothing more beautifull or honest ARAM. Mariage as the scripture saith is honorable among all and the bed vndefiled He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and receiueth fauour of the Lord. Therefore of thee ACHITOB we desire to vnderstand more at large what thou hast learned concerning this matter discussed with so many contrary opinions both old and new ACHITOB. Nature hauing brought vs foorth to liue in societie and not alone like to brute beasts it must needes be saith Aristotle that he which liueth solitarily is either a very beast or more than a man Now a societie is an assemblie and agreement of many in one seeking after some good thing that is profitable pleasant and honest atleast that seemeth to be so or else labouring to flie from and to eschew some euill Euery societie respecteth the maintenance and preseruation of Monarchies Kingdomes and Common-wealths But bicause no one whole and generall thing can be knowne as the Philosophers say except the parts thereof be first knowne it agreeth very fitly with the cause of our meeting togither and is also very necessarie for vs to learne what the societie of wedlocke is which being the seminarie and preseruation of all societies is nothing else but a communion of life betweene the husband and the wife extending it selfe to all the parts that belong to their house of which we
the Lord shal smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battel and perish The Lord keepe me from laying my hand vpon the Lords annointed This word is directed to vs all it ought to teach vs not to sift out the life of our soueraign prince but to content our selues with this knowledge that by the wil of God he is established set in an estate that is ful of an inuiolable maiestie Moreouer we read in Iosephus that the holiest men that euer were among the Hebrewes called Essaei that is to say true practisers of the lawe of God maintained this that soueraigne princes whatsoeuer they were ought to be inuiolable to their subiectes as they that were sacred and sent of God Neither is there any thing more vsuall in all the holy scriptures than the prohibition to kill or to seeke the life or honour not onely of the prince but also of inferiour magistrates although saith the scripture they be wicked And it is said in Exodus Thou shalt not raile vpon the iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people Now if he that doth so is guiltie of treason both against the diuine and humane maiestie what punishment is sufficient for him that seeketh after their life According to mens lawes not onely that subiect is guiltie of high treason that hath killed his soueraigne prince but he also that attempted it that gaue counsell that consented to it that thought it Yea he that was neuer preuented nor taken in the maner in this point of the soueraigne the law accounteth him as condemned alreadie and iudgeth him culpable of death that thought once in times past to haue seazed vpon the life of his prince notwithstanding any repentance that folowed And truly there was a gentleman of Normandie who confessed to a Franciscan frier that he once minded to haue killed king Francis the first but repented him of that euill thought The frier gaue him absolution but yet afterward told the king thereof who sent the gentleman to the parliament of Paris there to be tried where he was by common consent condemned to die and after executed Amongst the Macedonians there was a law that condemned to death fiue of their next kinsfolks that were conuicted of conspiracie against their prince We see then the straight obligation wherby we are bound vnto our princes both by diuine and humane right Wherfore if it so fall out that we are cruelly vexed by a prince voyd of humanitie or els polled and burthened with exactions by one that is couetous or prodigall or despised and ill defended by a carelesse prince yea afflicted for true pietie by a sacrilegious and vnbeleeuing soueraigne or otherwise most vniustly and cruelly intreated first let vs call to mind our offences committed against God which vndoubtedly he correcteth by such scourges Secondly let vs thinke thus with our selues that it belongeth not to vs to remedie such euils being permitted onely to call vpon God for helpe in whose hands are the harts of kings and alterations of kingdoms It is God who as Dauid saith sitteth among the gods that shal iudge them at whose onely looke all those kings and iudges of the earth shall fall and be confounded who haue not kissed his sonne Iesus Christ but haue decreed vniust lawes to oppresse the poore in iudgement and to scatter the lawfull right of the weake that they may praie vpon the widowes and poll the orphans Thus let all people learne that it is their duetie aboue all things to beware of contemning or violating the authoritie of their superiours which ought to be full of maiestie vnto them seeing it is confirmed by God with so many sentences and testimonies yea although it be in the hands of most vnwoorthy persons who by their wickednes make it odious as much as in them lieth and contemptible Moreouer they must learne that they must obey their lawes and ordinances and take nothing in hand that is against the priuiledges and marks of soueraigntie Then shall we be most happy if we consecrate our soules to God only and dedicate our bodies liues and goods to the seruice of our prince The ende of the fourteenth daies worke THE FIFTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of a Monarchie or a Regall power Chap. 57. ASER. WHen we began yesterday to intreat of the sundry kinds of estates and gouernments that haue been in force amongst men and of the excellencie or deformitie of them we reserued to a further consideration the monarchie or kingly power vnder which we liue in France This forme of regiment by the common consent of the woorthiest philosophers and most excellent men hath been always taken for the best happiest and most assured common-wealth of all others as that wherein all the lawes of nature guide vs whether we looke to this little world which hath but one bodie and ouer al the members one only head of which the wil motion and sense depend or whether we take this great world which hath but one soueraigne God whether we cast vp our eyes to heauen we shall see but one sunne or looke but vpon these sociable creatures belowe we see that they cannot abide the rule of many amongst them But I leaue to you my Companions the discourse of this matter AMANA Among all creatures both with and without life we alwais find one that hath the preheminence aboue the rest of his kind Among al reasonable creatures Man among beasts the Lion is taken for chiefe among birds the Eagle among graine wheate among drinks wine among spices baulme among all mettals gold among al the elements the fire By which natural demonstrations we may iudge that the kingly and monarchicall gouernment draweth neerest to nature of all others ARAM. The principalitie of one alone is more conformable and more significant to represent the diuine ineffable principalitie of God who alone ruleth al things than the power of many ouer a politicall body Notwithstanding there hath been many notable men that haue iudged a monarchie not to be the best forme of gouernment that may be among men But it is your duetie ACHITOB to handle vs this matter ACHITOB. This controuersie hath always been very great among those that haue intreated of the formes of policies and gouernments of estates namely whether it be more agreeable to nature and more profitable for mankind to liue vnder the rule of one alone than of many neither side wanting arguments to prooue their opinion Now although it be but a vaine occupation for priuate men who haue no authoritie to ordain publike matters to dispute which is the best estate of policie and a greater point of rashnesse to determine therof simply seeing the chiefest thing consisteth in circumstances yet to content curious mindes and to make them more willing to beare that yoke vnto which both diuine humane nature and equitie hath subiected them I purpose here to waigh
vnreprooueable as Gods steward not frowarde not angry not giuen to wine no striker not giuen to filthie lucre but harberous one that loueth goodnesse wise righteous holy temperate holding fast the faithfull worde according to doctrine that he also may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that say against it Feede the flocke of Christ which dependeth vppon you saith Saint Peter caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthie lucre but of a ready minde not as though yee were lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Therefore if Pastors preach the Gospell giue example of good life by their workes fight against the enimies of the truth with the weapons of charitie prayers perswasions testimonies of the holy scripture if they remooue from them couetousnesse pride dissolutenesse and superfluitie of expences and walke in this sort in their vocation the first place of honour is due to them amongst men and a greater and vnspeakable prepared for them in heauen The second thing that is necessarie in euery Common-wealth and citie are iudgements and consequently magistrates to execute them But bicause we discoursed at large of this matter before we will not stand long vpon it but comprehend in few wordes the whole duetie and office of a good magistrate which consisteth in foure things In taking nothing vniustly from any body in giuing to euery one his owne in despising his owne profit and in preseruing publike profite He performeth these duties perfectly by the distribution of iustice into seuen partes by procuring that God may be worshipped that reuerence be giuen to superiours that concord be amongst equals that discipline bee vsed towards inferiours patience towardes enimies mercy towards the poore and that integritie of life proceede from himselfe Nowe let vs consider of Armes and of Nobles Armes as Varro saith are all warlike instrumentes seruing both to set vpon our enimies and to defend our selues from their assaultes and enterprises They are necessarie in a Common-wealth and citie for these three causes to resist the outward force of enimies and to keepe them in feare to represse naughtie citizens both by compelling them to obey magistrates and lawes and by punishing the guiltie and last of all to defend the libertie of subiects The exercise and vse of armes warres and battels hath from all antiquitie been committed to the noble men Nobilitie as Aristotle saith is a glittering excellencie proceeding from auncestors and an honour that commeth from an auncient linage and stocke Or according to Boetius Seuerinus nobilitie is a prayse that proceedeth from the deserts of our Elders and forefathers Many make three kindes of Nobilitie one that is bred of vertue and of excellent deedes the second that proceedeth from the knowledge of honest disciplines and true sciences and the third that commeth from the scutchions and armes of our auncestors or from riches But to speake truely there is no right Nobilitie but that which springeth of vertue and good conditions For as he is a thiefe that stealeth and he vniust that doth vniustly so he is a vile and base person that dealeth vilanously He boasteth in vaine of his great linage and seeketh to be esteemed for the nobilitie and vertue of his auncestours that hath no goodnesse in him nor commendable qualitic of his owne to ioine with those of his predecessors Let no man please himselfe too much saith Agapetus in the nobilitie of his ancestors for all men haue dung for their stock from whence they come both they that are pricked vp in purple and fine linnen they that are afflicted with pouertie and sicknesse as well they that are decked with crownes as they that lie naked vpon the strawe Let vs not therfore brag of our earthly race but let vs glory in the integritie of maners Although vice be in one that commeth of noble bloud yet is it always lothsome and infamous yea it doth so much the more appeere shameful odious as it is ioyned with greater nobilitie But vertue is the very liuely colour ornament of nobilitie and causeth it to be honored for loue of it selfe only All kings and princes saith Plato came of slaues and all slaues of kings What profite is there saith Macrine the Emperour writing to the Senate of Rome in nobilitie if the hart of a prince be not replenished with bountie and gentlenes towards his subiectes The goods of fortune come oftentimes to the vnwoorthie but the vertue of the soule always maketh a man woorthie of the greatest praise Nobilitie riches and such like come from without a man are subiect to corruption but iustice bountie and other vertues are not only wonderfull