without respect to any mans person or dignitie they should equally iudge all For they hauing as they haue heere vpon earth the power of God they ought not to feare any other but him He that preuaricates Iustice in relation to great persons makes them greater and more powerfull then God who giues vs this short but stoute Lesson Feare not him that can kill the body and take away thy life but feare thou him that can kill the soule and depriue thee of lifeeuerlasting And in another place he saith Thou shalt not forsake the poore for feare of the rich nor iudge vniustly nor doe the thing that is vnequall for feare of the powerfull but keepe iustice in it's true weight and measure without any humane respect or vaine â—eare King Iehosaphat aduiseth the Iudges of Israel that in their iudgements they feare none but God alone and all the Law-giuers as Lycurgus Solon Numa and a number of others together with the chiefest of all Moses who gouerned Common-wealths and made Lawes founded them with Religion and the feare of God These are the first and last Letters of the Lawes of Christian gouernment wherewith that wise King did summe vp the booke of those which hee made for the gouernment of Men. Deum time mandata eius obserua hoc est omnis homo Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole dutie of man With this he receiueth the stabilitie and permanencie of man The contrary whereof is to be a beast and worse then a beast According to that of S. Bernard Ergo si hoc est omnis homo absque hoc nihil est homo If this be the whole duty of man without this man is nothing But as a man that hath no vse of reason breakes all lawes Facile deuiat à justitia qui in causis non Deum sed homines formidat He easily swarues from Iustice which in causes feareth not God but Man I will heere conclude with that which Esay saith A wonderfull Counsellour is the mighty God And he is to be our chiefe Counsellour and more inward with vs then any King or Counsellour And Kings and Counsellours are to craue his Councell For Councell being his gift he doth not communicate the samâ— to any saue such as loue and feare him and take Councell of his diuine Law As did that holy King Consilium meum Iustificationes tuae Let euery one enter into his Councell of knowledge let him consult himselfe the best that he can yet when he hath done all that he can let him aduise with the Law of God For if he do not know well how to aduise himselfe how shall he giue Counsaile to others And he that knowes not how to rule gouern himselfe how shall he command a whole kingdome Qui sibi nequam est cui alij bonus crit He that is euill to himselfe to whom will hee be good Alexander said He hated that wise man that was not wise for himselfe CHAP. XI Of other Courses and meanes which Kings may take for the notice of such persons in whom the said Qualities concurre ONe of the greatest mischiefes incident vnto Kingdomes is That Kings haue not true notice giuen them of worthy persons for to imploy them in his seruice A great cause whereof is that your vndeseruing or at least lesse sufficient are clapt in betwixt them and home Those are the men that are most intermitted take most vpon them and procure by their Negociating and Plotting to occupie the best places and not contenting themselues therewith seeke to shut the doore against men of merit and to keepe them out to the end that their owne defects by this course may receiue the lesse discouery For this is the nature of things opposite each to other that the neerer they are one to the other the more excellent lays it's Contraryes defect the more open Now to occurre to this mischiefe wise Iethro aduised his sonne in Law that he should seeke out men of good parts and choose them as we sâ—yd before from amongst all the people And we shall better perceiue what that Counsaile comprehendeth if we will but consider that other place of Deuteronomy Where Moses discoursing with the people what diligence he had vsed on his part it is there mentioned that he spake vnto them and admonished them to the end that the Election of the Ministers might take the better that they themselues likewise would vse their diligences and then giue him notice of those persons which they held in greatest esteeme amongst them and were in the generall opinion the ablest men Date ex vobis â—iros sapientes gnaros quorum Conuersatio sit probata in Tribubus vestris vt ponam eos vobis Principes Take yee wise men and vnderstanding and knowen amongst your Tribes and I will make them Rulers ouer you And indeed the best and surest course that Kings can take to come to that notice or knowledge they desire is to lay holde on those persons whose approbation is so notorious that all the people giue good Testimonie of them For as a wise man hath well obserued the generall opinion is that Touchstone which proueth or reproueth For it cannot be that One should deceiue All. And happily from hence grew that Common Adage Vox populi vox Dei The Peoples voyce is Gods voyce We must giue Credit to the fame and report that goes of Men. For as Tacitus saith she sometimes makes the choyse of Ministers it being his meaning that this satisfaction should be giuen to the people that those that are to gouerne them should be chosen and elected by that common fame and good report that goes of them And heere by the way let me tell you that it is not much amisse that some Offices and Preferments be in a dissembled kinde of disguise purposely published before they be bestowed to see how it will be intertained and receiued by the people to whom it is fit some satisfaction should be giuen as being the body that is to be commanded This is a Trick of State whereof vpon some occasions Fernando surnamed the Wise made good Vse For when he was to goe any great Voiage vndertake any Warre or attempt some new Enterprise or any other action of importance he would not publish nor iustifie the same to the world till he had vsed some art and cunning imploying some persons fit for that purpose before his designes were throughly vnderstood to giue it out That the King should do well to make such or such a waâ—re to make this or that prouision for this or that reason So that first of all the vulgar were made acquainted therewith and rested satisfied with the reasons that were rendred for it And then afterwards it comming to be published that the King had done or would doe such a thing it is incredible to beleeue with how much ioy loue and applause of the people and whole
themselues wronged and their worth vnderualewed to haue all one Audience with the ordinary sorte of people So that with one the same Act he discontents all of them Let there be dayes houres appointed for the one the other naturalls strangers let euery man know his set day and houre For this being without distinction what doth it serue for but multitude and confusion And to haue all of all sortes to assist there continually to heare and nourish the Complaints of particular persons and to make report thereof by Letters to their seuerall nations and Countries and to put a Glosse vpon them to shew their owne wit And though this at the first sight may seeme to be a thing of small importance yet such a time may be taken that it may proue a matter of great consequence CHAP. XIX He goes on with the same matter Treating of the Audiences of Ministers and Counsellours KIngs saith Xenophon haue many eares For they heare by their owne and by those of their Fauourites Ministers Counsellours And it is no more then they stand in neede of For they must heare all Great and Small Naturall and Stranger without acceptation of persons these as well as those and deny no man their eares lest they giue them iust cause to grieue and complaine that for them onely there is neither King Fauourite nor Minister to haue accesse vnto This Rapsodye and multitude of eares and the difference between the one and the other King Dauid giues vs to vnderstand in that his Audience which he crau'd of God Domine Exaudi orationem meam â—uribus percipe obsecrationem meam Heare my prayer O Lord bow downe thine eare and hearkeâ— vnto my supplication He saith Heare me O Lord but how or in what maner With thine eares I beseech thee Tell me thou holy king why dost thou say with thine eares Might not that phrase of speech beene spared Or wouldst thou happely that God should heare thee with his eyes or his mouth No certainly But because it is a vsuall custome with Kings that gouerne great Monarchies who by reason of the varietie and multitude of businesses cannot by themselues giue eare vnto all and informe themselues of the truth to remit part of them to others that they may heare the Parties and informing themselues of the busines may send it afterwards to the Consulta there to be debated One comes with his Memoriall to the King The King wills him to speake vnto the President or to such a Secretary that he may inform But Dauid here saith Remit me not O Lord vnto any other for remissions are remissions the very word telling vs that to remit a busines is to make it remisse and slow and that there is vsed therein so much remission that a mans life is oftentimes ended before his busines Auribus percipe Doe thou thy selfe heare me with thine owne eares without remitting me to the hearing of others But to heare all and in all partes without remission to other mens eares who can doe this saue onely God And for my part I am of opinion that they alluded vnto this who as wee told you painted their God without eares for to giue vs thereby to vnderstand that it is peculiar onely vnto God to heare without eares and to heare all without standing in neede of other Oydos or Oydores For such a necessitie were in God a defect But in Kings it were a defect to doe otherwise for they are notable to heare all of themselues and therfore must of force make vse of other mens eares And therefore as Nature in Mans body hath disposed different Members necessary for it's proper conseruation as the eyes to see the eares to heare the tongue to talke the hands to worke the feete to walke and all of them to assist to the Empire of the soule So in like manner this Mysticall body of the Common-wealth whereof the King is the soule and Head must haue it's members which are those his Ministers which are Subiect to the Empire of their king by whom hee disposeth and executeth all that which doth conuene for it's Gouernment conseruation and augmentation Aristotle renders the reason why your huge and extraordinary tall men are but weake And as I take it it is this The rationall Soule saith he is solely one indiuisible and of a limited vertue or power and that it cannot attayne to that strength and force as to giue vigour to those partes that are so farre distant and remote in a body beyond measure great Now if the body of this Monarchie be so vaste and exceeding great and goes dayly increasing more and more and that the Soule of the King which is to gouerne it to animate it and to giue it life doth not increase nor is multiplyed nor augmented at least in it's Ministers How is it possible that a King of himselfe alone should bee able to afford assistance to all And to giue life and being to so many partes and members that are set so far assunder so great is the Office of a king especially if he be Master of many Kingdomes that it is too great a Compasse for one mans reach and it is not one man alone that can fill and occupie a whole Kingdome and be present in all it's partes And therefore of force he must make vse of other folkes helpe and more particularly of those which serue him instead of eares such as are all your superiour Ministers of Counsells These great Officers are called in the Spanish Oydores of Oyr To heare And the eares of the head are câ—lled Oydoras of their hearing And your Iudges of the land Oydores Hearers of Mens causes And as they are alike in name so ought they likewise to be alike in Office and to resemble the Originall which it representeth to the life and it 's true nature Now what Office is most proper and most naturall to the eares you will all grant mee that it is to heare alwayes neuer to be shut Your eyes haue their port-cullis which they open or shut as they see cause The mouth hath the like But the eares like bountifull house keepers haue their doores still open and those leafes which they haue on either side are neuer shut neuer so much as once wagge And it is Pliny's obseruation That onely man of all 〈◊〉 creatures hath his eares immobile and with out any the least mouing And Horace holdes it an ill signe to wagg them but a worse to stop them Sicut aspides surdae obturantes aures suas Like deafe adders stopping their eares that they may not heare sicut Aspides which are fierce and cruell creatures and of whom it is sayd that they are borne as deafe as a doore naile and to this their naturall deafenes they adde another that is artificiall whereby they grow more deafe by poysoning that part and by winding their tayle close about their head and sometimes laying the one
