it and hath no obligation no Interest no necessitie but is all pure loue and is freely giuen of grace onely to do him good that receiues it The rest is Vsurie Loane bribery and hope of gaine And if they will see that this is true let them come downe from that high place wherein they are let a Visitation goe forth against them and they shall quickly see how euery man longs and desires that that may bee returned to the Owners which they haue got by foule play It is a great blindenesse in Ministers to imagine that what is giuen them proceedes from liberalitie and out of the good will and loue they beare vnto them God he knowes it is no such matter but what they do in this kinde is only to corrupt them and to oblige them to do that which they neither may nor ought Let them beleeue me and not deceiue themselues For to giue and receiue is a cunning peece of businesse a thing of great artifice wit and subtiltie and on whatsoeuer occasion it worketh it workes Miracles But in case gifts should not corrupt at least they appease and moue affection Being as that wise King Salomon saith like vnto the waues of the Sea which make the tallest ship to reele be she neuer so well ballasted And waues neuer come single And if they be strong waues indeede they ouerturne her and sinke her in the Sea Reprom ssio nequissima multos perdidit Eccl. 29. Commouit illos quasi fluctus maris Let them looke well to themselues that receiue gifts for they run a great deale of hazard let them take heede least some storme arise that may drowne their ship euen then as often hath beene seene when she is deepest and richest laden And let them not trust to their taking in secret nor of such and such a person for the Diuine Sunne of Iustice whom they offend will discouer and bring all to light And though no body should see or know it it is enough that God and his own Conscience knowes it which are two sure Witnesses besides many other which time will produce They likewise alleage That they haue leaue and licence of their Kings to receiue gifts Whereunto first of all I answer that it is not to be beleeued that Christian Kings will grant such Licences as these which are so preiudic all pernicious scandalous and so contrary to the Common good and good gouernment of their Kingdomes Secondly I say speaking with that reuerence and respect which is due vnto the authoritie of Kings that it cannot be grounded on good Diuinitie that they may giue any such leaue or licence vnto their Ministers Againe they vrge that sometimes in some particular case gifts haue beene giuen to some great Priuado or fauourite of the King It may be so But sure I am that to no Counsellour of Iustice can it euer iustly be or may be done But because this will fall within the compasse of our insuing discourse I will cite those words Timentes Deum Fearing God Which follow anon after the beginning For well will it suite that with these we conclude this Chapter because the feare of God is the beginning of wisedome And from whence as from their fountaine are deriued all those other good qualities that are in man Timor Domini super omnia se superposuit There is none aboue him that feareth the Lord. Et beatus homo Eccl. 25.10 cui donatum est habere illum And happy is that man to whom it is giuen For he that hath the feare of God hath all the good that can be desired Plenitudo sapientiae est Eccl. 1.16 timere Deum To feare the Lord is fullnesse of wisedome He that would be a generall Scholler in all kinde of knowledge be well seene in all the Artes and Sciences and haue all those good parts and qualities combined and ioyned together let him loue and feare God For he that feares him and hath him alwayes before his eyes hath libertie and power to ouercome the feare and dread of the mightie whereof the World doth stand and all for want of this feare too much in awe Among the Lawes of Moses Iosephus relateth one wherein he willeth Iudges that they should aboue all things preferre Iustice and that 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 life euerlasting And in another place he saith Thou shalt not forsake the poore for feare of the rich Exod. 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 feare 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 Eccl. 12.13 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 Ber. ser 20. in Cant. 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 Isay 9.6 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 same 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
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 auribus percipe obsecrationem meam Psal 143.1 Heare my prayer O Lord bow downe thine eare and hearken 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 Arist de Anima 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 partnes 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 called 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 Plin. natur Hist lib. 2. of all other creatures hath his eares immmobile 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 Psal 58.5 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 eare close to the ground and stopping the other with the tipp of their tayle that they may stop and damme vp all the wayes by which the Voyce of the Charmer might enter in Vnto whom Dauid compares those who being Oydos del Rey the Kings eares or to speake in the vsuall phrase Oydores del Reyno the Kingdomes eares doe shut and stop their eares that they may not giue due and fitting Audience Being naturally enemies to their owne profession which is to heare seeking out shiftes and tricks that the Cryes and Complaints of the poore may not come to their eares There is not any crueltie comparable to this to see a poore suitor trot vp and downe a moneth or two together labouring to haue Audience and in stead of letting him in hath the doore still shut against him Nature would not allow doores to the eares yet these that are the Common-wealths eares make profit of the doores of their houses and command them to be kept shut your suitors they come and goe but my sennior Oydor my Lord iudge he that should haue his doores open to giue open hearing to all Comers is shut vp in his closet and cannot be spoken withall