bicause they come from the soule but procure also to him that hath them vseth them vertuously a perfection of all felicitie Yea it is far better and more commendable in a man to leaue to his posteritie a good beginning of nobilitie by vertue than to defame by villanie wicked behauior that praise which he hath receiued frō his predecessors Therefore we ought not to be puft vp with pride bicause we come of a great race seeing that honour belongeth more to our progenitors thā to vs if we be not noble by our owne vertue Is not one God as Malachie saith father of vs all He made the first kings of a poore base stock to teach vs that men ought not through arrogancie vaine boasting of their nobilitie esteeme themselues better than others but so far forth only as his holy gifts and graces are more abundantly in them Saule was chosen king as he was seeking his fathers asses Dauid whē he was a sheepheard and the yongest of his brethren The brier and the rose came of one and the same roote so noble-men and vile persons came of one masse and lumpe The brier is reiected bicause it pricketh the rose for hir good smel is esteemed and held in mens hands So he that maketh himselfe vile through vice ought to be reiected and he that is odoriferous and smelleth sweetly by good vertues and noble actions ought to bee esteemed honoured and accounted noble of what race stocke soeuer he commeth True it is that ancient nobilitie ioined with excellent vertue is very commendable among men especially in euery monarchie wel established of which the nobilitie is the chiefest pillar being appointed by God and approoued by the law of man for their fidelitie towardes their kings and defence of their subiects wherein the true dutie and office of noble-men consisteth Riches are the fourth thing necessary in euery common-welth and consequently citizens who commonly possesse them and are setled from all antiquitie in towns hauing rents reuenues and possessions and being as it were the strong pillars of cities and of the whole political body Cicero saith that riches are the sinews of battels For as the whole body
not with profit enter into this schoole of nature and reape commoditie by this little light of naturall knowledge which as it serued to make them without excuse that were endued therewith bicause they knowing God did not glorifie him as god neither were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations so it is to be feared that those selfe same men shal rise vp in iudgement against vs that professe Christianitie and condemne vs in that great and terrible day For how many of vs want that knowledge of the eternall power diuinitie prouidence of God which was in Parmenides Plato Aristotle others endued onely with the light of nature whereby they were led from the view of the creatures to the consideration of the inuisible things of God And if we looke into the liues of men in these daies consider what neglect there is of those mutuall duties which God commandeth vs to exhibite one to another we shall soone see that many a million of carnall Gospellers come farre short euen of those ciuill apparant and halfe vertues of the Heathen may therefore be sent backe to learne holines of Socrates iustice and innocencie of Aristides charitie of Cymon vpright dealing of Phocion fidelitie in perfourming promises of Regulus moderation of Camillus parsimonie of Curius grauitie of Cato what not of Heathen men whose sight in these thinges was better at midnight than ours is at mid-day But my meaning is not to approoue that Apocriphal tradition of Clemens Alexandrinus who saith that as the Lawe was a schoole-maister to the Iewes to leade them to Christ so Philosophy was to the Grecians to bring them to saluation Now although this erronious doctrine be as contrary to truth as darkenes is to light and as hel is to heauen yet did Andradius defend it in a booke set foorth by him at their instigation as himselfe protesteth who were of greatest authoritie in the late Tridentine Councell Doth not the Lorde by the mouth of Esay tell vs that there is no light in them that haue not recourse to the Lawe and to the testimonie and speake not according to his word Esay 8. 20. Dooth not our Sauiour Christ sende vs to the Scriptures for euerlasting life Iohn 5. 39. Howe then dare anie professing Christianitie affirme that Philosophers by the light of nature and knowledge of Philosophie without the direction of the written word of God were made partakers of the righteousnes that commeth by faith and so consequently of eternall happines But to let this blasphemous mouth passe let vs make that account of the writings of men which they deserue and reape that commoditie by them which we may without preiudice to the written word For my meaning is not in commending Philosophie to giue greater credite vnto it or further to allow the vse thereof than may stand with the maiestie of the holy and sacred Scripture which being the Mistres of all humane arts and disciplines vseth them as hir handmaids to serue and obeie hir Therefore as it is vnseemly for a maid-seruant to go before hir Mistres to speake before she be spoken vnto or to vse three words for hir one especially in companie where seruice and modestie is most required so it beseemeth not the ambassadors of Gods word vnto whom indeed the knowledge of toongs and humane arts is a singular helpe to vse these gifts otherwise than as handmaids in their studies and meditations to setue the Scripture to the more plaine and pure exposition of it seeing they are sent to edifie others and not to set our themselues Now when they stuffe a great part of their speech with poeticall philosophicall sayings and examples as also they are woont to alledge Hebrew Greeke and Latine sentences to draw men into admiration of their great learning they set the Mistres behind and giue the first and chiefest place vnto the handmaidens Is not this To make the crosse of Christ of none effect I. Cor. I. 17. To vse that kind of preaching that standeth in the inticing speech of mans wisedome and not in plaine euidence and power is it not to build faith vpon the wisedom of men and not vpon the power of God I. Cor. 2. 4. 5. If disagreement of matter and forme be vnseemely how vndecent is it in spirituall doctrine to vse a carnal and humane kind of teaching I. Cor. 2. 13 to alay the strength of the word of Christ with the waterish sayings fables of men to put vpon the naked and glorious face of God the beggerly clokes of Poets Philosophers When the Lorde hath sanctified not the corruptible seede of the sayings of men but the incorruptible seede of his owne most holy worde to the begetting of faith are not these new begetters ashamed to bring in another way of regeneration When Gods will is to haue his children nourished with the sincere and vnmingled milke of his worde dare man vse the infusion of water to the weakening of them whome he ought to confirme When the King hath appointed for his sonnes and daughters the purest and finest wheate shall the Steward as if they were swine prouide Acornes for them But I detaine you too long from entering into the pleasant walks of this Platonical Academie Schoole of Moral Philosophy which being hewen out of the choicest timber of all Countries was raised vp and set togither in France and is newly rough-cast as you see by an English workeman whose earnest desire is to haue this small labour of his knowne to other and receiued of you as a monument of his gratefull mind towards your Worship for the manifold benefits which he hath from a child receiued at your hands In consideration whereof I am bold or rather bound to offer my self togither with these my first fruits vnto your good liking beseeching him that turned your bountifull hart towards me to knit it so neere vnto himselfe that he may be your chiefe riches in this life your only happines in the world to come Thus commending you and that good Gentlewoman your wife with all yours to the grace of God I take my leaue of you this 17. of October Your Worships euer bounden in the Lord T. B. C. FIDELI SVO AMICO T. B. C. GALLICAE Academiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SIquis in natiuo solo collocatus honestis quibusuis circumfluēs voluptatibus nec vlla necessitate eò impulsus se tamē amicorum hortatu in turbulentissimas maris tempestates conijceret vt pretiosam margaritam à suis multū desideratam cōparareticertè laudanda foret eius in tantis laboribus subeundis alacritas postquā secundo vento vsus sit summa cū laetitia excipiendus illius reditus Peregre vt mihi visum est profectus es aliquantisper charissime amice licet ea fuit vitae tuae cōditio vt bonis literis te oblectans in ijs tanquā in tua patria consistere potuisses voluisti tamē amicorū rogatu
Reader if thou takest payns to read well to vnderstand better and which is best of all to follow the precepts instructions and examples which thou shalt find here as also if thou bringest hither a good will and cheerefull disposition voyd of all malicious enuy which at this day is commonly practised by most men of this our age who like to malicious Censorers busie themselues rather in seeking out what to bite at and to reprehend in other mens workes than to draw out and to commend that which is good or to assay to make them better Besides thou shalt haue somewhat to commend in the order of these discourses and in the maner of teaching which is in them For after the handling of that knowledge which is especially necessary for man all those vertues follow which he ought to imbrace and those vices which he is to shun Next he is instructed in that which concerneth house-keeping then in that which hath respect to estates and policies last of all how he may die well after he hath liued well As for the maner of teaching which is diligently obserued by these Academikes thou shalt see that first they prayse that vertue or disprayse that vice which they propound to themselues to discourse vpon that they may mooue and frame mens minds as well to hate the one as to desire the other Then they define that wherof they discourse that the end of the present subiect may be better knowen Afterward they giue precepts to find out the means wherby to attaine to that which is Good and to eschew the euil Lastly they adde examples which are liuely reasons and of great waight to mooue men with delight to embrace vertue and to flie vice Now if thou thinkest that too litle is spoken considering the goodly and large matter here propounded it is not bicause they knew not that the excellencie of euery thing put foorth here is so great and the reasons so aboundant that a man might well make a booke therofby it selfe as many learned men haue done but the chiefe scope and drift of these Inter-speakers was to discourse briefly of such things as are necessarily required in the institution of maners and of a happy life Neuerthelesse it may well be that that which thou findest not sufficiently folowed in one place may be learned in another if thou lookest vnto the end Moreouer they who are here named and who mind to retaine alwayes the name of disciples neuer purposed or presumed to set downe resolutions or to appoint lawes which are necessarily to be kept and may not be changed in any wise by those that are cleere-sighted according to the occurrence benefit of the estate of this Monarchie but grounding their counsels and instructions vpon the soundest and most approoued opinion of the writings of learned men both of auncient and late times and vpon such as drew neerest to the infallible rule of the holy scriptures according to the small measure of graces giuen them from aboue they haue left to euery one following therein the ancient schoole of the Academikes libertie to compare the motiues of the one side with the reasons on the other that the truth of all things might be diligently searched out and inquired after that none through any head-strong conceit should be wedded to priuate opinions and that afterward choise might be made of the best and of such as are most certain therby to order and rule all intents and actions and to referre them to the perpetuall glory of that great Lord of Hierarchies who is the onely cause and chiefe fountain of all Good contentation and happinesse Spe certa quid melius The Contents of the seuerall chapters of this Booke Chap. 1 Of Man Page 10 2 Of the body and soule 19 3 Of the diseases and passions of the body and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof 27 4 Of Philosophie 38 5 Of Vertue 51 6 Of Vice 63 7 Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories 72 8 Of the Spirit and of Memorie 83 9 Of Duetie and Honestie 92 10 Of Prudence 103 11 Of want of Prudence and of Ignorance of Malice and subtletie 115 12 Of Speech and Speaking 126 13 Of Friendship and of a Friend 136 14 Of Reprehension and Admonition 148 15 Of Curiositie and Noucitie 159 16 Of Nature and Education 170 17 Of Temperance 179 18 Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes 189 19 Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie 198 20 Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnesse Gluttonie and Wallowing in delights 209 21 Of Ambition 223 22 Of Voluptuousnes and Loosenesse of life 234 23 Of Glory Praise Honour and of Pride 245 24 Of Shame Shamefastnes and of Dishonor 256 25 Of Fortitude 265 26 Of Timorousnes Feare and Cowardlines and of Rashnes 277 27 Of Magnanimitie and Generositie 288 28 Of Hope 298 29 Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. 