throne of State and a personated Maiestie that lay open to nothing but scorne and derision For the ture kings and those that commanded all were those their Minions and Fauorites who oppressed the other by their potencie and kept them in awe Of a King of Samaria God sayd That hee was no more but paululum spumae a froathy bubble Which being beheld a far off seemeth to be something but when you draw neere and touch it it is nothing Simia in tecto Rex fatuus in solio suo He is like vnto an Ape on the house-toppe who vsing the apparances and gestures of a man is taken for such a one by them that know him not Iust so is a foolish King vpon his Throne your Ape likewise serueth to entertaine children and to make them sport And a King causeth laughter in those who behold him stript of the actions of a King without authoritie and without gouernment A King appareled in Purple and sitting with great Maiestie in his Throne answerable to his greatnesse seemeth in shew graue seuere and terrible but in effect nothing Like vnto the Picture of that Grecians limming which being placed on high and beheld from a farre seemed to be a very good Peece But when you came neerer vnto it and viewed it well it was full of Blots and Blurs and very course stuffe A King vnder his Canopie or Princely Pall expresseth a great deale of outward State and Maiestie but himselfe being narrowly lookt into is no better then the blurred Character of a King Simulachra gentium Dauid calleth those Kings that are Kings onely in name Or as the Hebrew renders it Imago fictilis contrita An image of crack't earth which leaketh in a thousand places A vaine Idoll which representeth much yet is no other then a false and lying shadow And that name doth very well sute with them which Eliphas falsly put vpon Iob who being so good and so iust a man did mocke at him vpbrayding him that his foundation was in the dust that he was not a man of any solid and sound iudgement but onely had some certaine exteriour apparences calling him Mimicoleon which is a kinde of creature which in Latin they call Formicaleo Because it hath a monstrous kinde of Composture in the one halfe part of the body representing a fierce Lyon which was alwayes the Hierogliffe of a King and in the other halfe an Ante or Pismire which signifieth a weake thing and without any substance Authoritie Name Throne and Maiestie doth well become Lyons and powerfull Princes And hitherto it is well But when we looke on the other halfe and see the being and substance of a Pismire that goes hard There haue beene Kings who with their very name onely haue strooke the world into a feare and terrour But they themselues had no substance in them and were in their Kingdome no better then Ants and Pismires Great in name and Office but poore in action Let euery King then acknowledge himselfe to be an Officer and not onely to bea a priuate but a publicke Officer and a superintendent in all Offices whatsoeuer For in all hee is bound both to speake and doe S Austen and D. Thomas expounding that place of Saint Paul which treates of Episcopall Dignitie say That the Latin word Episcopus is compounded in the Greeke of two words being in signification the same with Superintendens The name of Bishop of King and of whatsoeuer other superior is a name that comprehendeth Superintendencie and assistance in all Offices This the royall Scepter signifieth exercised by Kings in their publicke acts a Ceremonie vsed by the Aegyptians but borrowed from the Hebrews who for to expresse the obligation of a good King did paint and open eye placed alofte vpon the top of a rod in forme of a Scepter signifying in the one the great power that a King hath and the prouidence and vigilancie which hee is to haue In the other that he doe not onely content himselfe in possessing this supreme power and in holding this high and eminent place and so lye downe and sleepe and take his ease as if there were no more to bee done but hee must bee the first in gouernment the first in Councell and all in all Offices hauing a watchfull eye in viewing and reuiewing how euery publicke Minister performes his duty In signification whereof Ieremie saw the like rod when God asking him what hee saw hee sayd Virgam Vigilantem ego video Well hast thou seene and verily I say vnto thee That I who am the head will watch ouer my body I that am the shepheard will watch ouer my sheepe And I that am a King and Monarke will watch without wearinesse ouer all my Inferiours The Chalde translates it Regem festinantem a King that goes in hast For though hee haue eyes and see yet if he betake him to his ease be lull'd asleepe with his delightes and pleasures and doth not bestirre himselfe visiting this and that other place and seeke to see and know all the good and euill which passeth in his Kingdome hee is as if hee were not Let him bethinke himselfe that he is a Head and the Head of a Lyon which sleepes with his eyes open That he is that rodde which hath eyes and watcheth Let him therefore open his eyes and not sleepe trusting to those that perhaps are blinde or like Moles haue no eyes at all or if they haue any vse them no farther then for their own priuate profit And therein they are quicke sighted These haue the eyes of the Kyte and other your birdes of rapine but it were better that they had no eyes at all then haue them all for themselues CHAP. IIII. Of the Office of Kings HAuing proued that the name of King is not of Dignitie onely but likewise of Occupation and Office it is fit that we should now treate of the qualities and partes thereof For the better vnderstanding whereof wee must follow the Metaphor or resemblance of Mans body whereof the Apostle S. Paul made vse thereby to giue vs to vnderstand the place and Office which euery Member is to hold in the Common-wealth All the Members of the body saith he haue their particular Office but the Occupations and functions of euery one of them are diuerse and different The most important and of greatest Excellencie are those of the Head which is the superiour part of the bodie In which the Soule doth exercise her principall operations as those of the Vnderstanding and Will the instruments whereof haue their habitation in the head There is seated the Sensus Communis or Common-sense so called because it 's knowledge is common to all those obiects of the exteriour or outward sences There likewise is the Imaginatiue the Estimatiue the Phantasie and the Reminiscentia Corporall faculties which serue to those that are Spirituall as are the Vnderstanding and the Will In the Head are likewise placed the exteriour
be different species And hence is it that the aduantage which a wise man hath ouer those that are not so is to make him King ouer all the people Which lesson God taught vs in the first King he made choice of for his people who standing in the midst of his Subiects was taller then any of them from the sholders vpwards so that his head shew'd it selfe aboue them all And the word Melech which in the originall signifieth a king in that large eminent Letter which stands in the midst of it doth mistically giue vs to vnderstand the excellency that aboue others Kings ought to haue And therefore Plato stiled a prudent and wise Gouernour Virum divinum a diuine man presupposing that he should be somewhat more then a man and exceed in diuine wisedome all other Gouernours whatsoeuer Vbi sapiens ibi est Deus in humano corpore And therefore as God by way of eminency containeth the perfections of all the Creatures so as farre forth as a Creature can a wise King should and that with much aduantage possesse the perfections of all his people And the holy Scripture teacheth vs that God created man after his own image and likenesse giuing him Vnderstanding Memory and Will And hauing created him made him King ouer all he had created Vt praesit piscibus Maris volatilibus Coeli bestijs vniversae Terrae c. To haue dominion ouer the Fish of the Sea and ouer the Fowle of the Aire ouer the Cattle c. And this was granted him and did accompany the common nature of men But to rule and command to be Lord and Gouernour ouer men themselues as are Kings is a farre greater matter and such as requireth a greater measure of Vnderstanding and Wisedome and he that hath most store thereof shall reape the most profit by it as he that wants it shall contrarywise finde the lacke of it Solomon the wisest of Kings as he was both wise and a King could better then any other informe vs of what importance are Vnderstanding and Wisdome in Kings In whose name he speaketh when he saith Per me Reges regnant per me Principes imperant By me Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice To the wiseman the Scepter and Crowne of right belongeth For wisdome her selfe as being the most essentiall forme of Kings makes him King and Monarch ouer others And in all Nations almost they gaue the same name and the same Ensignes to Empire and Wisdome And S. Paul makes them Synonomies and will haue them to signifie one and the same thing She alone by keeping Gods commandements will be sufficient in a King to make him pleasing and acceptable vnto God and to be cut out according to the measure of his own heart And though some are of a larger heart and vnderstanding then other some yet with God to be wise is that which conueneth most both to King and Subiect By Esay the Prophet God promiseth to all his people a golden age happy dayes and fortunate times wherein all shall haue a share of happinesse peace equity iustice health content and abundance of fruits But comming vnto Kings he saith no more but that there shall not be any one that shall be a foole Non vocabitur vltrà is qui insipiens est Princeps This is a great happinesse But O Lord let mee aske thee Is a King of worse condition then his Subiects that thou shouldst promise so many good things vnto them and but one alone vnto him The answere hereunto is that our good God giueth vnto euery one according to his state and calling that which is fittest for him The Subiect who hath one to rule and gouerne him hath need of one to minister iustice vnto him to conserue him in peace and to make such prouision that he may haue wherewith to eate and the like But a King who is to rule and gouerne hath need of wisedome which is the life and soule of Kings which sustaineth the weight of a Kingdome and without which be they neuer so rich neuer so powerfull they shall be as fit for gouernment as a body without a head or aâ—â— head without a soule And as from the soule the Sences are origined and from that essence result your passions so in like sort from wisedome resulteth vnto King and Kingdome all that good and happinesse that can be desired Rex sapiens stabilimentum est Ciuitatis A wise King is the vpholding of the people And a foolish King the ruine of his Subiects You shall not name that Nation either barbarous or ciuill which where Kings were made by election did not make choice of a wise and prudent King In that generall Dyet whereall the Nations of Trees and Plants met seeing that without Law and without a King they could not conserue themselues in peace and iustice the first resolution they tooke was to choose a wise King And in the first place they nominated the Oliue a tree of many good parts and qualities and amongst other this the chiefest that it was the Symbole or Hierogliffe of wisedome which is all whatsoeuer can be desired in a King This alone did King Dauid desire for himselfe Intellectum da mihi vivam Giue me vnderstanding and I shall liue He did not desire life nor health nor riches but onely vnderstanding and wisedom And with this alone did he promise to himselfe eternall life and a durable Kingdome And therefore Si delectamini sedibus sceptris ô Reges populi diligite sapientiam vt in perpetuum regnetis If your delight be in Thrones and Scepters O ye Kings of the people honour wisedome that ye may raigne for euermore Happy is that Common-weaâ—th saith Plato which hath a wise King And vnhappy that saith another Philosopher which hath a King without wisedome Aristotle tearmed the Thebans happy all the while that they were gouerned by those that were wise Of such consequence is wisedome in a King that vpon the very rumour that he is a wise Prince all presently obay and sooner submit themselues then at the noise of his power As was to be seene in King Salomon whose wisedome was no sooner knowen to the people but they began presently to respect and feare him But let me aske this question Shall it suffice a King to haue vnderstanding and wisdome vnlesse he make vse thereof and shew a willingnesse to execute what he knowes No certainly For the greatnesse of a power or faculty consisteth in it's operation The Vnderstanding without Intelligence like the Will without Loue serues to little or no purpose And it is doubted as I toucht in the beginning vpon which of these two potentias or faculties is that arme and hand whereby the soule operateth it's most excellent workes The vnderstanding alleageth for himselfe that it is he that in the kingdome of our soule doth ordaine dispose and gouerne The Will she saith that without her