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 Arist Aly. lib. 3. de Anima 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 sences As Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting Touching and other faculties and vertues wherewith the life of man is sustained and gouerned And therfore S. Ambrose calls it Imperialem Aulam the Imperiall Court because therein resides the Imperiall power or that Empresse the Will which ruleth and Commandeth all those powers and faculties as being obedient and subiect vnto her And wee may also stile it Regalem Aulam the Princes Pallace for therein abideth assisted by it's operations the Vnderstanding as a King in his Court. For if the Will bee tearmed an Empresse of it's Empire and rule The Vnderstanding is called a King because it directeth and gouerneth in Man and vnto Man all his operations Lactan. Firm. Lib. de Opificio Dei cap. 12. Heb. 1. c. 6.7 guiding them to their due and fit ends Lactantius contrary vnto Galen sayth of the Head that it is the first member that is formed in Man and hath the Primacie ouer all the rest And is for this cause called Caput which is the same with Principium as some Doctors doe expound it And in the Spanish tongue they call the first lines of a Processe Cabeca de Processo the head of the Processe or the beginning of it And it carryes the same signification in the Latin In capite libri scriptum est de me M. Varro Rob. Steph. in Thesau 1. Plato in Tim. id est in principio Libri And for this we haue not onely Varro's but also Robertus Stephanus his Confirmation Caput dicitur quod inde initium capiant Sensus It is called Head because from thence the sences haue their Head and Beginning As also for that the Head is the Well-head of Mans life From it haue their originall and in it do all the Sences liue It Sees Heares Smells and Tastes not onely for it selfe but for the whole body that is for the good and benefit of all the members and parts of the body Hence it followeth that the Institution of the State-royall or of a King which is represented in the Head was not ordained onely for the Kings owne vse and profit but for the generall well-fare of his Kingdome And therefore hee ought to See Heare Taste and vnderstand not only by him selfe or for himselfe but by all and for all He ought not onely to haue an eye to his important affayres but likewise to the good of his Subiects Being that for them and not for himselfe onely a King was borne to the World Seneca lib. de Clem. Aduerte saith Seneca to the Emperor Nero rempublicam non esse tuam sed te reipublicae Consider that the Common-wealth is not thine but thou the Common-wealths Those first men who leauing solitude assembled themselues to liue in a Community knew full well that naturally euery one careth for himselfe and his owne people but no man that taketh care for all in generall And therefore they did agree amongst themselues to choose one of more especiall valour and worth to whom all might haue recourse And that he who among them all should be most renowned for his vertue prudence and fortitude should preside ouer all the rest and should rule and gouerne them that he should be watchfull ouer all of them that he should be solicitous of the common good and profit of them all and to be as carefull of them as a father would be of his children or a Shepheard of his sheepe And weighing with themselues that such a kinde of Man as this ought to be imploying himselfe not in his owne but other mens businesses could not be able to maintaine himselfe and his familie for then all did eate of the labour of their owne hands and the sweate of their browes they did ioyntly resolue to finde his house and to sustaine and maintaine him Regall power was first ordayned for the ease of the people that hee might not be withdrawen by other by businesses but apply himselfe wholy to those of the Common good and to publicke gouernment For this end were they established This was the beginning that Kings had and it ought to be the care of a good King to care more for the publike then his owne particular good All his Greatnesse is at the cost of a great deale of care trouble vexation and inquietude both of Soule and Body He is wearinesse to himselfe to others he is their ease their sustenance and their defence Like vnto your fayrest flowers and fruits which although they beautifie the tree they are not so much for it or for it's owne respect as for others Let not any Man thinke that all the good doth consist in the beauty and brauery wherewith the flower doth flourish and in the goodly shew wherewith the Great ones of the world doe gallant it your powerfull Kings and Princes are flowers but flowers which fade and wither wast their life to preserue others drawing care vpon themselues and affording comfort vnto others others more inioying the fruit then they themselues For as Philon Iudaeus saith A King to his Kingdome is that which a wise man to the ignorant a sheepheard to his sheepe a father to his children light vnto darkenesse and that which God heere on earth is to all his creatures For this Title he gaue vnto Moses when he made him King and Ruler ouer his people Signifying vnto him that he was to be as God the common father of them all Seneca lib. de Consolat ad Polib c. 26. For to all this doth the Office and dignitie of a King oblige him Omnium domos illius vigilantia defendit omnium otium illius labor omnium delitias illius industria omnium vacationem illius occupatio His subiects houses are guarded and secured by his Vigilancie their ease procured by his labour their delights inioyed by his industry and their merry vacations by his painefull imployments And therfore the Prophet Samuell sayd vnto king Saul anon after he was annointed King ouer Israel declaring vnto him the obligations of his Office Behold Saul now that God hath annointed