308 30 Of Meeknes Clemencie Mildnes Gentlenes and Humanitie 319 31 Of good and ill Hap. 328 32 Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie 338 33 Of Riches 350 34 Of Pouertie 358. 35 Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming 367 36 Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge 378 37 Of Iustice 390 38 Of Iniustice and of Seueritie 402 39 Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason 413 40 Of Ingratitude 424 41 Of Liberalitie and of the vse of Riches 434 42 Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie 444 43 Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting 457 44 Of Fortune 467 45 Of Mariage 478 46 Of a House and Familie and of the kinds of Mariage of certaine ancient customes obserued in mariage 484 47 Of the particular dutie of a Husband towards his wife 500 48 Of the dutie of a Wife towards hir Husband 513 49 Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other partes of the house namely in the Parentall Masterly and Possessorie part 523 50 Of the dutie of children towards their Parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethré of the dutie of seruants towards their masters 536 51 Of the Education and instruction of Children 549 52 Of the diuision of the ages of Man and of the offices and duties that are to be obserued in them 561 53 Of Policie and of sundry sorts of Gouernments 573 54 Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office 584 55 Of the Lawe 593 56 Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Lawe 603 57 Of a Monarchie or a Regall power 615 58 Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tiranny 627 59 Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions 640 60 Of the office and dutie of a King 652 61 Of a Councell and of Counsellers of Estate 675 62 Of Iudgements and of Iudges 689 63 Of Seditions 703 64 Of the causes that breede the change corruption c. of Monarchies and Policies 716 65 Of the preseruations of Estates and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition 730 66
time forward to liue a mortall life so that his bodie and soule became subiect to infinite miseries and damnable infirmities which draw vpon them the condemnation of eternall death Notwithstanding God whose goodnes and mercie are endles reestablished and assured the succession of his immortall inheritance vnto those whom it pleased him by grace to make dead to sin and aliue to himselfe through the satisfaction of his wrath made by the innocencie of his eternall sonne purging them in his bloud and opening vnto them by him the gates of heauen after he hath renewed them in righteousnes holines and innocencie that they may follow after godlines and religion And knowing that man so fraile and weake might easily fall downe vnder the heauie burden of those miseries and calamities whereunto the corruption of his nature made him subiect and wherein by reason of hereditarie sinne he should remaine during this mortall life as also that those furious and continuall passions which are mingled togither in his soule being ioined to the common infirmities of his bodie would be of too great force to throwe him againe headlong into destruction this infinite mercie of God appointed that from the beginning there should remaine in the spirite of man a little sparke of light which driueth him to a naturall loue of the truth and to a desire to inquire after it yea which pricketh and prouoketh him not to sleepe altogither in his vices This weake instinct being awaked stirred vp holpen and disposed by the pure grace vertue and power of the author of all goodnes draweth and moueth a Christian regenerated by the holie Ghost after knowledge of himselfe and hatred of that which is in him to seeke after and to couet with a speciall hartie desire that goodnes and righteousnes whereof he is void and that glorious libertie of which he depriued himselfe Furthermore the same heauenlie grace blessing this holie desire of the man regenerate causeth him to draw out of the doctrine of holie scriptures that wherewithall he may if not heale perfectly his wicked inclinations yet at the least containe and represse them in such sort that they breake not out into any damnable execution He teacheth him also to receiue the infirmities of his flesh as fatherly chastisements for his sin and as necessarie means to exercise him and to keepe him in awe And lastly for the vpshot and perfection of all happines and felicitie in this world he instructeth him how he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in beholding the woonderfull works of the diuinitie which he is to adore and honour and in the amendement and correction of his maners naturally corrupted by squaring them after the patterne of vertue that so he may be made worthie and fit to gouerne humane affaires for the profit of manie and at length attaine to the perfection of a wise man by ioining togither the actiue life with the contemplatiue in the certaine hope and expectation of a second immortall and most blessed life Whereunto also the precepts and discourses of learned and ancient philosophers may serue for-our instruction and pricking forward as also the examples which are liuely reasons of the liues of so manie notable men as histories the mother of antiquitie do as it were represent aliue before our eies And this in my iudgement is sufficient generally to vnderstand of Man seeing we are heerafter to discourse more particularly of both his principall parts the bodie and the soule Of the bodie and soule ACHITOB THe bodie and soule are so knit and conioined togither that nothing can separate them but death the destroier of all which through sinne and for the iust punishment thereof entred into the world And this is no sooner done but that whatsoeuer we see of man vanisheth from before our eies the earthie part returning into the masse of earth frō whence it came according to that saying of Aristotle that All things are resolued into those things whereof they are compounded likewise that which is spirituall and inuisible goeth into an eternall immortalitie from whence the being thereof proceeded ASER. Truly this knitting togither and coniunction of the bodie and soule is a most wonderfull thing in nature yea as manie of the philosophers say against nature seeing the soule which is light is contained within the bodie being heauie that which is of celestiall fire within that which is cold and earthie that which is inuisible within that which is palpable that which is immortall within that which is mortall But what Where is the sence of man which is able to comprehend the reason of the doings of that great Maister-builder of the vniuersall frame Yea there is more For during this coniunction as all things that mooue within this generall globe are maintained by agreeing discords euen so of necessitie there must be such a harmonie betweene the bodie and the soule that by the helpe of the one the other subsisteth and abideth and that through their continuall striuing sometimes the one and then the other be in the end obeied AMANA Thou tellest vs heere of a wonderful strange thing that that which is spirituall and immortall sometime obeieth that which is mortal and made of a corruptible lumpe But I vnderstand thee well This proceedeth of the imperfection and imbecillitie of our nature For as Socrates said if we were perfect philosophers we would neuer agree with our selues but resist continually Now following this matter make vs to vnderstand more particularly ARAM what the bodie and soule are what properties they haue and what is the excellencie both of the one and the other ARAM. With a good will my companions and first I will begin at the definition of a body A body as the Philosophers say speaking generally of all things that haue bodies is that which may be deuided and measured after three sorts in length in breadth and in deapth Or according to others a bodie is a masse or lump which asmuch as lieth in it resisteth touching and occupieth a place A body saith Plato is that which being in his proper place is neither heauie nor light but being in a strange place first inclineth somewhat then is driuen and caried forward either with heauines or lightnes Hereupon both he and other Philosophers discourse learnedly and profoundly of the particular nature of al bodies of the earth of the fire of the aire of the water and of all other both simple and compound bodies and of their contrarie motions But seeing all those discourses are at this present without the compasse of our Academy let vs simplie with more profite and that according to the scripture define the body which we haue vndertaken to handle We say then that the body is flesh that euery affection of the flesh is deadly and that the works therof are vncleannes pride fornication enmity debate wrath contention enuy murder gluttonie and such like and therfore that the bodie is made of
matter of these motions are opinions affections and inclinations which being considered in their owne nature are through sinne wicked and corrupt throughout the soule yea the blossome and roote of them proceed from our owne substance to the end as Plato saith that no man should thinke God to be the cause of euill Now albeit these passions thus defined by the philosophers are many in number yet drawing neerer to the truth we may comprehend and diuide them all into two principall kinds The first kind shall be that which we beleeue by faith the other according to our opinions and affections Vnder the first we comprehend that which euerie one beleeueth thinketh and desireth concerning diuine and heauenlie things as of true righteousnes of the immortalitie of the second life and of the iudgement to come Vnder opinions and affections is comprehended whatsoeuer respecteth and concerneth earthlie things this life maners gouernment of a houshold of a common wealth and generally al humane inclinations and actions As touching that which we beleeue by faith we are led thereunto and stirred by the weake instinct and feeling of the diuine nature imprinted in euery soule which after a sort mooueth man to aspire vnto and to desire the true and souereigne good and which being more power-full and of greater efficacy in some than in others causeth the better sort to delight also in the same good Neuertheles it is proper to euery mans vnderstanding not to hold a stedfast and sure way in seeking out the truth but to wander aside into diuers errors as a blind man that walketh in darknes and to fill it selfe rather with lies and with a continuall desire and curiositie of new vnprofitable and superfluous things than to content it selfe simplie with the truth insomuch that finally it misseth of all But to the end we be not of this number we ought to hold fast the infallible rule of the holie scriptures which gift we are to aske hope wait and seeke for in the onely grace and mercie of that Spirit which indighteth them and to looke for the full opening of these treasures in the second and eternall life As for the second kind of our passions properly called perturbations according to the philosophers from whence all the euils and miseries of mankinde proceed and whereof we minde chiefely to speake they are but affections and inclinations which come from our will corrupted by the prouocations and allurements of the flesh and which wholy resist the diuine nature of the reasonable part of the soule fastening it to the bodie as Plato saith with the naile of pleasure Which passions the mind of man commonly beholdeth cleerly enough when it applieth it selfe thereunto if it be not altogither peruerted and depraued yea by the grace and helpe of God the mind is able to confirme it selfe against any passion through the discourse of reason before it be in force and during the vehemencie thereof to fortifie it selfe against it And although the passion be contrarie to reason and haue for hir onely scope pleasure and the feare of griefe