neere And he that is not Gods friend nor studies by his Actions to be so let him shake hands with the Holy Ghost let him bid this blessed Spirit farewell this diuine gift which is the best saith Nissenus and the most perfect that is in Man so that for to giue Counsaile and Aduice yeares experience and gray hayres suffice not vnlesse his soule be as white as his head and his conscience be pure and cleane from corruption Cani enim sunt sensus hominis The good abilities and wise apprehensions of man are those true siluer haires those hoary locks which countenance him and adde authoritie vnto him and not those snowie flakes nor hoare frost that lies vpon his bearde Aetas Senectutis Vita immaculata Wisedome is the gray hayre vnto men and an vnspotted life is old age So the wiseman renders it of vertuous olde men Galen saith that they haue the facultie of aduising and that of them wee must aske Counsaile God Commanded Moses that he should make choise of the Elders of Israel to gouerne his people De senibus Israel quos tu nosti quod senes populi sint Gather vnto me 70. men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be the Elders of the people Hoary-headed men accompanied with much vertue an approued life soundnesse of Religion and much prudence are those that are worthy to giue Counsaile and those which Kings are to make choyse of for their seruice The Emperour Charles the fift sayd it was fit that Princes should be serued by men that were learned and vertuous and that the Counsaile and companie of those which were not so were very preiudiciall and hurtfull Counsailours likewise must be of that greatnesse of courage and magnanimitie as may correspond with the Dignitie royall For Kings that haue not had in themselues any great courage haue still honoured noble minded Counsailours whereas the contrary haue bin disgraced and degraded of their honours by Kings that were naturally magnanimous For it is the condition of cowardly hearts and of base Counsailours en cuerpo yalma as they say in body and soule to propose vnto their Kings base and vnworthy meanes for the remedying of some mischiefes whereon others follow that are farre greater And let them not perswade them that this Age is barraine of vertuous dispositions and Noble mindes which produceth as well as former times whatsoeuer is necessary and needefull for them For the diuine prudence to which particularly appertaineth the conseruation of kingdoms is neuer drawen dry neuer waxes weary And if such men are wanting and appeare not to the eye of the world it is because they are not sought after or not admitted to Councell for the chastisement and punishment of our great and heinous sinnes Besides this one benefit Kings haue aboue others that all good men would be glad to serue them and many do sue and seeke after them and offer their seruice vnto them So that they haue store of choise and may easily make good election if therein they will strip and cleanse themselues of their affections and passions which Eclipse and darken the true iudgement of man And these that I now speake of when they haue found them and made choise of them to be of their Councell let them loue them honour them and trust them And as they shall receiue ease and honour by their good Aduise So let them reward them and conceiue of them as king Alexander did of his Master and Counsellour Aristotle of whom he said that he ought no lesse respect vnto him then vnto his owne father For from his father he had his life his honour and his kingdome but from Aristotle his Instructions Counsailes and directions how he should order himselfe in all his affaires And Scipio doth attribute all the honour of his Victories to his faithfull friend and Counsellour Laelius And Cicero to the Philosopher Publius for those notable things of his gouernment which he performed in his Consullship so that good and faithfull Counsailours are of great honour profit and ease vnto Kings But let Kings take heede least they strike a feare into their Counselours through their absolute and free condition and make them to withdraw themselues from aduising them what is fitting by seeing them so wedded to their owne opinion and to excuse themselues from giuing Counsaile for that they are dis-heartned discountenanced by them for deliuering their mindes freely for their profit honour Of the Emperour Adrian it is storyed that hee had so noble a condition Vt libenter patiebatur admoneri corrigivel ab humili persona That he willingly submitted himselfe to be admonished and reproued of the meanest person It is proper to gentile brests generous hearts to listen with delight to the good reasons Counsailes of others though they be inferiour in qualitie vnto them for sometimes a poore man hits right when a rich man misses the marke And a Country Clowne may aduise that which a king knowes not of And if he do perswade himselfe that he knoweth all and vnderstandeth all and that his opinion alone is the certainest surest he but shuts the doore to the discouery of his errour One of the two things saith Hesiod which euery man of reason wisdome and vnderstanding that shall be sufficient to gouerne that which shall be committed to his charge ought to haue is a great blandure smoothnesse and softnesse of heart to follow the opinion aduise and Counsaile of those that are the wisest and know most This blandure and doctlitie is likewise a part of Prudence and we shall finde it set downe in expresse words in those two Petitions which Salomon made vnto God For in the second of the Chron. It is written that he sayd Da mihi sapientiam Giue me wisedome And in the first of the Kings Dabis ergo seruo tuo cor docile Giue therefore thy seruant an Vnderstanding heart Vnderstanding for to know and an obedient heart for to heare the Aduise of others But this second part of being obedient to other mens opinions is vnprofitable for gouernment without the first which is prudence and wisedome for to choose and know the best For by following bad Counsaile he shall erre as much as if he followed his owne proper errour and sometimes more And I should hold it the lesse euill that a king were not ouerwise if presuming that he is he should relie too much vpon himself scorne to take counsaile then if he were lesse wise but knew how to benefit himselfe and make good vse of the Aduise of prudent and wise Counsailours A Prince of a docile and ingenious disposition is well disposed to intertaine all good Counsaile and doctrine He easily learneth the languages of all those nations which are vnder his Empire doth all things with as much facilitie as if he had beene bred vp in euery one of them And therefore sayd Heredotus Omnia sapientibus
vnto Absalon and to worke himselfe in to be of his Councell of war and State that he might be the better able to oppose the able and sound aduice of Achitophel as he did euen then when his Master had most need of his seruice By which discreete carriage Dauid was freed of his fear and Absalons businesses went backward till himselfe and his whole Armie were vtterly ouerthrown Which story ye may read more at large in the second of Samuel Two things therefore are to be considered for to know which is the best and safest Counsaile The one on the Kings part who craues it the other on his part that giues it And on either part that which most importeth is purenesse of intention a desire to incounter with Truth Not like vnto those who hearken vnto good and disappassionated Counsailes with passion and onely desire to be aduised that the Councell may conclude what is meerely their Wil not otherwise And in their sittings at the Counsaile-Table which are ordained to this end they doe not so much treate whether that they pretend be iust or no but with what colour of Iustice they may effect what they desire The vnderstanding saith Salust which we will and with better reason or more properly tearme the Will ought to be free and dis-incumbranced of affection or particular passions as well in asking as giuing Counsaile And because if there be any of this reigning in the brest it cannot alwaies nay scarce any long time be dissembled but will like fire breake forth from vnder the ashes that couer it fitting it is That Kings should seldome assist personally in Counsaile for their Voting in his presence is done with awfulnesse and great respect but in his absence they vtter their mindes with a little more freenes and libertie of language And euermore your first opinions of your Ministers and Counsailours of State before they be toucht with the Ayre of the Kings will are the best and the sincerest as produced from that vnforst motion and naturall inclination which is in their owne particular hearts and bosomes If the King desireth to haue this or that thing passe and for to authorize and qualifie this his desire he craueth their Counsell howbeit hee meete with many which conforme themselues thereunto follow his gust and liking yet such Counsaile or aduice in such a Case ought to be esteemed as little secure as there is great reason for it to hold it suspected Especially if the foresaid Counsailours by some meanes or other come to haue an inckling that this way the King is inclined and this is that which will giue him content And though we might as well out of Diuine as Humane Letters cite heere many examples for that this is a thing so vsuall and so well receiued both by Princes and by Priuy-Counsailours Or to speake more truly and plainely by those that sooth and flatter them I will onely alleadge that which passed with that vnfortunate King Ahab who out of his proud and haughty spirit and the desire that he had to make warre and to take a place of importance from the King of Syria propounded his intent or to say better his Content to those of his counsell The businesse was no sooner in treatie and the proposition for the vndertaking of this action proposed vnto them but forthwith 400. Counsailours with a ioynt consent conformed themselues to his opinion And to sooth vp this his humour the more one amongst the rest bobb'd him in the mouth with an intollerable Lye affirming that God had reuealed vnto him that he should haue the glorie of the day that the successe of the battaile should be prosperous vnto him This was apprehended with a great deale of content by the King but was finished with his vnfortunate end himselfe being slaine in that battaile and his Army routed and ouerthrowne By which we may see how much it concerneth Kings if they will receiue good Counsaile that they dissemble as much as they can their particular good will and liking in the businesse proposed But that which is heere of greater consideration is the vertue fidelitie and truth of a Counsailour a minde without passion disinteressed and pure For it oftentimes hapneth that he that craueth Counsaile hath not his intention so sound as is requisite nor his iudgement so strong as to reduce him into the right way and being set in it to follow the best But to grow to a Conclusion that cannot faile which Truth it selfe our Sauiour Christ said in his Gospell A good tree cannot bring forth had fruit nor a bad tree good And the badge or cognisance of good or bad Counsaile shall doubtlesse be the goodnesse or badnesse the wisedome or ignorance of the Counsailour And therefore I importunately presse that it mainly importeth a Prince to beware of whom he taketh Counsaile For by how much the more profitable is a wise vpright Counsailour by so much the more preiudiciall is he that is vniust and vnstreight And therefore the Holy Ghost saith Consilum semper a sapiente perquire Aske Counsaile alwaies of the wise And in another place Pacifici sint tibi multi Consiliarius sit tibi vnus de mille Amongst a 1000. Men scarce will there be found one that is fit to giue Counsaile For some want wisedome prudence othersome purenesse and cleannesse of heart and a third sort are so ouerswaied with passion that they do not simply sincerely perswade the truth A cleare Example wherof we haue in King Rehoboam the sonne and successour of King Salomon who though he succeded his father in so rich a Kingdome and so inured to peace and obedience to their King yet notwithstanding was in an instant vndone vtterly lost by bad both Counsaile and Counsailours For good Counsellours are the life and soule of a Kingdome And when it is not vnderpropped with such like a body without a soule it presently sinke falls from it's state wherin it stood And therefore the holy King sayd O culi mei ad fideles terrae vt sedeant mâ—cum Ambulans in via immaculata hic mihi ministrabit Non habitabit in medio domus meae qui facit superbiam qui loquitur iniqua non direxit in conspectu oculorum meorum Mine eyes shall be vpon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with me Hee that walketh in a perfect way hee shall serue me Hee that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house hee that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight And in this particular Kings ought to be very wary and circumspect In the next Chapter we will treate of the Care which they are to take in choosing their Counsellours of State for the errour in this one is the fountaine of all errours and the totall Perdition of Kings and kingdomes CHAP. VIII Of the Diligences which Kings are to vse in the Election of their Ministers and Counsellours IT is a