to couet it the more for it's treasure is infinite and no man can exhaust it And therefore the more a man hath of it the more he desireth it It is the retreit and receptacle of faith and of all the Arts and Sciences both practicke and speculatiue hauing an vniuersall aptitude to receiue them all into it selfe and vpon the apprehension of them to put them in execution And although it be a potentia or faculty of a limited power yet so great is it's capacity and of that amplenesse and ablenesse to receiue and containe that it seemeth infinite for let a man know neuer so much yet can he not fill vp his knowledge For such and such notions dispose the vnderstanding for others Knowledge begetteth knowledge and the more things a man knoweth so much the more easily doth he apprehend those he knoweth not till he come to the perfect inquiry and knowledge of the truth and by conuersing with the wise and exercise of good Letters hee goes still rising higher and higher And by how much the more a man is aduanced in his vnderstanding so much the more aduantage shall he haue of those which haue not the same measure Suting with that saying of the Comicke Poet who wondering to see the great difference betweene man man cryes out Homo homini quid praestat So much doth one man differ from another in wisdome and prudence that they seeme to 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 1 Sam. 10.28 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 Gen. 1.26 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 Salomon 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 Prou. 8.15 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 an 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 Wisd 6. 24. 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 Iudg. 9.8 In that generall Dyet where all 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 Psal 119.144 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 wisedome And with this alone did he promise to himselfe eternall life and a durable Kingdome And
be and of neuer so good and approued iudgement should not be admitted to the Counsell Table till he were past 50. yeares of Age who being adorned with Vertue and experience might assure them that hee would keepe a Decorum in all his Actions and performe his dutie in euery respect Heraclides in Politicis Senec. Epist 60. Bald. in cap. 1. de renun Lex erat sayth Heraclides ne quis natus infrà quinquaginta vel magistratum gerat vel Legationem obiret In fine for Councell Seneca and Baldus affirme That the very shadow of an old man is better then the eloquence of a young man But because good Counsailes are not in our hands but in Gods hands who Psal 33.10 as Dauid saith Dissipat consilia gentium reprobat consilia principum The Lord bringeth the Counsaile of the Heathen to nought hee maketh the deuises of Princes of none effect Prou. 21.30 And the wisest of Kings tells vs. Non est sapientia non est prudentia non est consilium contra Dominum There is no Wisedome no vnderstanding no Counsell against the Lord. And in humane things there are so many Contingencies that mans wisedome is not alwaies sufficient to determine the best nor to hit aright in his Counsailes vnlesse the Holy Ghost be interuenient interpose it selfe and assist in them For let Priuie-Counsellours beate out their braines with plodding and plotting let them be neuer so vigilant neuer so studious they shall erre in their ayme and shoote beside the burt if hee direct not the arrow of their Councell and wisedome if he do not in Secret illighten their hearts illuminate their vnderstanding and dictate vnto them what they are to doe Which is done by the infusiue gift of the Holy Spirit co-operating in vs which is a diuine impulsion which doth eleuate raise vp our vnderstanding to hit the white and to choose that according to the rule the Diuine Law which is fit to be followed as also to be a voided And this is the gift of Councell giuen by God vnto his friends and such as serue him truly to the end that by his helpe they may light aright vpon that which of themselues they could neuer come 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 Greg. Nyss lib. de lib. arbitrie 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 Galen decognosc curand animi morbis cap. 3. 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 Wisd 4.9 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 quòs tu nosti Numb 11.16 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 y alma 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 Cicero lib. 4. epist fam epist vltima 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 corrigi