which can preuaile greatly with man yet reason by the meanes of Gods grace can both easily constraine maister and compell all passions in such sort that they shall take no effect and also bring to passe that whatsoeuer is rashly desired shall be ouercome by the discourse of prudent counsell And for this cause we say that the first motions are not in our power but that the euent and issue of them is in some sort Likewise reason doth not wholie quench and extinguish all passions which cannot possibly be performed in the nature of man but repelleth and hath the vpper hand of them as the precepts of doctrine and infinite examples of the liues of ancient heathen and pagan philosophers do learnedly teach vs. Which thing as it ought to cause many at this day to be ashamed who vaunt themselues of the name of Christians so it condemneth them in a fault not to be excused before the iust iudgement of God bicause those men being destitute of the perfect knowledge of God which they say they haue far excelled and surpassed them in the bridling ouercomming and killing of so many pestiferous passions as compasse the soule about as we may handle elsewhere and see examples thereof worthie of eternall remembrance when we shall discourse particularly of vertues and vices In the meane while we may learne of Cicero the father of Latine eloquence whose skill in ioining philosophie with the art of Rhetorike was excellent and who in my iudgement handleth this our present matter more profitably than any other of the ancients that all the aboue named euill passions are perturbations which if they be not maistered by reason depriue man of the soueraigne good of the soule which consisteth in the tranquillitie therof Moreuer he saith that through ignorance basenes of minde they proceed onely of the opinion of good or euill either present or to come which we imagine to be in the vnperfect and transitorie things of the world and which are accompanied vnseparably either with good or euill In respect of good things we are caried away with a vehement desire or coueting of them besides an immoderate ioy in them in regard of euil things we are oppressed with feare and sorrow And these are the foure springs of all vices sins wherein men plunge themselues during this life and vnder which all perturbations are comprehended which fill the soule with endlesse trouble and disquietnes causing man to liue alwaies vncontented and to finde euery present kinde of life burthensome and so to seeke after and to desire another But as fearefull men saith Plutark that excellent philosopher schoolemaster to that good Traian and they that are at sea subiect to casting thinking they shal be better in one place than in another go from the sterne to the stem then to the bottom of the ship afterward to the highest part frō thence go into the skiph and in the end returne into the ship without any amendment of their euil because they carrie alwaies about with them both feare griefe so the alteration of life of worldly conditions and estates into others doth not purge but rather increase the perturbations diseases of the soule if first the cause of them I meane ignorance of things the imperfection of reason be not taken out of it These are the mischiefes which trouble both rich and poore these are the miseries which wait vpon great and final bond and free yoong old Thus is the spirit of sick persons vexed and that continually One while the wife is troublesome the physition vnskilfull the bed vneasie the friend that visiteth importunate he which visiteth not proud but being once healed they finde that whatsoeuer was irksom vnto them before now pleaseth them But that which health doth to the diseased body the same thing
vnbeseeming good wits This did Antisthenes giue one to vnderstand who greatly commended Ismenius for an excellent plaier on the flute it is true quoth he to him but otherwise he is good for nothing For else had he not been so good a minstrell So euerie one applying himselfe to some base and vaine art produceth for witnes against himselfe that labor which he hath bestowed about vnprofitable matters to prooue that he hath beene idle and slothfull in learning honest and profitable things And for the last fruit and vse of our speech we see heere what great occasion we haue all our life time to become the disciples of knowledge which is so high and profound and to diminish all pride and presumption of our skill after the example of that wise man Socrates who although he were the learnedest of his time and so iudged to be by the oracle at Delphos yet alwaies said that he knew nothing And when he was demanded any thing he would neuer answer resolutely as if he would haue been beleeued but doubtingly vsed to say I thinke so or It may be so Being therefore desirous to learne with all modestie let vs endeuor to seeke out more and more by trauell and studie the assurance and knowledge of veritie and vertue Of the Spirit and of memorie Chap. 8. AMANA HAuing now discoursed of the greatnes beutie and profit of knowledge I thinke that if we were to wish for two helps very necessarie for the attaining vnto it those ought to be a spirit or mind ready to conceiue and memorie firme to retaine without which two things we shall profit our selues little and much lesse a great many ARAM. Those two things which thou propoundest vnto vs would seeme woonderfull if they were togither For we commonly see that they who haue a readie and quicke wit for the most part want memorie and they that learne with greatest difficultie and paine do best retaine and keepe that which they haue once learned ACHITOB. This talke of the spirit whereunto you attribute the propertie of comprehending and yet speake not of the soule is vndoubtedly worthie of great consideration For euen when we speake of a yong infant we say by and by that his spirit or wit will grow with his bodie and of a crooked old-sire we say that his spirit waxeth old with him which in many we see oftentimes becommeth altogither dul and vnfit for the ordering gouernment of affaires Now that which waxeth old draweth to an end as the scripture it selfe teacheth vs concerning times and seasons which wax old like to mens garments and are to take end And yet we know that the soule is immortall and therefore waxeth not old So that one would thinke that the soule and spirit are two distinct things although we see euery where the one taken for the other But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter and so we shall learne what the spirit is in the soule ASER. As the works of the diuine power are altogither incomprehensible to the outward sence of man and very hard to be comprehended by reason guided conducted by grace from aboue so we are not to think much if the knowledge of a mans selfe which is most necessary be so hardly found out by him seeing his composition farre passeth all the works of nature that are visible and subiect to sight Now if a man cannot know himselfe how should he hope to comprehend greater matters which are supernaturall and hidden in the heauens And who can rightly boast that he hath the true and perfect vnderstanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe namely of his spirite Who am I saide Socrates Am I a subiect compounded of soule and body Or rather a soule that vseth the body as a horseman doth a horse Or is euery one of vs that principall part of the soule whereby we vnderstand discourse and do and all the other parts of the bodie but instruments of this power Or if there be no proper substance at all of the soule by it selfe but that it is onely a temperature and complexion of the bodie so framed that it hath power to vnderstand and to liue am I not a sauage beast more crafty bold and furious than euer was the serpent Typhon Or else am I a meeker and simpler creature pertaker of a better estate and voide of pride All the excellentest philosophers that euer were handled this self same matter aswel as Socrates with incredible trauel and paine that they may attaine to this knowledge of the noblest part in the which is the soule and spirite taking indifferently the one for the other But first of all this wise Socrates spake excellently of the dignitie and immortalitie of the soule saying that in truth the soule is man and not this mortall masse and lumpe of the bodie which of it selfe is no more than a simple and base instrument is in regard of the most cunning workeman of any art of science And for this cause giuing vp the ghost amongst his disciples and being asked by Clito where he would be buried As for Socrates quoth he to him take thou no thought or care For thou canst not stay him whose tombe hath beene from all time readie for him But concerning that which he leaueth here below it is not woorthy to be cared for by him The greatest thing said Periander that may be said to be contained in a little place is the soule in a mans bodie Empedocles speaking of the generation of the soule saith that neither bloud nor the vitall spirit congealed haue giuen vnto vs the substance of the soule and the beginning of life The bodie onely is compounded earthlie and mortall But the generation of the soule is heauenly being sent here below as a passenger and stranger or as one that is banished and sent out of his countrey Whereupon she continually sigheth groneth and as it were drieth away like to a good plant translated out of a good plot of ground into a bad vntill in the end she returne and be receiued into hir immortall habitation after she hath changed hir present life which is vnto hir but as a vaine illusion of some dreame in respect of a true certaine and permanent life Surely these philosophicall speculations are not vaine and friuolous but very necessarie to lead vs to that happie end of our being which we seeke for For if we be well instructed concerning the great and honorable place and condition which the soule enioieth aboue the bodie as well in hir immortall generation as in hir contemplation and action as also that of hir happines dependeth as before we handled it the felicitie of the whole frame of man will we not apply all our principall care studie and diligence in prouiding such things for hir as she desireth and which are meet and healthfull for hir But we haue further thanks be giuen to
being desirous to procure the benefit and ease of the Common-wealth would serue himselfe for this sacrifice And so it came to passe for presently this gulfe closed vp to the great astonishment of all the people How shal we thinke that these and so many others as histories set before our eies who haue freely offered their liues for the safetie of many and chose rather to vndertake any danger than to turne aside in any thing from that which they knew to be the dutie of a good man how I say shall we thinke that they would haue fainted or yeelded through the enticements of honor grace fauor riches whereby the greatnes of their courage limited onely with the bounds of right and iustice might haue beene weakened But hoping that the sequele of our discourses will furnish vs with more ample testimonies both of this and of all the other parts of dutie which respect euery particular action and fearing least I haue been somewhat too long in the examples alreadie alledged we will conclude our present matter with this generall instruction that vnto what estate qualitie or condition soeuer men are called they ought to propound to themselues in all their actions Dutie and Honestie searching for them in the holie scriptures and in the precepts of good life conformable thereunto which are left vnto vs by the ancient Sages and wise philosophers to this end that being wel instructed in true pietie we may first of all giue honor and glorie to God and then be beneficiall helpfull and profitable to his creatures These graces we may by the direction and blessing of God draw out of those fower riuers which proceed and flow from this generall vertue and fountaine of Honestie of which we are to discourse particularly heerafter namely of Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Iustice which are those morall vertues whereby all good and vertuous actions are brought to passe Of Prudence Chap. 10. ACHITOB THere is one only wise souereign Creator of al things the almighty strong and terrible who sitteth vpō his throne frō whom commeth al wisedom which alwaies hath been and is for euer with him and which he hath powred out vpon all works and vpon all flesh according to his liberalitie and giueth hir abundantly to them that loue him She teacheth the doctrine of God and causeth vs to choose his works She decketh vs with prudence iustice and courage giuing vs the knowledge of the time past and iudgement of that which is to come