Vt iudicent populum justo iudicio nec in alteram partem declinent nec accipiant personam nec munera That they may iudge the people with iust iudgement that they wrest not iudgement nor respect neither take a gift For this briberie and Corruption is that dust which blindes the Iudges and that plague which consumes a Common-wealth Moreouer they must bee wise men cleane and sound at heart and of much truth All of them qualities which all Nations required in their Ministers expressing them in their Herogliffes Of the Aegyptians Diodorus Siculus reporteth That they had their Councell and Audience in a great Hall where there sate thirty Counsellors or Iudges Et in medio iudicandi Princeps cuius a collo suspensa veritas penderet oculis esset sub clausis librorum numero circumstante And in the midst of them sate the President with his eyes shut a number of bookes standing round about him and Truth hanging about his necke curiously cut as Aelian expresseth it in a Pectorall Saphire like vnto that which God fashioned for the adorning of his Minister and President Aaron wherein were ingrauen these words Hurim Thummim Which some interprete to be Iudicium Veritas Iudgement and Truth But S. Ierome would haue it to signifie Doctrinam Veritatem Learning and Truth For these three things Iudgement Learning and Truth are much about one and in them consisteth the whole perfection of a Minister In quibus sit Veritas For in the brest of a good Iudge there must neither raigne passion nor affection but the pure Truth which hee cannot possibly avoyd vnlesse hee will wrong nature it selfe For our soule is naturally inclined to Truth And it is so proper to a wise and prudent Man that hee that doth not say it vnsaies himselfe And certaine it is that the gouernment of a Kingdome is so much the more good or ill by how much the truth therein hath more or lesse place For if businesses be not seasoned therewith as meates are with salt neither the poore shall be defended from the oppression of the rich nor the rich possesse their goods in safety men and womens honors shall runne danger and no one person can promise to himselfe securitie And therefore it is so much the more needfull that a iudge should treate Truth and desire that all should doe the like by how much the more are they that abhorre it and seeke to conceale it an olde disease which was almost borne with vs into the world And if Iudges shall not fauour Truth and plaine dealing treachery and Lying will reigne and beare rule Let Kings take heede how they choose men that are fearefull and timerous to be their Ministers who out of cowardize and pusillanimitie hide the Truth and dare not bring her forth to Light For as shee is the foundation of Iustice and Christian iudgement if a Iudge shall not loue it with his heart tracke the steps of it and draw it out of that darke dungeon wherein shee lyes Iustice will be in danger of being crush't and falshood will preuaile As in that peruerse Iudgement in Christes cause where the Iudge was so farre from being desirous to know the truth that hee did not know what kinde of thing it was And therefore demanded in the face of the open Court Quid est Veritas What is Truth To whom that diuine wisedome made no answer perceiuing him to be such a foole as to be ignorant of the first vndoubted Principle of Iustice and suffring himselfe to be carryed away with false accusitions and feigned relations which had no bulke nor body in them no substance in the world nor any shew saue of a poore shadow to be thus mis-led Librorum numero circumstante The President before specified had a great many of bookes about him To shew how much it importeth that Iudges and Presidents bee Learned and well read in the bookes of their facultie Epiphanius saith That hee saw a Sâ—atua of Truth which in it's forehead had two letters the first and the last of the Greeke Alphabet in it's mouth other two and other two in it's brest and so through aâ—l the parts of it's body to it 's very feete So that this was all enamelled with Letters as the other was rounded with bookes Thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that that Man which is truly the man he ought to be and is to aduise and gouerne others his head hands and feete must be stucke full of Letters He must be learned from the sole of the foote to the Crowne of the head full of Letters hee must bee for in the discourses of the Vnderstanding in the working of the hands and in the moouing of the feete wee may easily guesse whether a man be wise or no Whether he hath studied or doth studie For though a man be neuer so wise neuer so learned hee still forgetteth somewhat So that it is not enough for him to haue studyed but it is requisit that he still continue his study that hee may repayre with that which he learneth the losse of that which hee forgetteth As in a naturall body that by dayly eating and drinking is restored which is by our naturall heate consumed Et oculis esset subclausis His eyes which are the windowes by which Passion enters vnto the soule were shut Because hee should not be led away with the respect to those about him For hee must not haue an eye and respect to the Estate and condition of persons to doe more fauour when it comes to point of Iustice to one then another And for this reason the sayd Aegyptians did ordinarily paint Iustice without a Head The Head is the common seate of all the Sences signifying thereby that by no one sence a Iudge should open a doore to Passion but that he should place them all in heauen without respect to any thing vpon earth And this is not to respect persons but Iustice. Plutarke in his Moralls reporteth of the Thebans That in their Courts of Iustice they had the Pictures drawne of certaine reuerend olde men sitting in their due order and in the midst the President all of them without hands and their eyes fixed on heauen To intimate that they should alwaies stand in the presence of the Lord from whence is to come that Light which is to cleare the eyes of their intentions avoyding to cast them downe towards the ground that the Vapour of humane respects which is raysed from thence may not cloude and darken the sight of their vnderstanding They must be olde and wise because they are to iudge with mature Counsaile which accompanyeth that age And as it is ordred by their Lawes they must haue neither eyes to see nor hands to receiue bribes And if they would cut off their wiues hands too the cause would be the better iustified For in them your bribes finde an open gate and are so easie to be knowne in this kind
themselues who aspiring to one and the same thing wherein it is impossible hee should content all of them euery one offereth according to his Talent and the desire hee hath to obtaine his suite And many times though they giue neuer so much they remaine frustrated of their pretension and become enemies to that Minister murmuring and complayning of him and that with a great deale of reason all the dayes of their life Woe vnto the Couetous man who as the Scripture sayth sets his soule to sale Animam quoque venalem habet It is a most wretched case and a most lamentable miserie that a mans auarice and couetousnesse should be so great that hee should sell his soule for the greedinesse of money Besides there is another great Contradiction from which it is not possible for to free themselues For if they will faithfully performe their Office they cannot fauour any saue him that hath most right and iustice on his side And this they must do gratis and without any other kind of interest then that which the being of a good and faithfull Minister carryes with it Againe if they do not ayde and helpe him who by giftes hath bound them vnto him they fowly and shamefully deceiue both him and themselues and must needes fall into one of these two inconueniences Either to be ingratefull if they doe not doe for him that gaue or vniust If they doe contrarie vnto Iustice. So that which way soeuer they receiue a gift they goe away with it with an euill Conscience and in plaine English are theeues by qualification So that great Lawyer Paris de Puteo calls them and sayth That there are more in your publicke Audiences and open Courts then in your Townes and villages And that iust man Iob affirmeth That the Tribunalls of robbers prosper One calls them Vsurers another Pyrates And Lucas de Pena saith That they are farre worse because they rob and steale vnder collour of Law and publicke authoritie In a word God who knowes them better then all the world besides calls them disloyal companions of theeues which desire giftes and loue Retributions And from heauen hee throwes downe his Curse vpon them whereunto on earth all the people say Amen But let them bee called by what name or Title you will let them neuer somuch haue the name of iudges their workes will speake what they are If they doe Iustice and iudge according to their iust Lawes then are they Iudges and deserue so to be But if they do the contrary they beare the name of Theeues and are vnworthy that Office There being represented vnto Dauid the rigourous chastisement of these kinde of men hee beggeth thus of God Gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with bloody men In whose hands is mischeife and their right hand is full of bribes Let these theeuish hands saith the Emperour Constantine cease at last to steale let them cease I say And if they will not cease and giue ouer stealing let them be cut off and set vpon the gallowes top Neither let Kings cease to make diligent search after them and to execute iustice against them in the most rigorous manner And if they will not amend let them a Gods name be soundly punished For it is a foule and abominable Vice pernicious and pestilent and which doth much marre and deface the Luster of whatsoeuer Minister be he neuer so illustrious and great And therefore in the Ciuill Law it hath the name of Sordes giuen it which signifies foulenesse or beastlinesse The Emperour Alexander Severus a great subduer of this vice when he saw any Minister noted thereof his choller rose and his stomacke began to turne and did prouoke him to vomit as if hee had seene some loathsome stinking thing And for such kinde of corrupt men he would vsually say hee had euer a fingar in readines to plucke out their eyes And for the better informing himselfe of the truth of these businesses hee made choice of some vertuous and intelligent persons whom hee sent secretly as Spyes into seuerall parts of the Kingdome which all wise Kings ought to doe giuing them good Intertainment for the defraying of their charges to the end that they might truly informe him of all whatsoeuer passed as how his Ministers behaued themselues in their gouernment how in their Offices Saying That if they did abuse them it was not enough to remoue them onely and put other in their places but for example sake seuerely likewise to punish them He gaue all his Officers good honest maintenance and sufficient allowance and would by no meanes permit that any Magistracie or publicke Office should bee bought and solde For he that buyes of me sayd hee must of necessitie sell to another for to quit his Cost as also to make his best profit and benefit thereof Such as these buy cheape in the grosse and sell deare by retaile And so it is that hee that buyes a tree for money can hardly afford the fruite for nothing The Emperour Theodosius made heereupon a Law worthy so noble a Prince and deseruing heere to bee set downe as a Patterne for Kings Wee will sayth hee and ordaine that those be appointed Gouernours of our Prouinces who shall bee found worthy those places charging and commanding that they be not conferred either for ambition or bribes or promises or for any price that shall be giuen for them but meerely for that they are men of an honorable and vertuous disposition and of a good and approued life And these whom you my President shall choose or we our selues vpon your report wee will that they who are admitted to these Offices shall solemnely sweare and firmely promise that for the said preferments or places of charge and gouernment they haue neuer giuen nor promised any thing for them neither shall giue heereafter either openly or vnder hand either directly or indirectly Neither shall they take or receiue any thing but shall rest contented with their Salaries and Pensions Nor shall pocket any bribe in publike or priuate not onely during their Office but neither before nor after c. These are the very words of the Law it selfe Diuerse other ancient and Moderne Lawes and decrees haue beene made generally prohibiting all kind of gifts and bribes vpon paine of diuers very greiuous punishments to be inflicted vpon those that either take or giue bribes As paying double what was promised or giuen depriuation of Office The treble value of what was giuen Then vpon the increasing of the abuse a quadruple value And after that Confiscation of goods banishment and open infamie Iustinian added heereunto the punishment of Whipping And the Emperour Valens and Valentinianus farther increased the same commanding they should be burned And the now Emperours of Iapan did lately execute the sayd Law vpon one of his Fauourites Secretaries for taking of a bribe and him that bribed him who was Gouerner of a Kingdome he