The multitude of those which are endued with these gifts graces are the gard of the world and a prudent king is the assurance of his people The sequele therfore of our speech leadeth vs to the handling of Prudence the first riuer of the fountaine of Dutie ASER. Wisedome raineth downe knowledge and wise vnderstanding and bringeth to honor those that possesse hir Of hir therefore we are to seeke for true Prudence a necessarie guide to all our actions but we must hate the prudence of the flesh which is follie before God and maketh all the thoughts of the wise of this world to become vaine and foolish Moreouer Cicero saith that no man can be prudent but he must be good AMANA O how learnedly hath Socrates taught vs to know and marke this true and heauenly Prudence proceeding from the loue and feare of the highest from that earthlie Prudence which is full of darknes when he saith that Prudence is the generall vertue the princesse and guide of morall vertues and that wherein the knowledge of our souereigne good and of the end of our being consisteth as also the choice of those waies wherby we may come vnto it But let vs heare ARAM discourse more largely of the great woorthie and wonderfull effects of this rich vertue ARAM. All the life of men expressing a worthie end of their being consisteth in contemplation and action For knowing that the thoughts of all mortall men are vnstable and their inuentions vncertaine bicause the bodie and the affections thereof oppresse the soule and cast downe the spirit loden with care they lift vp their harts towards the brightnes of the eternall light who of his meere grace prepareth their soules lighteneth their vnderstandings and directeth their paths to the knowledge of that true and perfect Idea of Good from whence Prudence floweth that she may gouerne their actions according to Gods will and to the profit of humane societie Therefore it is from knowledge and reason gotten in the studie of wisedome by the grace of God from whence the vertue of Prudence proceedeth which is that rule of all the actions of man whereby through good and sage aduice he discerneth and chooseth good from bad that which is profitable from the contrarie to the end he may shun the one and practise the other This is that which Aristotle saith that the office of Prudence consisteth in skill to consult and to choose to the end to execute that which vertue commandeth namely Honestie and decencie and that for no other respect than for the loue thereof And therfore wise men haue put a difference betweene Science and Prudence saying that Science is a dead knowledge of things which of it selfe cannot change the will in such sort that it may imbrace and follow the knowen good or auoid the euill which is euident in wicked men endued with knowledge But Prudence is a beame proceeding from that true sunne which doth not only illuminate and lighten the vnderstanding but also warmeth and kindleth the affection This vertue saith Bias one of the Sages of Graecia is amongst the rest of the vertues as the sight is amongst the fiue senses of mans bodie thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that as the eie of al the other senses is most beautifull subtill and pearcing so the vertue of Prudence by hir quicke and cleere light directeth and conducteth al vertues in their good and commendable operations It is by hir that man is alwaies clothed with a milde and setled disposition whereof he standeth no lesse in need than a ship floating on the sea doth of the presence of a pilot that he may prudently vndertake wisely execute whatsoeuer he knoweth to be good after mature deliberation and consideration of all the circumstances of the fact Morall philosophers attributed three eies to this vertue of Prudence namely Memorie Vnderstanding and Prouidence which three things Cicero calleth the parts of Prudence With the first she beholdeth the time past with the second the time present with the third the time to come Moreouer a prudent and wise man by the consideration of things past and of that which hath followed since iudgeth of that which in the like case may fall out in the time following And after long deliberation he expecteth the times waigheth the dangers and knoweth the occasions and then yeelding now and then to the times but alwaies to necessitie so it be not against dutie he boldly setteth
friendship of his wife breaketh the peace of a house causeth the wife to loose hir soule who otherwise peraduenture would not haue yeelded if he had not corrupted hir In a word it is the cause of infinite miseries offences which we daily see come to passe Amongthe Auncients this vice was so odious that it was narowly sought out and chasticed with very grieuous punishments In so much that Iulius Caesar caused one of his captains to be beheaded bicause he had dishonoured the mistresse of the house where he lodged not staying vntill one accused him and without any complaint made vnto him by hir husband There was a law among the Locrians established by Zaleucus which condemned all those that were conuicted of this vice of adulterie to haue their eyes puld out This lawe was afterward so well kept that his sonne being taken with the fact and all the people intreating for him Zaleucus would neuer suffer the punishment to be any thing lessened And yet to satisfie their importunitie in some sort he caused one of his own and another of his sonnes eyes to be plucked out chusing rather to beare halfe the punishment allotted for the offence than that it should remaine vnpunished the law violated Augustus Caesar made the law Iulia intituled of Adulteries wherein is declared how processe ought to proceed against those that are attainted of it and how such as are conuicted thereof are to be punished euen to permit the father to kill his daughter being taken in the fact with the adulterer After that Fabius Fabritius was slain by his wife through trecherie to the ende that she might haue greater libertie to commit adulterie one of his yonger sons whē he came to age slew his mother with the adulterer was absolued therof by the Senate We read also that the lest punishment vsed by the Egyptians against adulterers was to cut off the womās nose the priuy parts of the man Briefly we shall find that in all nations where honor and ciuilitie is neuer so little regarded this vice of adulterie hath been grieuously punished and greatly hated of all noble minds Herein the example of Alexander is woorthy to be remembred who when a woman was brought vnto him one euening demanded of hir why she came so late to whom she answered that she stayed vntill hir husband was gone to bed Which he no sooner heard but he sent hir away being very angry with his men bicause they had almost caused him to commit adultery He would not so much as touch his friends Concubine although he loued hir and he tooke on wonderfully with Cassander bicause he would by force kisse a minstrels maid So farre off was he from beyng willing to suffer his courtiers to force any wiues or daughters of his subiects or to induce them to suborne any for him But contrary wise we see now adayes that they are most esteemed of great men whose skill is greatest in corrupting of women Antonius Venereus duke of Venice may be vnto them an example worthy to be folowed who caused his owne sonne to die in prison bicause he had rauished a maid But let vs note a litle the eye witnesses of Gods wrath who neuer or very seldome suffreth whoredome to go without present payment meete for such peruerse wickednes The reading of holy Scriptures doth furnish vs with notable examples in the death of foure and twentie thousands Israelites for whoredome in the punishment of the same sinne committed by Dauid with the death of more than threescore thousand men in Israel in the punishment of the same sinne in Salomon vpon his sonne who was depriued of ten parts of his kingdome in the ouerthrow of the Cities of Sodomah and Gomorrah and in many other places Whē Sathan seeketh for a readie way to cause men to fall he commonly vseth whoredom When Balaam taught Balaac that subtill practise to cause the Israelites to commit idolatrie it was by meanes of the faire women of his countrey thereby to cause them to fall into the wrath and indignation of God Concerning histories written by men the number of examples of Gods wrath vpon whoremongers is infinite of which we will heere alleadge some making mention of violent punishments and of the depriuation and subuersion of flourishing estates which haue proceeded from the same cause of whoredome And truly it is more dangerous for a Prince in regard of his estate than any other vice yea than crueltie it selfe For crueltie maketh men fearefull and striketh a terror in the subiects but whoredome draweth with it hatred and contempt of the Prince bicause euery one iudgeth an effeminate man vnwoorthie to command a whole people Tarquinius king of Rome for his loftines surnamed the proud was depriued of his kingdome bicause of the violence which one of his sonnes offered to Lucretia a Romane Ladie And although he gathered togither great forces thinking thereby to reenter into his estate yet he could neuer attaine therunto Since which time the name of a king hath beene so odious among the Romanes that they would neuer suffer any to beare that title amongst them but from that time forward changed the gouernment of a Monarchie into a Democraty or popular estate abolishing all lawes appertaining to a king In place of which they sent to the Athenians for Solons lawes which afterward were obserued by the Romanes and called the lawes of the twelue Tables Appius Claudius one of those ten that had all authoritie in the gouernment of the Romane estate bicause he would haue rauished Virginia daughter to Virginius a Citizen of Rome who slew hir to saue hir honor was banished with all his companions in that office and their manner of gouernment changed into the authoritie of Consuls What was like to haue befallen that mightie Caesar after he had conquered France Almaigne England Spaine Italy and Pompey himselfe but a shamefull death by reason of a foolish loue which caused him to go into Alexandria in disguised apparell to enioy Cleopatra where an Eunuch and a child had almost slaine him if he had not cast himselfe from a high tower into the sea and so saued himselfe by swimming to his campe vnder the gallies of his enimies Teundezillus king of Spaine was for committing violent adulterie with a ladie of a noble house depriued both of life and kingdom Marcus Antonius Caracalla Emperour being caried away with intemperate lust maried his mother in law and within a while after he lost both his empire and life Childericus the first of that name king of France after he had raigned a long time was driuen out of his kingdome for his whoredome Iohn Countie of Arminack maried one of his owne sisters and being therefore excommunicated of the Church was depriued of his estate and life by the Emperor Charlemaigne Rodoaldus king of Lumbardy being taken in adultery was
or malice but keepeth him alwayes within the limites of equitie and iustice causing him further to make choice of and to finish all honest matters of his owne will and for their loue not caring at all for mortall and corruptible things that he may wholy apprehend and take hold of those things that are diuine and eternall Of Hope Chap. 28. AMANA COnsidering that the perfection of a wise mans life consisteth in the practise of great and excellent things he that is borne to vertue feeleth himselfe touched to the quicke with desire to bring them to passe But the instabilitie and small assurance which he knoweth to be in that which dependeth vpon the doubtfull euent of euery high enterprise oftentimes cooleth his vertuous intents if a certaine confidence and good hope did not make easie vnto him the means of attaining thereunto Likewise when he feeleth the sharpe pricking that proceedeth from the ouerthwarts and miseries of man which sequester themselues very little from his life he is soone daunted with sorow and care if he haue not this hope that comforteth him with expectation of speedie redresse Of you therfore my companions we shall vnderstand the excellencie of this Good that belongeth to the soule and is so necessarie for a happy life I mean Hope which dependeth of the vertue of Fortitude whereof we haue discoursed all this day ARAM. Learned men saith Bias differ from the ignorant sort in the goodnes of hope which truly is verie profitable sweete and acceptable to a prudent man But euil hope leadeth carnall men as a naughtie guide vnto sinne ACHITOB. As good hope serueth to increase strength in a man so rash hope oftentimes beguileth men But it belongeth to thee ASER to handle this matter ASER. Alexander the great being by the states of all Graecia chosen generall captaine to passe into Asia and to make warre with the Persians before he tooke ship he enquired after the estate of all his friends to know what means they had to follow him Then he distributed and gaue to one lands to another a village to this man the custome of some hauen to another the profit of some Borough towne bestowing in this maner the most part of his demeans and reuenues And when Perdicas one of his Lieutenants demanded of him what he reserued for himselfe he answered Hope So great confidence had this noble monarch not in the strength of his weapons or multitude of good warriors desirous of glory and honor but in his owne vertue being content and satisfied with a little in his continencie beneficence contempt of death magnanimitie curtesie gratious intertainment being easie to be spoken with hauing a free disposition by nature without dissimulation constant in his counsels ready and quicke in his executions willing to be the first in glorie and alwaies resolute to do that which dutie commanded From this Hope thus surely grounded he neuer shrunke vntill the last gaspe of his life which caused him to make this answer to Parmenio who counselled him to accept of the offers which Darius made vnto him for peace namely sixe thousand Talents beeing in value sixe Millions of gold and the halfe of his kingdome with a daughter of his in mariage If I were Parmenio I would accept of his profers Besides he sent word to Darius that the earth could not beare two Sunnes nor Asia two Kings Neither was he deceiued of his good hope which led him to such a perfection of worldlie glorie and felicitie that he was the first and last that euer approched neere vnto it This Hope was that foundation whereupon so many great and excellent Heathen men and Pagans built their high and noble enterprises For proofe heerof may be alleadged that definition which Cicero giueth of Confidence being the second part of Hope affirming it to be that vertue whereby the spirite of man putteth great trust in waightie and honest matters hauing a certaine and sure hope in himselfe And elsewhere he saith that he shall neither reioice nor be troubled out of measure that trusteth in himselfe But we know that this Hope is weake and vncertaine if it be not setled and grounded vpon a sure expectation of the helpe and grace of God without which we can neuer prosper Now this is out of doubt that we can not hope and waite for that grace vnles our counsels and enterprises haue reason for their guide and right and equitie for their bounds For as an ancient man saith that man hopeth in vaine that feareth not God and they onely are filled with good hope whose consciences are cleane and pure So that all they that are led with sundry euill passions either of ambition of vainglory or of any other vnbrideled desire can neuer haue that happy and good hope which neuer deceiueth men And in deed they misse oftentimes of their intent yea are depriued of that which was their owne and certaine bicause they are desirous to get vniustly another mans right being also vncertaine The selfe same thing falleth out to those that trust and stay in such sort vpon their owne strength vertue and constancie that fearing in no respect as they say the greatest calamities that can come to man assure themselues in their prosperitie to be inuincible in their resolutions and presume that nothing is able to pull them downe or to cause them to change their opinion and yet so soone as the wind of aduersitie bloweth they are the first that are throwen to the ground and soonest shew foorth the inconstancie imbecillitie of mans nature left to it self As contrarywise they to whom God giueth eyes to acknowledge themselues are then humbled so that they reuerence the ordinance of God who derideth all the enterprises of men The practise hereof was well knowen to Wencelaüs king of Hungaria being driuen out of his kingdom and forsaken of his owne who oftentimes vsed to say The hope I had in men hindred me from putting my trust in God but now that all my confidence is in him I assure my selfe that he will helpe me by his diuine goodnesse As in deed it fell out so vnto him being re-established agayne in all his estates and dignities But to the end we confound not togither that which is simplie diuine with that which is humaine I thinke we ought to make a double hope the first true certaine and vnfallible which concerneth holy and sacred mysteries the other doubtful respecting earthly things only As touching the first we know things to come by the assurance thereof as well as if they were already done We are taught in the holy scripture what is the vndoubted certaintie of this hope which through faith ought to be so imprinted in our harts that by the strength power vertue therof we should run the race of our short daies in all ioy happinesse and peaceable tranquillitie of our minds expecting without doubting the perfect and absolute enioying
sonnes head to be cut off bicause he fought agaynst his enimie bodie to bodie contrary to the Edicts and out of his ranke albeit he came away victor The act of Ausidius the Romane was more cruel barbarous than iust when he slew his sonne for withdrawing himselfe to take part with Catiline vttring this speech vnto him I did not wretch as thou art beget thee for Catiline but for thy countrey Such murders and cruelties deface all the commendation of Iustice whose waies ought to be ordinary and vsuall ruling rigor with gentlenes as the rigor of discipline ought to moderate gentlenes that the one may be commended by the other Seneca rehearseth a crueller fact than any of the former committed by Piso the Proconsul who seeyng a souldior returne alone to the campe condemned him to withstanding he affirmed that his fellow came after him At the very instant of the execution his companion came whereupon the captaine that had charge to see the condemned partie executed returned to the Proconsul with both the souldiors But Piso being offended therwith put them all three to death the first bicause he was condemned the second bicause he was the cause of the condemnation and the captaine bicause he obeied not so that he put three to death for the innocencie of one man abusing his authoritie and power in most cruell maner what soeuer rigor was vsed in those times in the ordinaunce of warlike discipline Now to take from vs all taste of such barbarousnesse let vs cal to mind an act of Augustus Caesar worthie of eternall praise who would not condemne one that was accused of seeking his death bicause the arguments and proofes were insufficient but left him to the iudgement of God Let vs learne therfore for the conclusion of our discourse to hate all kind of Iniustice in such sort that euery one of vs seeke to profit his neighbour rating at an high price as Euripi saith the violating of right which is holy and sacred And thus through the good order of magistrates and reformation of euery one by himselfe the wicked shall haue no means to rob to spoile by force to take bribes and to deceiue others when breakers of iust lawes shall be punished Then will the effect of those two sentences take place which are taken out of the holy scriptures and written in a table in the great chamber of the palace belonging to the head citie of this kingdome and which ought to be well engrauen in the harts of all Iudges the first sentence is conteined in these words Execute iudgement and righteousnesse or otherwise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste The other sentence is this O ye Iudges take heed what ye do for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord and with what iudgement ye iudge ye shal be iudged For truely the crowne of praise and immortall glory is kept and prepared for them that walke in truth and righteousnes but shame and dishonor with eternall fire for those that perseuer in vnrighteousnes Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason Chap. 39. ARAM. SVch is the corruption of our age wherin impietie and malice are come in place of ancient innocencie that vertue seemeth very vnfit to be receiued and imploied in affaires seeing the gate is quite shut vp against hit So that a man might aptly say that whosoeuer should thinke to bring backe agayne amidst the peruerse liues and corrupt maners of this present time the vprightnesse and integritie of ancient behauior he did as much as if he offered fruites out of season which being faire in sight were notwithstanding vnfit to be vsed Neuerthelesse we must not doubt to bring hir in sight and to maintaine hir with all our power who knoweth how to cause hir enimie Vice both to reuerence and feare hir and in the end also to triumph ouer him mauger all the power and vnder-propping which he receiueth from the wicked In the middest therfore of so many trecheries and treasons wherof men glory now adaies let vs not be afraid to paint them out in their colors therby giuing honor to Fidelitie which is a part of Iustice or rather Iustice it selfe which I leaue to you my companions to make plaine vnto vs. ACHITOB. It is impietie to violate faith For God who is truth detesteth all lying and is a terrible reuenger of the contempt of his name To loue or to hate openly saith Cicero doth better beseeme a noble hart than for a man to hide and to dissemble his will and affection ASER. Guile and fraud saith Seneca are meete weapons for a cowardly and base-minded man Therefore we must take good heed as Pittacus said That fame speake not euill of vs to them vnto whom we haue given our faith But it belongeth to thee AMANA to handle this matter AMANA Amongst the famous and great personages of olde time no vertue was more commended or straightlier kept and obserued than Faith and Fidelitie which they affirmed to be the foundation of Iustice the indissoluble bond of friendship and the sure supporter of humane societie Of this Faith we mind now to speake not touching at all that religious and sacred faith concerning the holy mysteries of true pietie which is a singular gift of God his spirit and peculiar to those that appertain to his eternall election This therfore which respecteth the mutuall conuersation and promises of men hath been always kept vnuiolable of honorable men ought to be so amongst vs bicause he that giueth his faith layeth to pawne whatsoeuer is most precious diuine in his soule So that if he forget himselfe somuch as to breake and violate the same he committeth manifest impietie shewing that he careth not to offend God by abusing his name to colour his lying It were a great deale better neuer to take God to witnes than to forsweare him in mockerie seeing the Scripture so often forbiddeth vs to take his name in vaine to sweare falsly by it or in any sort to defile the same It is true that this question hath alwaies beene and is at this daye more than euer in controuersie namely whether a man is bound to performe that which he hath promised and sworne to by compulsion or no And this sentence is receiued approoued of many that nothing but our Will bindeth vs to performe those things which necessitie forceth vs to promise But to speake according to truth and without any particular passion we say that true and perfect magnanimitie suffereth vs not to promise any thing and to pawne our faith thereunto except we were willing to performe it bicause no vertuous and wise man ought to forget himselfe so farre as to do or to promise any thing contrary to his dutie for any necessity no not for death it selfe Neither is there any thing wherby a foole is sooner discerned from