And those doubtlesse condemned which are now daily vsed passing things ouer from one to another as if men were to deale with children who asking a companie of them that are playing together Is your Mother at home All make answer This boy can tell you or that other boy can tell you So that many mens liues are ended before their businesses can be ended Their suites growing older then them selues wasting both their wealth and their persons to no purpose It is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles That they being so busily imployed in the Preaching of the Gospell that they could not ioyntly with it attend those workes of Charitie and Almes-deedes which were exercised in the Primitiue Church by feeding those that were conuerted they did remit the care thereof to seuen Deacons chosen out from amongst them all for that Ministrie And heere is to be confidered a point of Doctrine of great importance That the Apostles as there it is mentioned albeit they saw what a great charge they had and how much trouble with daily Preaching and continuall Praying they did neither omit nor remit this businesse but were wonderfull carefull that those to whom this care was remitted should be persons of great approbation and fulfilled with the Holy Ghost and with wisdome as were S. Steuâ—n and others which were elected and ioyned in Commission with him Considerate ergo fratres viros ex vobis boni testimonij Septem plenos Spiritu Sancto sapientia quos constituamus super hoc opus c. Wherefore brethren Looke you out among you seuen men of honest report and full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdome which we appoint to this businesse Which is a Lesson for Kings that when they vnderstand that the persons to whom they vseto remit businesses are not such as they ought to be either for their want of wisdome or experience in those things or that their minde is not cleare and free from passion couetousnesse they in no manner of wise discharge their Consciences in making such remitments and references but ought rather to reserue the dispatch therof vnto themselues or to remit them to such Ministers that are able to giue good satisfaction therein and of whose goodnesse and sufficiencie the world rendreth publicke Testimony In a word I am of opinion that to remit businesses is a matter of necessity in regard of the shortnesse of our vnderstanding which is imbroiled and mightily hindred with this multiplicitie of affayres and oftentimes choaked and stifled and made defectiue in those matters that are most necessary And as for our bodily strength the force thereof is so small and so weake that we had neede to preserue the same by easing it of that burthen which is too heauy for it to beare Yet withall there must a great care be had that these remitmenâ—s be not made meerely that the King might liue at ease and be idle but because weighty businesses and such as haue neede of new Examination and new diligencies doe require it or because the King as already hath beene sayd may haue some lawfull impediment Let Kings haue recourse vnto God and he will illighten them and their faces shall not suffer confusion nor their Kingdomes see alterations ruines nor destructions Erudimini qui iudicatis terram Be wise therefore yee Kings be learned yee Iudges of the earth CHAP. XVI Of the Sence of the sight That is Of those businesses which Kings ought to reserue for their own view and dispatch with their owne hands ARistotle saith that the soule is Quod ad modum omnia in a manner all things in regard of the Vnderstanding which in it comprehendeth all whatsoeuer And the same may likewise be said of the sence of the fight wherin is cyphred the greatnesse of the Vniuerse for therein is inclosed all whatsoeuer is visible in the world as the Heauens the Earth Elements Birdes Plants Beastes c. And all that be it more or lesse enters into our Soule by this doore It is the most principal part of the head the most artificiall the most excellent and most precious of all other the Sences because it 's action is more liuely and spirit-full and giues vs more to know and vnderstand the differences of things By the eyes are manifested a great part of the affections and passions of the Minde In oculis animus inhabitat The mindes habitation saith Pliny is in the eyes In them is seated Clemencie Mercy Anger Hatred Loue Sorow Ioy and the like Ex visu cognoscitur vir We may know a man by his lookes As whether he be wise or foolish simple or malitious c. These are those windowes by which the light entreth into the Vnderstanding and which shew the good or bad disposition both of body and Soule And there are not some wanting who affirme that they are the first which God and Nature delineate and paint forth in that tender paste and soft dough of the Creature as being the most principall the most beutifull and the most delicate And therefore that Diuine Artizan did place a greater gard about that for it's safetie then about all the rest And therfore Aristotle saith That we make more reckoning of this sence then of all the other It 's Site or place which is the highest and most eminent in the head doth declare it's greater dignitie and is in man as is the Sunne and Moone in the world Quod sol luna in Coelo hoc sunt oculi in homine saith S. Ambrose The vse of the sight is two-fold One materiall and grosse which only attendeth things as they thus materially represent themselues without making any farther discourse or Consideration And this kind of seeing is common to all creatures both rationall and irrationall indowed with or without reason The other is more eleuated and more spirituall and flies a higher pitch as when it discernes things with Aduice and discourse and when it perceiues what that is that it sees and this appertaineth onely vnto Man But in Kings and those that are good Gouernours the consideration thereof must extend it selfe a great deale farther As to treate of the remedy which those things require and stand in neede of which they haue seene But not like those Kings that visited holy Iob who although they saw him and were seuen dayes with him yet did they not see what they saw My meaning is That albeit they did see the great affliction and extreme miserie wherein poore Iob was their eyes passed it slightly ouer they did not dwell vpon it nor tooke any course to giue him remedie And when this is not done their seeing is no seeing but are like vnto those spoken of by the Psalmist That haue eyes and see not Dull Idolls To this purpose there is a prety place in the first of the Machabees where after the Author hath made report of the great wickednesse and Tyrannies which that accursed King Antiochus
strictnesse this is not true iustice though it haue some similitude therewith Now Iustice is taken after another manner for a particular virtue To wit that which is one of the foure Cardinall vertues which hath for it's obiect and end as we shall tell you by and by to giue vnto euery man that which is his right and his due Of this which is properly Iustice do we here meane to treate of whose Excellencies all bookes are full and whereof the Ancients said That it is a celestiall and diuine vertue seated by God in the mindes of men Vlpian saith That it is Constans et perpetua voluntas quae tribuit cuique suum A constant and perpetuall Will attributing to euery man his owne Plato he goes a little farther adding that it is singulare et vnicum donum c. The onely singular gift the greatest good that God communicated vnto Mortalls here vpon earth For from thence ariseth Peace Concord This is it's worke the end it pretendeth According to that of Esay Opus iustitiae pax And the worke of iustice shal be peace euen the worke of Iustice and quietnesse and assurance for euer And God himselfe the Author Cause fountain of Iustice the first Title name that he tooke when he created the world before that hee had created Angels men and Beastes was that of Iudge Wherby we are to vnderstand that there was a Iudge and Iustice in the world before any other thing was created For to haue created a world without a Iudge or iustice to gouerne it and to punish humane excesses and disorders had beene to make a denne of Thiefes and Robbers For all Kingdomes and Common-wealths without Iustice saith Saint Austen had beene nothing else but so many Armies of Out-Lawes Rebells and high-way Robbers Remota Iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latroicinia Take away Iustice and what are kingdomes but Latrocinations all kind of theft's spoyles and rogueries Certaine it is that the first Iudge and Minister of Iustice that was in the world was God himselfe who appointed Lawes and Precepts who did rule and gouerne without Kings or other their substitutes till Noahs time who was the first Gouernour of his people to whom he gaue order that he should liue in iustice and righteousnesse doing the like afterwards to Moses and after him to his annoynted Kings And therefore Esay stiles him Legislatorem a Law-giuer Dominuâ— Legifer noster The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law-giuer the Lord is our King he will saue vs. c. And then in those dayes by the sole power hand of their Kings was Iustice administred And they were called Iudges because they did iudge according to the Lawes And they tooke this name from Iustice it selfe Iudex dictus est quasi ius dicens populo non ergò est Iudex si iustitia in eo non est He is called Iudge of iudging the people vprightly And he is no Iudge if Iustice be not in him His Obiect is Ius or that which is iust and lawfull And his office to offend no man to doe right vnto all to giue euery one that which is his and what of right belongs vnto him This Iustice hath power to determine how how much and when the good are to be rewarded and the bad punished it is the harmonie of all good gouernment and whereby the world is sustained and wherewith as with meate and drinke the life of man is preserued And if Iustice should faile the world would presently returne to that Chaos and confusion wherein it was at the first And for that this Vertue is so necessary for mans life Saint Austen saith that your ancient Kings did build and consecrate a Temple thereunto And that on the high Altar there were ingrauen certaine Letters which spake thus Iustice that is vpright and free from loue or hatred is the strongest chaine that a Kingdome hath Which suteth with that which one of the seuentie Interpreters told King Ptolomy as Aristeas reporteth it who being demanded by him how he might sustaine himselfe in his Kingdome and hold concord and good correspondencie with so great a multitude and varietie of men as were therein replyed By preseruing Iustice and giuing to euery one what was fitting and not otherwise And this is so manifest a truth that Plutarch affirmeth That not Iupiter himselfe though the greatest of the Pagan Gods could be a good Gouernor without Iustice. In it saith S. Ambrose is found the Concordancie of all vertues without it there is neither consonancy nor harmony It is the Mistresse of Mans life the extirper of Vice the mother of peace the defence of the Kingdome the treasure of a Common-wealth the ioy of men the comâ—ort of the poore the cure of the sicke and the medicine of the soule Cicero calls her the Queene and Lady of the Vertues Plutarke would haue her to be in respect of the rest as the Sunne amongst the Starres Firmaianus affirmeth that shee is the mother of them all And as the Mother is before the Daughters So Iustice hath the precedencie of all other Vertues Scotus surnamed the Subtile together with Anselmus say that if betweene Gods iustice and mercâ—e there were any precedencie Iustice would haue the prime place In fine it is the foundation and ground of all other vertues and by which all ought to bee regulated and ordered And we cannot indâ—are it more then in saying That if Iustice should fayle all the Vertues would fayle And if that onely be kept there will be liâ—le neede of the other So said King Agesilaus And it is Aristotles Tonent That if Iustice were publickly and truly administred Fortitude and other the Vertues would be superfluous For one not iniurying another all would be peace loue and charitie And it is a vertue very naturall vnto Man who in his owne nature abhorreth Vice and loueth goodnesse and what is honest And therefore amongst other things that are controuerted Cicero saith that there is not any thing more certaine to be knowne then that Man was borne for to doe Iustice. It is she that ordaines things for the common good and the good of our neighbour And by how much the common is greater then the particular So much doth this Vertue exceede others that are ordayned to a particular person or a mans owne selfe Finally it is very necessary for the conseruation of the body and the Saluation of the Soule Diuus Thomas and others whose names I silence say That 24. Vertues side and take part with her which they tearme Adâ—utrices Helpers which doe serue and accompany her in all her Actions And making vse of them as of Counsaylours and Aduisers she determines what is iust the good which is to be followed and the ill which is to be auoided there being nothing that hath not neede of it's fauour and helpe For