be heard He that honoureth his father shall haue a long life and he that is obedient to the Lord shall comfort his mother He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents and doth seruice vnto his parents as vnto Lordes Honor thy father and mother in deeds and in word and in all patience that thou mayest haue the blessing of God and that his blessing may abide with thee in the ende For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of the children the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Helpe thy father in his age and grieue him not as long as he liueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue patience with him and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength For the good intreatie of thy father shall not be forgotten but it shall be a fortresse for thee against sinnes In the day of trouble thou shalt he remembred thy sinnes also shall melt away as the ice in faire weather He that for saketh his father shall come to shame and he that angreth his mother is cursed of God By these holy speeches we see how we ought to loue honor reuerence and feare our parents This is comprehended vnder the first commandement of the second table and this only of all the ten articles of the Decalogue beareth his reward with him albeit no recompence is due to him that is bound to do any thing namely by so strȧight a bond as this wherof all lawes both diuine and humane are full and the law of nature also doth plentifully instruct vs therein as it hath been diligently obserued of very Infidels Ethnikes and Pagans Amongst the Lacedemonians this custome tooke place that the younger sort rose vp from their seates before the aged Whereof when one asked the cause of Teleucrus It is quoth hee to the ende that in dooing this honour to whom it belongeth not they should learne to yeeld greater honour to their parents The arrogancie of a childe was the cause that one of the Ephories published the law of Testaments whereby it was permitted to euery one from that time forward to appoint whom he would his heire This lawe serued well to make children obedient and seruiceable to their parents and to cause them to be afraid of displeasing them Among the Romanes the child was not admitted to plead his fathers will after his death by way of action but onely by way of request vsing very humble honourable and reuerent speech of his dead father and leauing the whole matter to the discretion and religion of the Iudges Contend not with thy father said Pittacus the wise although thou hast iust cause of complaint And therefore Teleucrus aunswered aptly to one who complained vnto him that his father alwayes spake ill of him If quoth he there were no cause to speake ill of thee he would not do it So that it belongeth to the duetie of a childe to beleeue that his father hath alwayes right and that age and experience hath indued him with greater knowledge of that which is good than they haue that are of yoonger yeeres Philelphus said that although we could not possibly render the like good turnes to our parents nor satisfie those obligations by which we stand bound vnto them yet we must doe the best we can vnto them we must intreate them curteously and louingly and not go farre from them we must harken vnto their instructions and be obedient to their commaundementes wee must not gaine-say their deliberations and wils no more than the will of God whether it be that we are to depart from them or to tary still or to enter into some calling agreeable to the will of God we must not stand in contention with them wheÌ„ they are angry but suffer and beare patiently if they threaten or correct vs. And if they be offended with vs when we thinke there is no cause why yet we must not lay vs down to rest before we haue by all kind of honest submissions appeased them Humilitie is always commendable but especially towards our parents The more we abase our selues before them the more we encrease in glory and honor before God and men This is very badly put in vre at this day when the sonne doth not onely not honor his father but euen dishonoreth him and is ashamed of him He is so farre from louing him that he rather hateth him so farre from fearing him that contrarywise he mocketh and contemneth him and in stead of seruing and obeying him he riseth vp and conspireth against him If he be angry he laboureth to anger him more brieflie scarce any dutie of a child towards his father is seene now a daies And if some point therof be found in any towards his father yet is it cleane put out in regard of the mother as if he that commanded vs to honour our father did not presently say and thy mother vnto whoÌ„ in truth we owe no lesse honor respect and obedience than to our father as well in regard of the commaundement of God as of the vnspeakable paines and trauell which she suffered in bearing and bringing vs into the world in giuing vs sucke in nourishing vs. But alas what shall we say of those that spoile their parents of their goods houses and commodities and desire nothing more than their death that they may freely enioy euen that which oftentimes their parents haue purchased for them O execrable impietie It is vnwoorthy to be once thought vpon amongst vs the iudgement of God doth of it selfe sufficiently appeere vpon such cursed children Whose behauiour that it may be more odious vnto vs let vs learn of Pittacus that our children will be such towards vs as we haue been towards our parents But let vs be more afraid to prouoke our fathers in such sort through our default vnto wrath that in stead of blessing vs they fall to curse vs. For as Plato saith there is no prayer which God heareth more willingly than that of the father for the children And therfore special regard is to be had vnto the cursings and blessings which fathers lay vpon their childreÌ„ Which was the cause as the scripture teacheth vs that children in old time were so iealous one of another who should â—ary away the fathers blessing and that they stoode in greater feare of their curse than of death it selfe Torquatus the yonger being banished from his fathers house slue himselfe for grief thereof And to alleage another example out of the writings of auncient men of the loue which they bare to their fathers that of Antigonus the second sonne of Demetrius is most woorthy to be noted For when his father beyng prisoner sent him worde by one of his acquaintaunce to giue no credite nor to make account of any letters from him if it so fell out that Seleucus whose prisoner he was should compell him thereunto and therefore that he should not deliuer vp any of those
from publike administrations charges but onely that he would haue them imploied about such things as require least labour and not to beginne to meddle with publike affaires before they be fortie yeeres of age He alleadgeth these reasons bicause often-times many women haue beene more excellent than all the men of their countrie and such are dailie to be seene And seeing they haue a soule aswell as we as quicke a spirite and often-times more quicke than we whereof those women are witnesses who hauing giuen thēselues wholy to any thing whatsoeuer were not inferiour but rather went beyond many men it were great follie in men seeing God hath created man and woman with the like spirite to cut off as it were the one halfe of their strength and to helpe themselues but with a part thereof Nowe albeit these reasons are of great waight yet sure it is that men and women both by diuine and humane policie haue their distinct and seuerall offices It is very true that I like not the opinion of many who say that women ought to knowe nothing but to spinne and sowe which saying commeth neere to that of the Emperour who would not haue a woman to haue more witte than is needefull for hir to discerne hir husbandes shirt from his doublet Such opinions are fit for ignorant persons and proceede from a darke braine For it cannot but be very seemely and profitable for a woman to be able to render a reason of hir being aswell by the knowledge of the holie Scriptures as by the precepts of good life which we haue from the Ancients This ought parents to teach their daughters that they may be withdrawne from all other foolish loue through the loue of vertue and be desirous of all honestie and chastitie as also that when they are moothers in good and holie mariage they may be a principall cause of the good bringing vp of their children Yea histories reckon vp vnto vs a great many that haue beene in steede of Schoole-maisters in excellent sciences Aretia taught hir sonne Aristippus Philosophie Zenobia Queene of the Palmyrians being very well learned in the Greeke Latine and Aegyptian toongs taught them to hir two sonnes and wrote an Epitomie of the Easterne Histories Cornelia taught the Gracchyes hir two sonnes the Latine eloquence But let vs followe our discourse of the generall instruction of children Aristotle seemeth vnto mee to bee a good teacher and Maister where hee sayeth that there are two ages in which it is necessarie to diuide the institution of those disciplines which we would haue our children learne namely from seuen yeeres vntill foureteene which he calleth the age of pubertie and againe from this age vntill the one twentieth yeere He saith that in the institution of youth two things must be looked vnto the one wherin children are to be instructed the other how they ought to be instructed For all men are not agreed of this what things children are to learne neither yet is it decided or resolued vpon to what end their institution ought to be directed whether to profite or to manners or to vnderstanding and contemplation which proceedeth from the variable opinions of men who place their end in diuers things But how soeuer it is we must as we said before referre all our studies to the glorie of God and to the seruice of our neighbours in liuing well according to those charges and vocations whereunto we may be called We haue already seene the diuision of sciences and arts and spoken of those that are most necessarie for a happie life Aristotle following the custome then vsed in Grecia appointed that children should learne foure things Grammer bodilie exercise Musicke and painting for certaine commodities meete for the life of a man Grammer is the entire to all sciences whereby we learne to speake exactly also to read and to write And this is necessarie for all estates of life whether publike or priuate in peace or in warre in a quiet life or in multitude of busines for marchandice for the guiding of a house for the obtaining of knowledge for the continuance and perpetuitie of the memorie of man Briefly as nature is the cause of our being so the knowledge of letters which Grammar teacheth vs worketh in vs the knowledge how to liue well For this cause Charondas the law-maker as Diodorus the Sicilian writeth preferred Grammer before all other sciences as that which is most necessarie for mans life appointing that all the children of his citie should learne their letters at the charges of the common-wealth which was to maintaine publike maisters to teach both poore and rich Truly this law ought to be put in practise in all the townes of this kingdome to resist that pernitious Hydra of ignorance which the richer sort defend making no account of knowledge to the treading downe and oppression of the poore who would gladly haue the meanes whereby they might be instructed The Gymnastical part was that arte which as the Ancients affirmed did serue for health and strength preparing the bodies of children by honest and moderate exercises as fencing shooting throwing of a stone riding wrastling running leaping swimming and such like These according to Aristotles opinion are to be moderately practiced by children vntill they be foureteene yeeres old exercising them lightly not with forced labors that their growth be not hindred thereby This age being past after they haue bestowed three yeeres in other Morall disciplines and followed their studies in deeper sciences vntill the one and twentieth yeere then may they be exercised with more sharpe and hard labors of the body They must also be taught Musicke for the solacing and recreation of their mindes after trauels and painting that they may the better consider of the beautie of the bodie and vnderstand the symmetry and apt composition of all things to the ende that they may be the better aduised either in buying or selling them Let them also knowe howe to drawe platformes of publike and priuate buildings to set foorth countries townes and castels their height breadth and length for the warre liuing creatures of all sortes with their parts herbs trees rootes leaues flowres fruits for medicine for the knowledge of simples In this institution of children Aristotle had respect to that which was conuenient drew neerest to the forme of a happie Commonwealth established by him and to that which was necessary for the preseruation and maintenance thereof Nowe let vs apply to our vse that which we may learne both of him and of the rest of the Ancients for the framing of yoong men to honesty and vertue leauing to the libertie of Fathers to make choice of those arts and sciences wherein they purpose to bring vp their children hauing regard to that whereunto nature maketh them most apt and pliable We shall take a good way in the institution of