they haue most neede of it Here vnto I first of all answer that the reason is not alike in a particular person as in a King and a Common-wealth which as wee sayd before are to be considered and vnderstood as a body with it 's Head And as in a mans body the head doth naturally feele the paine of the arme the foote or any other member So Kings which are the Heads of the people are to haue a feeling of their subiects miseries to pittie the ill case wherein they at any time are as if it were their owne And this was that which moued the Apostle S Paul to say Quando patitur vnum membrum compatiuntur omnia membra When one member suffreth all the members suffer with it This is that Trauazon or coupling peece of timber in a Common-wealth and this both humane policie and mans naturall disposition doth require that when we see others suffer we should suffer with them in our common cōpassion towards them And the Law of charitie goes some what farther and would stretch this obligation to a greater and higher perfection as was to be seene in the sayd Apostle Quis infirmatur et ego non infirmor Quis scandalizatur et ego non vror Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not And in that which the Prophet Ieremie sayd who crossing the Kings humour and opposing his vaine pleasures and delights and representing the truth of things vnto him and what was fitting for him to doe his heart was all on a flame a burning fire was shut vp in his bones and hee was weary with bearing and could not holde so farre was he transported and so mightily inflamed with the zeale of the Kings and the Common-wealthes good Secondly I say That as before hath beene deliuered by mee I do not pretend to debarre Kings and Common-wealths of their pleasures and recreations But my desire is which I wish with all my heart that they may be such as may be harmelesse and vn-offensiue with out remordment and sting of Conscience and without the murmuration and notice of the people And this may easily be done by doing of that which the glorious S. Ierome aduiseth vs to doe ex necessitate virtutem making a vertue of necessitie but I doe not say ex necessitate but ex voluptate virtutem That is to say I would haue them to place their delight and content in that which is true vertue and godlinesse in cumplying with the obligations of their Office and Calling in giuing free and frequent Audience in hearing those that are wronged and oppressed in disposing of Offices in Dispatching of businesses or in causing them to be dispatcht and to spend their time or the most part thereof in these and the like cumplying with that of that Royall Prophet In virtute tua Laetabitur Rex super salutare tuum exultabit vehementer The King shall ioy in thy strength O Lord And in thy Saluation how greatly shall hee reioyce And from thence will follow that which presently followeth in the next Verse Desiderium cordis eius tribuisti ei et voluntate babiorum eius non fraudastieum Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips King Salomon sayes of himselfe that he gaue his desires as much as they could desire that he gaue himself ouer to his delights contents with that freedome and libertie as suted with the greatnes of so powerful a king But that which he got therby was not the content which he sought after but distaste irkesomnes wearines griefe vexatiō of spirit which he himself hath left firmed signed with his own name for an example not only to all kings but to all the whole world Vidi inomnibus vanitatem et afflictionem animi et nihil permanere sib sole Behold all was vanitie vexation of spirit and there was no profit vnder the sunne Who could more giue themselues to their delightes and pleasures then those whom the booke of Wisedome speaketh of who with such a deale of care and greedinesse did runne after all the content that the world could afford Yet they say and confesse that they were so vaine and so false and such a wearisomnesse vnto them that they were quite tyred out with them and are now in hell for their labour and shall continue there for euer Thirdly I say That to the end our sports and intertainments may be the more pleasing vnto vs it is fit that they should be vsed with much moderation and very seldome Feastings and banquetings when they are too frequent and too ordinary they cause a wearinesse and loathing And as the glorious S. Ambrose wisely saith Gratiores post famem epule fiunt quae assiduitate viluerant Feastings please most after fasting which by affiduitie and continuance grow into contempt And here by the way occasion may be taken to aduise kings of the remedy which they ought to apply in matter of Playes Interludes as wel in the quality of that which is represented as in the requency wherewith they are vsed Comedies being now as common as our meate drinke But I see that that succeedeth now which did in those more ancient times Which though they were often banished out of Rome yet the times altering they came to be introduced and brought in again And King Philip the second who is now in glory in the latter yeares of his raigne did wholy prohibite them and for the better furthering of this his determination he had many and those very effectuall reasons for it And that which of late hath beene obserued is That neuer in any time hath there beene seene so much loosenesse and shamelesnesse in youth as since the time they haue beene dayly permitted to be playd and represented on the stage and in those places where is the greatest Audience there is the greatest dissolutenesse of manners especially among your younger sort of people For those their words Accents Tunes Songs wanton carriage of the body idle gestures and actions performed with so much artifice and cunning is no other thing as the Prophet sayd but to sow tares and vicious weedes in good ground whence they ought with much care to be rooted out And very blinde is that man which doth not see the danger that there is in prouoking and stirting vp wanton blood with such lasciuious behauiour being able enough of it selfe to awaken the appetite of sensualitie Euen those dishonest pictures which neither speake nor moue doe catch and lay hold on our eyes and dragge the Soule after them especially if they be drawen to the life and haue the true postures and expressions of a wanton woman Questionlesse they cannot choose but leaue a liuely impression in the Soule And I know not I confesse what worke of pietie or of charitable Almes for Hospitalls to which vse a great part of the Stage-Players gaynes
treason yea though secrecie be not inionyed them nor they charged there with But hee that takes an oath to be secret and reuealeth any thing contrary thereunto besides that he is a periur'd and infamous person hee sinnes mortally and is bound to satisfaction of all the harme that shall happen thereby and incurres the punishment of depriuation of his Office For if hee be sworne to secrecie or bee made a Secretary and hath silence for the seale of his Office he is iustly depriued thereof if he vse it amisse And the Law of the Recopilation saith that hee is lyable to that punishment which the King will inflict vpon him according to the qualitie of the offence or the hurt thereby receiued And the Imperiall Law chapter the first Quibus modis feudum amittit that hee shall loose the fee which hee holdes of his Lord. Plutarke reporteth of Philipides that he being in great grace and fauour with Lysimachus King of Lacaedemonia begged no other boone of him but this That he would not recommend any secret vnto him As one that knew very well that saying of one of the wise men of Greece That there was not any thing of more difficultie then to be silent in matters of secrecie As also for that it being communicated to others though it come to be discouered by anothers fault and none of his yet the imputation is laid as well vpon him that was silent as on him that reuealed and so must suffer for another mans errour And in case any man shall incurre any iust suspition thereof let the King withdraw his fauour from him dismisse him the Court and put another in his place that shall be more secret for that which they most pretend is their fidelitie in this point And howbeit they haue neuer so many other vertues and good abilities yet wanting this they want all and are of no vse no more then were those vessells in Gods House which had no Couers to their mouthes For such open vessells are they that cannot keepe close a secret and altogether vnworthy the seruice of kings The substance and vertue of your flowres goes out in vapours and exhalations of the Lymbecke And heate passeth out through the mouth of the fornace and a secret from betweene the lipps of a Foole it being a kinde of disease amongst those that know least to talke most and to vent through their mouth whatsoeuer they haue in their heart In ore fatuorum Cor illorum sayth the Wise man in corde sapientium os illorum The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in their hearts Cogitauerunt et locuti sunt Looke what a Foole hath in his head hee will presently out with it But a wise man will not speake all that hee knowes And therefore your Naturallists say that Nature placed two vaines in the Tongue the one going to the heart the other to the braine To the end that that which remaines secret in the heart the Tongue should not vtter saue what reason and the vnderstanding haue first registred conformable to that Order which is betweene the faculties of the Soule and of the Body it being fit that the Imagination should first conceiue and the Tongue afterwards bring forth that thinke the other speake Not like vnto that foole who vnaduisedly and without premeditation went all day long babbling vp and downe Tota die iniustitiam cogitauit lingua tua Thy tongue all day-long deuiseth mischiefe That is whatsoeuer it imagineth it easily vttreth nay sometimes the Tongue speaketh without booke and runnes riot afore euer it is a ware But let vs conclude this with that of Salomon That Death and Life are in the power of the tongue A dangerous weapon in the hands of him that is not Master thereof and knowes not how to rule it For all Mans good or ill consisteth in the good or ill vse of this Instrument The well gouerning whereof is like a good Pilot that gouerneth a ship and the ill guiding of it like a dangerous rocke whereon men split their honour and often loose their liues And therefore the Diuell left patient Iob when all the rest of his body was wounded with sores his tongue whole and sound Not with intent to doe him any kindnesse therein but because hee knew very well that that alone was sufficient if hee were carelesse thereof for to make him loose his honour his life and his soule For all these lye in the power of the Tongue Qui in consideratus est ad loquendum sentiet mala He that openeth wide his lipps shall haue destruction And the plagues which shall befall him will bee so remedilesse that he shall not meete with any medicine to cure them Nor is there any defence against the carelesse negligences of a babbling tongue which are so many that the Holy Ghost stiles such a kinde of tongue the Vniuersitie or Schoole of wickednesse Vniuer sitas iniquitatis Wherein is read a Lecture of all the Vices Whereas on the contrary Vir prudens secreta non prodit Tacenda enim tacet et loquenda loquitur A wise man will not betray a secret But silenceth those things that are to be silenced and vttereth those things that are to be vttered It is worthy our weighing how much importeth the warinesse in our words for Gods honour and the Kings credit and authoritie which is much abused and lessened by futile and flippant tongues to the great hurt of a kingdome and the good gouernment of the Common-wealth And let Kings correct this so great a disorder in the disclosing closing of secrets either out of their respect to such and such persons or for their particular Interests or out of the weakenesse of a slippery tongue Let Priuie-Counsellours I say and Secretaries of State bridle their tongues If not let Kings if they can restraine them And if they cannot do it of themselues let them petition God as Dauid did In camo et fraeâ—o maxillas eorum constringe Hold in their mouth with bit and bridle For I am of Saint Iames his beliefe Nullus hominum domare potest The tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill I say moreouer that the harmes which the Tongue doth are so many and in such a diuerse manner that the euill consisteth not onely in speaking but many times likewise in being silent and saying nothing by forbearing to speake the truth in that which is fitting and when it ought to speake as already hath beene sayd and in not reprouing and amending his neighbour being obliged thereunto by the Law Naturall Diuine and Positiue And in not reprehending Murmurers and Backbiters for then for a man to hold his peace and not to checke them for it is to consent and concurre with them and to approue that which they say And S. Bernard tells vs that he cannot determine which of the two is worser Detrahere an t