prouision in due time wherby to sustaine old age the better This is that which Plato saith that a moderate youth maketh an easie olde age but that which is immoderate maketh it greeuous irkesom The defect of our strength saith Cicero commeth rather of the vices of our youth than of olde age Now bicause youth is at this day more than euer giuen ouer to all kind of dissolutenes so that their greatest glorie consisteth in going one beyond an other in vice let vs here propound to those that wil make their profit therof some exāples drawen from the ancients of rare vertue that shined in yong men Ioseph Daniel Salomon deserue the first place who being very yoong men executed deeds of woonderfull prudence The holie Scriptures affoord vs a sufficient number of testimonies but we haue some also amongst the Heathens and Pagans that ought to stirre vp youth vnto vertue That great Monarch Alexander in his youth despised all kind of pleasure and delight eschewed women contemned monie and all plaies and pastimes that were vnprofitable and to no good vse louing nothing but vertue and glorie gotten thereby This was the cause why being demanded whether he would not be present at the feast of the Olympian games to try if he could win the price of running seeing he was well made and woonderfull light of foote he answered yes if they were kings that ran Whensoeuer he heard newes that his father had taken any famous Towne or wonne some great battell he shewed no token of ioye but saide to his equals in yeeres My Father Sirs will take all and leaue no goodlie and great matter for me to doe and to conquere with you Among other his commendable giftes of nature which men admired in him at that age he was greatly praised for a good horse-man which he shewed full well when Bucephalus the horse was brought to his father and was to be sold for thirteene Talents that is in value 7800. crownes which the yeomen of the kings horse perceiued to be so skittish and wild that they durst not vndertake to breake him But Alexander mounted on him and handled him so cunningly that all those that were present cried out by way of admiration and Phillip kissing him said Oh my sonne thou must seeke out a kingdome that is meete for thee for Macedonia is not able to containe thee This horse alwaies serued Alexander after that and died in a battell against the Barbarians when he was thirtie yeeres olde Pompey from his very youth shewed in his countenance as Historiographers write a pleasant mildnes ioined with a manlie grauitie and in his conditions and behauiour a reuerent excellencie of kinglie maiestie When he was yet verie yoong he committed an act of a wise and aduised captaine being in the Romane armie whereof Strabo his father was captaine against Cinna For when the souldiers began to rebel and to conspire the death of their captaine Pompey discouered the same and tooke order for his fathers safetie After perceiuing that the souldiers trussed vp bag and baggage to go yeeld themselues to Cinna he thrust himselfe into the middest of them beseeching them most humbly with teares in his eies not to deale so grosely with their captain In the end when he saw that they persisted in their opinion he threw himselfe prostrate all along ouerthwart the gate of the campe saying vnto thē that if they were so desirous to depart both they and their horses should go ouer his body Whereupon they were so ashamed that chaunging their mindes euery one betooke him againe to his quarter and reconciled themselues vnto their generall The prudence of Papyrius deserueth to be alleaged here who according to the custome of the young gentlemen of Rome was brought into the Senate after he had put on the gowne wouen about with purple which they vsed to giue to yong men to the end to frame them by litle and litle to the managing of affaires In his returne from the Senate which was longer in breaking vp than vsually they were woont to do his mother asked him the cause thereof And after many threatnings and compulsions Papyrius not willing to reueale the secret of the councell as it had been expresly forbidden him bethought himselfe of a subtill lie saying that the Senators were in great contention whether it were more expedient to agree that one man should haue two wiues or one woman two husbands which quoth he shal be determined to morow His mother beleeuing it told the same to the Romane ladies hir companions who met all the next day at the entrie of the Senate beseeching the iudges to giue a fauourable sentence for them The matter being knowen procured great laughter and made the prudence of this yong man to be greatly esteemed But let vs speak of the other two ages of man Mans estate beginneth when a man is euen now ripe and setled and groweth no more in body This onely age is most apt and fit to attaine to vertue and honestie For then is reason strong and power-full in him then is his iudgement sound his bodily vigor of force and strength to labour and trauel Of the name of this age I mean of this Latine word Vir did vertue first take hir name which in Latine is Virtus bicause this worde Vir signifieth him that is in the age of virilitie or mans estate as if you would say apt to be a minister and practitioner of vertue It is true that Isidorus confoundeth Youth which he placeth after Adolescencie and virilitie togither saying that this word vir is a word of sexe and not of age But herein he agreeth with vs that the perfection of mans strength beginneth at 29. yeeres where we said that adolescencie ended In this strength a man continueth vntil 50. yeeres and then beginneth to grow weake and to decline continually vntill death The whole age of virilitie ought to be full of honestie and vertue to bring foorth the effects of prudence temperance fortitude and iustice whereof we haue discoursed at large And if any man before he came to this age had not that education and instructiō which was necessary for him whereof we haue alreadie discoursed by reason of his fathers negligēce or through the licentiousnes of adolescencie then especially is he to take the bridle between his teeth in good earnest bicause yet there is good time season yea oportunitie of great fruit to profit in learning and vertue so that he cannot alleage this excuse that he was not instructed in youth Clitomachus of Carthage when he was aboue 40. yeeres of age came to Athens to learne vnder Carneades with whom he profited so well that after his death he succeeded in his place and taught others Lucius being at Rome and meeting with the emperor Marcus Aurelius in the streete with one man after him demanded of him whether he went It becommeth euen an
the law of God of nature Now forasmuch as when we intreated of the soueraigne magistrate we described him such a one as he ought to be answering truly to his title that is to say a father of the couÌ„trey which he gouerneth a sheepheard of his people the gardian of peace protector of iustice preseruer of innocencie that man might wel be iudged to be beside himself that would reprehend such a gouernment But bicause it commonly falleth out that most princes wander far out of the right way that some hauing no care to do their duty sleep in their delights pleasures others fixing their harts vpon couetoâ—snes set to sale all lawes priuiledges rights iudgemeÌ„ts some spoil the poore people by ouercharging them with impostes exactions to furnish their prodigalitie vnmeasurable dissolutenes others exercise open robberies in sacking of houses violating of virgins maried women in murdring innocents or suffring such violence to be done vnder theÌ„ by the ministers baudes of their pleasures some also oppres the nobility euen the princes of their bloud to shew fauour to base persons and those strangers despising woorthy meÌ„ that are their natural subiects vassals I say considering these things it will be very hard yea altogither impossible to perswade a great many that such are to be acknowledged for princes and true superiors that we must of necessitie obey theÌ„ so far as we may without offending our conscieÌ„ces confecrated to God onely For this affection is rooted in the harts of men to hate detest tirants no lesse than they loue reuerence iust kings So that wheÌ„ amongst such lothsom vices so far estranged not only froÌ„ the duty of a magistrate but also from all humanity they see in their soueraign no forme of the image of God which ought to shine in him no shew of a minister giuen from aboue for the prayse of good men and execution of vengeance vpon the wicked they are easily driuen forward to hate to contemn him and finally to rebell against him But if we direct our sight to the word of God it will lead vs a great deale farther For it wil make vs obedient not onely to the rule of those princes which execute their office according to iustice but to them also that do nothing lesse than their dutie It telleth vs that whatsoeuer they are they haue their authoritie from God only the good as mirrors of his goodnes the bad as scourges of his wrath to punish the iniquitie of the people but both the one and the other authorized from him with the same dignitie and maiestie in regard of their subiects Therfore in respect of obedience and reuerence we owe as much to the vniust as to the iust prince Which thing bicause it is so hardly beleeued amongst meÌ„ lesse practised now than euer I wil insist a litle longer in the proofe of my saying by testimonies of the scripture than we haue vsed to do in our other discourses First I desire euery one diligently to consider and marke the prouidence of God that special working wherby he vseth to distribute kingdoms to establish such kings as he thinks good wherof mention is ofteÌ„ made in the scripture As it is written in Daniel He changeth the times seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vp kings that liuing men may know that the most high hath power ouer the kingdom of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he wil appointeth ouer it the most abiect among meÌ„ It is wel known what maner of king Nebuchadnezzer was eueÌ„ he that took IerusaleÌ„ namely a great thief a robber Notwithstanding God affirmeth by the prophet Ezechiel That he gaue him the laÌ„d of Egypt for the reward of his work for the wages of his army wherwith he had serued him in spotling and sacking Tyrus And Daniel said vnto him O king thou art a king of kings for the god of heaueÌ„ hath giueÌ„ thee a kingdom power streÌ„gth glory WheÌ„ we heare that he was appointed king by god we must withal cal to mind the heaueÌ„ly ordinaÌ„ce which coÌ„mandeth vs to feat honor the king then we wil not doubt to yeeld to a wicked tyrant that honour which God hath thought him meet for WheÌ„ Samuel declared to the people of Israel what they should suffer of their kings not onely according to the rights and priuiledges of his maiestie but by tyrannical customs and fashions namely that they would take their sonnes and daughters to serue him their lands vines and gardens to giue them to their seruants contrary to the commandement of the law of God yet he inioined them all obedience leauing them no lawful occasion to resist their king I haue saith the Lord in Ieremy made the earth the man the beast that are vpon the ground by my great power by my out-stretched arme haue giuen it vnto whom it pleased me But now I haue giuen al these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babel my seruant the beasts of the fields haue I also giuen him to serue him And all nations shal serue him and his sonne and his sonnes sonne vntil the very time of his land come also And the nation and kingdom which will not serue the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel that wil not put their necke vnder the yoke of the king of Babel the same nation wil I visite saith the Lord with the sword famine pestilence Wherfore serue the king of Babel and liue We know by these words with what great obedience God would haue this peruerse cruel tyrant to be honored only for this reason bicause he was lift vp by his hand vnto that roial maiestie Now if we are bound to beleeue as much of al the kings of the earth these foolish seditious thoughts should neuer come into our mindes that a king must be handled according as he deserueth that it standeth not with reason that we should accouÌ„t our selues his subiects who for his part behaueth not himselfe towards vs as a king There is in the same prophet a coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of god to his people to desire the prosperitie of Babylon wherin they were held captiues to pray for it bicause in the peace therof they should haue peace Behold how the Israelits were commanded to pray for his prosperity who had spoiled theÌ„ of their goods possessions caried theÌ„ into exile brought theÌ„ into miserable boÌ„dage so far off is it that they were permitted to rebel against him Although Dauid already elected king by the wil of God anointed with holy oile was vniustly pursued of Saul yet he said The lord keep me from doing that thing to my master the lords anointed to lay my hand vpon him For who can lay his hand on the Lordes annointed and be guiltles As the Lord liueth either