their tongues the other in their eares But they shall not remaine without punishment for their Harpes and their Ghitterns their Lutes and their Vialls their singing of new and lasciuious songs their descanting vpon other mens liues their lyes and their flatteries in that sad and miserable hower of their death shall be turned into sighes and groanes into roarings and howlings and into hideous and fearefull shrikes as they write of the Syrens to whom Esay compares them Who in their life time sing sweetly and deceiue the hearing with their sweete notes and murder the men that listen to them but afterwards die themselues bellowing forth terrible and rauing out-cryes For then doth that blood faile and forsake them which did cheere their heart In like manner the Sea-beasts of this Sea of the world when this their naturall heate shall goe decaying and their blood shall waxe cold and frozen within them they will depart hence with horrible anguish of Soule terrible gripings of the heart stinging vexations of conscience rauing yellings and shreike vpon shrieke one ouertaking another tearing the very soule in sunder caused by their euill Conscience which neuer leaues racking and tormenting them till it haue brought them downe to the deepe pit of Hell where they shall abide for euer weeping and gnashing their teeth Where I will now leaue them and passe on to the sense of Touching which though it be the first in being yet is it the last that comes to be handled CHAP. XXIX Of the Sence of Touching OF those fiue Senses which Nature gaue vnto the Creatures in these two Tasting and Touching man exceedeth all the rest but in those other three Seeing Hearing and Smelling is exceeded by many And amongst all the fiue the most animall materiall grosse and brutall is the Touching as also all those delightes which by it are inioyed Aristotle saith That they are sensuall beastly and base as likewise are those of the Tast. It hath as the rest the Originall and beginning of it's Sensation in the braine and from thence goes to this and to all the nerues of sensibilitie that are either more or lesse subtill and delicate according to their seuerall necessities It is a wonderfull thing that out of this trunke onely nay this little chip man Nature should hew and cut out so many Materialls for instruments for such prime and subtill Operations as those of the sences and so different that it is impossible for one exteriour sense to doe that which another doth And therfore speaking of the Head whence all and euery one haue their sensible Instrument it is fitting that we should likewise say something of Touching and to set downe it's Office which is to haue a sense and feeling of the foure primarie Qualities Frigiditie Caliditie Humiditie and Sâ—ccitie and some oâ—her which from a mixture with these doe arise as are hard soft rough plaine sharpe flat great little And in a word all that whatsoeuer that is knowne and discerned by touching It hath no set place or determinate situation in the body but is equally scattred and diffused throughout the whole bulke of man by vertue of a nerue which like a fine thine net doth ouer-spread and comprehend the whole lumpe or masse both within and without by meanes whereof it hath a feeling in all the parts but there the more and the better where the body is more soft and tender whereunto assisteth the subtiller and colder blood Aristotle saith That it is the first of the sences and the foundation of all the other foure and that there is not any creature but hath it And as we said of the Tast they say of this that it is so necessary that without it no liuing Creature can liue But without some of the other may And in man in regard of the goodnesse of his Complexion which in him is better then in other Creatures it is more subtill and deâ—icate then in any-one or all of them and farre more certaine and lesse lyable to be deceiued and supplieth as Nissenus affirmeth the defects of the other Et videtur datus a Natura propter caecos And it seemes to be giuen by Nature for the good and benefit of blinde men For when that spiritfull sense of the sight faileth them which should be their Guide they make vse of this more grosse and materiall sense by groping and feeling the walls Is caecus est mann tentans said Saint Peter and S. Ambrose Quod Tactu probamus quae oculis probare non possumus That wee proue those things by Touching which wee cannot try by the eyes Some of the qualities of this sence which appertaine to Kings hath already beene handled in those that went before all of them hauing their delight which wee commonly call Guste or Taste That which remaineth is to aduise them to beware thereof if they will not die by their owne hands for it is an ill and vnruly beast and makes men brutish and beastly S. Basil saith thereof That of all the other sences it is the most pernicious because it trailes and draggs the rest after it or seemed to haue hired them to serue it in it's pleasures and delights making them pay it tribute and custome of all their gaines and commodities For that which the eies see the eares heare the nose smells and the heart desires is onely there with to serue this sence letting it share with them and inuiting it to take part of their best and choysest morsells The rest haue recourse but to one thing this to all nothing comes amisse to it it lays hand on all The rest are but as the Media and breues dispositiones But this is the finis or end which all doe pretend To touch that which is not lawfull doth discompose and put the heart out of order and confoundeth mans soule For thence saith S. Bernard first arise euill thoughts fowle motions then consent next Act and lastly Death It is not fit we should suffer flaxe to come to neere the flame nor is it it conuenient that man should Regalar and cocker vp himselfe with this sence for that presently such sparkles thence fly forth as inflame the body and set the soule on fire And therefore it is requisite that we carrie a hard hand vpon this sence looke well thereunto For euen in the plainest and euenest way man often times stumbles how much more where there is apparent danger And let not kings thinke because they are kings that they are free from this Tyrant but in that they are kings are so daintilie bread so deliciously fed and make so much of themselues they are more subiect thereunto for that their natural condition conformes it selfe more to it 's guste pleasâ—re and is a great friend of Regalos of daintâ—nesse and nice vsage of fine linnen soft raiment choice deliacies and aâ—â— that whâ—ch causeth delight prouoketh pleasure And in Courts and Kings Pallaces and in
and courage of his soldiars who in the first incounter hauing shew'd themselues as fierce as Lyons in this last conflict seemed as fearefull as Hares Who answered him with that which Pliny speakes of the Romans who fell from their ancient greatnesse because in their meate drinke and apparell and in the delicacies of their bathes and companie keeping with women they exceeded all those whom before they had ouercome And therefore Vincendo victi sumus Wee are ouercome by ouercoming And thereupon that good King forthwith commanded the bathes to be destroyed together with the houses of pleasure gardens and other the like places of recreation wherewith that dammage was in part repayred In these two things daintinesse in diet and wantoning with women the Diuell imploies his vttmost strength and force that hee may quit those of it and vtterly dis-inable them that giue themselues thereunto And this was that Counsaile and Aduice which that member of Satan and false Prophet Balaam gaue to the King of Moab That in those places through which the children of Israel were to passe hee should appoint certaine of his fayrest women to be there in readinesse to receiue and intertaine them to cherish and make much of them and to inuite them to eate and drinke with them as the onely meanes to draw them on to their destruction as it afterwards fell out This is pointed at in Numbers but set forth more at large in Iosephus Where it is added That those are not to be feared which giue themselues to the like gustes and delights for in waxing weary of the clattering of armour and taking pleasure in the sound of musicke in putting off harnesse and putting on silkes in changing a field-Tent for a soft bed and forsaking the conuersation of soldiars and Captaines to follow the companie of women they stuck a naile in the wheele of their fortunes These are examples that cannot be excepted against But much lesse that which followes of King Salomon whose pompe musick dancings feastings huntings dainties delights and passe times were such as he himselfe inspired by the Holy Ghost reckons vp Now that which he got by all these what was it Onely this that these Vices and wanton delights made him forget himselfe and to blot out all the good of his felicitie and that good correspondence which hee held with God and in such sort did turne his braines that hee came to committ idolatrie and to call his saluation in question And therefore let euery one command his flesh as hee would command his slaue lest it make him a slaue For to him that yeelds himselfe thereunto it is a fierce to him that feares it a cruell and to him that deliuers the keyes of his libertie vp vnto him a dominering Tyrant which like a haltred beast it hales after him There are two remedies found for the curing of so many dammages and disorders as we perceiue to be in this sense of Touching and that of the Tast. One generall for all which is Temperance whereof wee will treate by and by The other more particular drawne from the example of Kings whereof we will discourse hereafter §. I. Of Temperance THe Office of Temperance is to keepe a man from flying out and to make him not to incline to a little more or a little lesse but to liue alwayes in very good Order not exceeding in any thing the bounds of Reason Est moderatio Cupiditatum rationi obediens It consisteth in a certaine moderation and mediocritie in pleasures and delights from which a Temperate man abstaineth refrayning from superfluities and excesses vsing things according to necessitie and not according to his appetite And it is that rule and Compasse which doth mete and measure out the desires of man that they may not passe from their point and Center not suffring the heart like the Rauen to flesh it selfe on the dead flesh of sensuall delights S. Dionisius saith That it serueth to incline a Man to all good according to the rule of reason as well in that which appertaineth to the sense of Touching as of the Taste that it may not like an vnbridled colte breake out into those two vnruly appetites whose operations are so furious and vehement that in earth water and ayre they leaue nothing safe and secure and therefore had neede of this great vertue to restraine their disorders and concupiscences These are those that make the cruellest warre against both body and soule and this is that which bridleth tempreth and moderateth her in her Excesses Temperantia saith Prosperus temperantem facit abstinentem parcum sobrium moderatum pudicum tacitum serium verecundum Temperance makes a man temperate abstemious sparing sober moderate modest silent serious yet shamefac't It is a Vertue worthy Kings and Princes and much commended by the Saints and many are those Vertues which accompany it As modestie shamefastnesse chastitie abstinence faire and comely behauiour moderation sobrietie grauitie and humilitie Aristotle calls it Conseruatricem prudentiae sapientiae the Conservresse of prudence and wisedome For intemperance in eating and drinking or in any other kinde of delight doth ouerthrow the braine dull the vnderstanding darken the iudgement blunt the best and sharpest wit and makes man as it were a beast as is to be seene by experience Quotidiano experimento probatur saith Pope Leo potus satietate aciem mentis obtundi vigorem cordis hebetari It is made good by daily experience that sacietie of drinke dulleth the edge of the minde and blunteth the vigour of the heart Temperance like wise preserueth the health and makes mans life more long more sound and more pleasing For to be Princes and Monarkes and Lords of all the world and whatsoeuer therein is is not sufficient to content them if they want their health which is of more worth then all the world besides Melior est pauper sanus fortis viribus quam diues imbecillis corpus validum quà m census immensus Better is the poore being sound and strong of Constitution then a rich man that is afflicted in his body Health and good state of body are aboue all gold and a strong body aboue infinite wealth In distempering the humours the Lotts of mens Estates are changed The sicke man be hee neuer so great a Lord would be content to change States to haue a poore plough-mans health To what vse serue Kingdomes Signories and great treasures if day and night a King leade a more miserable life then a day-Labourer To what vse serue his rich bed and downe pillowes if he can take no rest in them To what vse serue his delicate Cates and dainty dishes if hee no sooner sees them but loaths them To what vse serue his rich and pretious wines if he must be driuen to drinke Barly-water Or what guste and content can hee take in any thing whose taste is as bitter as gall Or how can he haue
contentment in these outward things that hath it not within himselfe Iulius Caesar wearyed out with his want of health did hate and abhorre his life For as the wise man saith Melior est mors quà m vita amara Better is Death then a bitter life A sicke life is no life nor is there any happinesse where health is wanting And all things without it are as nothing For to liue without paine is more to be prized then all And this doth Temperance effect This preserued Marcus Valerius more then a hundred yeares sound in iudgement and strong in body And by this Socrates liued all his life time free from sicknesses and diseases It was the saying of the elder Cato that hee gouerned his house increased his wealth preserued his health and inlarged his life by Temperance In multis escis erit infirmitas saith Ecclesiasticus Qui autem abstinens est adijciet vitam Excesse of meates bringeth sicknesse By surfeiting haue many perished but hee that taketh heede prolongeth his life King Masinoja was wonderfull temperate his fare was ordinary and with out curiositie which made him liue so sound and so healthy that at 87. yeares of age hee begat a Sonne and at 94. wanne a battaile wherein he shewed himselfe a very good Soldiar but a better Captaine And therefore let those dis-deceiue themselues and acknowledge their errour who thinke they shall preserue their life by faring deliciously Pliny saith of grasse That Quanto peius tractatur tanto prouenit melius The worse it is vsed the better it proues As with it so is it with man Homo sicut faenum Man is but as grasse or as the flower of the field Which is no sooner vp but is cut downe no sooner flourisheth but it fadeth and all it's beautie no sooner appeareth but it perisheth and withereth away and is no more to be seene And the more wee make of much our selues the lesse while we liue We are alwayes crazy soone downe but not so soone vp Quickly fall into a disease but long ere we can get out of it Loosing our strength before we come to it and waxing olde before euer wee be aware of it But if a man will lay aside this Cockering and pampering vp of himselfe and habituate himselfe to labour and trauaile he shall passe his life the better For health neuer dwells with delights nor strength ioyne hands with choice fare Nor shall hee euer doe any famous Acts and worthy renowne that feares to take paines and is willing to take his ease The Emperour Hadrian was singular herein Frigora enim tempestates ita patienter tulit vt nunquam caput tegeret Hee did indure colds and all kinde of fowle weather with that patience that hee neuer put on his hatt but alwayes went bare-headed And Alexander the Great would tell his Soldiars that it was for lazy Companions and effeminate fellowes to apply themselues to the pleasures and contentments of this life but for Noble hearts and generous spirits to accustome themselues to labour and to take paines In a word Temperance is a vertue very necessarie for all estates it will sute well with all but more particularly with Kings and Princes and great persons because it is in it selfe a vertue so gentleman-like so worthy Noble persons and so proper for royall Maiestie As likewise for that they liue as they doe amidst so many regalos and delights so many curious meates and a thousand other occasions whereby if they doe not arme themselues with this vertue not onely their liues but their soules are like to incurre the great danger For like theeues in a mans owne house or close traitours lurking in secret corners some while one some while another are neuer from their elbow till they deliuer them ouer into the hands of death or at least hoxe their courage and cut off their health Which in good Kings so much importeth and which all men desire may be long and prosperous The want whereof in a particular person importeth little but in them it mattereth much in regard of the great losse which the Common-wealth thereby receiueth For on their welfare dependeth the generall comfort and gouernment of the whole kingdome which when it is wanting in them that want is common to all Let then the conclusion of this discourse be That Kings ought to keepe an orderly and temperate diet hauing more regard to the law of Nature and vnto Christian reason then to their greatnes of state and Maiestie of Empire And to carry themselues amidst so many occasions of pleasures and delights with that modestie and moderation as if they were without them if they haue a minde to preserue their bodies and their soules healths and to giue vnto all a good example which is another as already hath beene said so powerfull a remedy for to perswade other Princes and Potentates of his kingdome to the embracing of this vertue And besides that obseruation of Hipocrates Quod plures cecîdit gula quam gladius That surfeiting hath killed more then the sword Let those that place all their care in these their delights and pleasures consider that saying of Cato That our much carefulnesse in this causeth much forgetfulnesse of God And there are some that count it an honour and reputation vnto them to eate and to drinke though Sanitas est animae corporis sobrius potus and because they are great in estate they will also be great feeders Which indeed is not Greatnesse nor Lordlinesse but great basenesse and vnbeseeming their authoritie to suffer themselues to be giuen to gluttony and to the excesse of eating and drinking Saint Bernard did blesse himselfe and much wonder at so much time and wealth as herein was spent and at so many Cookes and other Officers herein employed And that he should be the most commended and best rewarded that could inuent any other new kinde of choice dish then had by gluttonies curious enquiry been as yet found out And all to giue gust to the Gust and to please the palate with the losse of their honour the wasting of their wealth and to their great hurt both of bodies and soules But these must I inroll in the list of vnfortunate persons and account that kingdome happy as the wise man saith where the King and his Peeres liue soberly and temperately Beata terra cuius Rex nobilis est cuius Principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum non luxuriandum Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in due season for strength and not for drunkennesse §. II. Of another remedie against excesses and superfluities depending on the example of Kings A King being as hath beene said the soule and heart of a kingdome and like another Sunne which with its light and motion affoords light and health to the world being the true picture and liuely Image of God vpon earth and he that is most
finde them head-strong For being that they are those horses which guide the chariot of a Monarchie if they bee not well bridled of a gentle and tender mouth and an easie reyne they will play the iades and breake both their owne neckes and their Masters In a word euery King hath or at least representeth two persons one publike the other priuate And therefore his actions ought likewise to be of two qualities In those that are particular let them proceed therein as they will themselues according to their owne guste and pleasure but in those that are publike as shall make most for the publike good Hauing still an eye to it's conseruation and augmentation and to the common approbation of the people And those qualities which formerly wee required in Councellers of State wee here likewise conclude that all of them are necessary for Fauourites And if Kings peraduenture in regard of humane imperfection cannot meete with men so perfect let them bee as absolute as they can possibly light vpon at least let them haue these two qualities of loue and an vnspotted life And let not Kings content themselues that they haue them in a mediocritie but in all perfection For without these two there are not any Statuas so â—â—profitable as are such men being not good enough to be slaues or to serue in the basest and vilest offices about a house much more vnworthy to be Fauourites and priuie Councellours And because the heart of man which God hath hid out of sight to the end that he might reserue it to bee the seate and mansion of his loue is hard to bee knowne and the thoughts thereof very secret and hid for that by one and the same instruments it worketh and expresseth it's conceits be they false or be they true it is necessary that by some meanes the truth or deceit of it's words may be knowne for to difference thereby the true loue from the false Amongst other signes and coniectures whereof Kings may make vse for to know the minde of those that are to hold so great and neare a place about their persons and to treate and communicate with them as it were the secrets of their soules let them consider and obserue very well in what kinde of manner they do proceed and haue proceeded with those with whom they haue formerly held friendship and to whom they stand indebted and obliged for curtesies already done if they shall see they carry themselues well towards them and performe all offices of true loue and friendship then may they be induced to beleeue that shewing themselues louing and thankfull to others they will be so towards them And he that loueth not him whom hee ought to loue out of this or that other respect will not loue his King do he neuer so much for him For this difference of more or lesse altereth not the substance nor condition The true loue of Fauourites they being such as they ought to be consisteth as we said already in louing their King dis-interessedly and to aduertile him of all that which is fitting and conuenient for him and that all or the most desire that in their workes and actions for their greater perfection there should be credit and estimation And lastly of all that which according to the more common opinion requireth reformation and amendment for onely the workes of the most high can be wholly inculpable And of that which may in some sort withdraw his Subiects loue from him and aduising him thereof worke so with him for to gratifie them in this or that publike benefit whereby to wedge the peoples loue the faster vnto their Prince and Soueraigne But false and feigned loue that runnes a contrarie course it alwayes hunts after it's owne commoditie it commendeth all whatsoeuer his Prince doth he excuseth it in his presence and qualifies it for good iust and conuenient Which being no other but a tricke of Court-cunning and though they may well march vnder the standard of vnknowne enemies yet are they esteemed and rewarded as friends And notwithstanding all this their Kings backe is no sooner turned but they murmure at him or set others a worke to doe it for them Complaining that in regard of the naturall ill disposition of Kings and great Princes eares facile enough to heare smooth flatteries but too harsh and hard to hearken to the truth they dare not for their liues tell it him not aduenture to giue him the least distaste though it concerne him neuer so neare and that they plainly see the not doing of it cannot but redound much to his hurt And the true reason thereof is for that the former loue more the person of their Prince then his fortune and let him take it ill or well all 's one they will treate truth especially in those things that may concerne his safetie or the good and quiet of his kingdome and their good minde true heart and plaine-honest meaning make them bold to speake without fearing to offend in that their good aduice which they shall giue him But this second sort of Fauourites loue not his person but his fortune And these for their owne proper interest and that they may not hazard their hopes dare not speake the truth though they see the danger before their eyes as persons that would easily alter their faith and loyaltie and take part with him whose sword is strongest and therefore care not though their King fall so as they may stand And of such it may bee suspected that they desire a change like those which in gaming liue by Baratos who for their owne benefit would haue fortune turne from the one to the other their good wishes no longer following their first man as not hoping to haue any more from him then what they haue already receiued not caring to see them blowne vp one after another so as they may get by the bargaine And most certaine it is that those who so much loue themselues and their owne proper interest there is no trusting of them for they haue no loue left either for their owne Lord and Master or any body else For such base soules and vngenerate spirits drowned and swallowed vp in those muddy materialls of Interest and Auarice cannot loue any other thing with excellencie and in a noble fashion And therefore it importeth much that Fauourites bee disâ—roabed and stript quite and cleane of all that which goes vnder the name of proper or selfe-loue priuate interest vsefull friendship faction or kindred and that they should bee clothed with a wise and discreet kinde of goodnesse which nor knowes nor can nor will fauour ought but vertue and Iustice and that which is good and honest It is likewise spoken by way of Prouerbe Quien ama à su Rey ama à su grey He that loues his King loues his flocke And he that is in the place of a Fauourite and so neare about his Kings person ought to bee as a common father to all his