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 Tob. 4.19 Consilum semper à sapiente perquire Aske Counsaile alwaies of the wise And in another place Eccl. 6.6 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 other some 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 succeeded 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 sinkes falls from it's state wherin it stood And therefore the holy King sayd Psal 101.6 Oculi 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 question that hath beene much sifted and winowed amongst your Morall Philosophers as also your Diuines whether Election be formally a worke of the Vnderstanding or the Will Gregory Nyssenus saith That it is composed of both partes To wit of the Act of the Will and of the Vnderstanding And hee said well For therein is required both a fullnesse of Knowledge and a freenesse of Will And it is the Doctrine of Diuus Thomas who saith That it is not of the will alone but also of the Vnderstanding because the electiue Act of the Will conference consultation Iudgement is to precede which is the proper Act of the Vnderstanding But the mischiefe of it is That in Elections wee many times see the contrary and what a strange diuorcement and seperation there is heerein from this true Philosophie For that which now a dayes most of all discouers it selfe in these Elections is our proper gust will and affection And therefore to remedy so great a malady it shall be requisite that the Prince who desireth to tread sure to hit the marke he aymes at and to please God in those whom he electeth and calleth to his Counsell that hee follow the Example of our Sauiour Christ written for our instruction by the Euangelists S. Mathew and S. Luke who recounting the Election of S. Peter and of S. Andrew Mat. 4. Luk. 4. 5. and other the Apostles as his principall Ministers there preceded a long and prolixe Oration or prayer full of feruour of zeale and of the Spirit and retyred himselfe into the desart and there fasted 40. dayes Luk. 6.12 Et erat pernoctans in Oratione Dei And continued all night in prayer vnto God Which as S. Ambrose and other fathers haue well obserued Christ did not doe that hee had any neede of these Dispositions and Preambles for to iumpe right in that Election but to teach kings and all other Princes that if they will hit right in their Elections they are to vse the like Diligences They are by good and pious workes to procure this fauour at Gods hands and to direct all their actions to this end Nor would hee that this Election should be left wholly to the declaration of those Saints for our Sauiour did declare himselfe more particularly in the 10. of S. Luke Luk. 10.2 Where speaking with the 70 Disciples which had nominated them he sayd vnto them Messis quidem multa operarij autem pauci rogate ergo Dominum Messis vt mittat operarios in messem suam The Haruest truly is great but the Labourers are few Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Haruest that hee would send forth Labourers into his Haruest And though in those former times these words were very seasonable yet now in this present age it 's necessitie is better knowne as likewise the truth thereof For the Haruests being so many and so great I meane so great and so many the varietie and multitude of important businesses for the welfare of the Common-wealth the Labourers are very few But to expresse my self a little more fully I say That very few are they that enter or seeke to enter into Offices for to labour and paines but for to liue at their pleasure to heape vp riches that they may increase the more in ambition and more freely take their ease The remedie of this consisteth in that which our Sauiour Christ commandeth vs To wit That we indefatigably pray vnto him that he will be pleased to send forth faithfull Ministers and good Labourers into his Common-wealth Ministers of knowen trust zeale vertue to whom may sute the name of Counsellours and not of Babblers of worthy men not of wordly men And kings to whom properly this Office of Election doth belong must put the more force insist the more in this prayer begging that which the wisest of Kings Salomon petitioned of God Da mihi
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 Statua 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 all 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 Plut. lib. 1. Stobaeus Serus 46. 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 of trading that there are few or none but take notice of it They haue the slight of hand and like Gypsies haue a fine facilitie in deceiuing and not hard to be wrought vpon to gaine by this vngodly course And looke what businesse they labour to effect they are vsually the least iustifiable And if they are disposed to fauour this man or that cause and will but set their friends and wits roundly to worke and doe their best they will shrewdly put a Iudge to his shiftes and driue him to that streight that Iustice shall hardly escape a fall I would haue iudges therefore with their hands off and their eyes out least that befall them which did a couple of their place and qualitie who came to see the Processe of a famous but false and loose woman who perceiuing that the reasons of the Relator did worke little vpon them appealed para vista de ojos that shee might appeare face to face and in her information when shee came Ore tenus shee cunningly discouered her beautie by a carelesse letting fall of her mantle and so bewitched them therewith that allowing for good those powerfull witnesses of her eyes and face they released her and gaue her for free But to say the truth it was her loosenesse that freed her and their lightnesse that condemned them making that fault light which before weighed heauie And how shal he freely administer Iustice who hath his heart captiuated and in the power of him and her that can turne and winde him which way they list and wrest him from goodnesse More Iudges haue bin vndone by Lightnesse then by Cruelty The one begetteth feare the other contempt And by the way let them take this lesson a long with them that not onely in reality of truth they conserue their credit without spot but likewise in apparance procure to giue such good Examples that the world may not iustly charge them no not with so much as a discomposed looke neither in the open streete nor Court of Iustice for euery bend from their brow or euery smile from their countenance is the Common peoples Almanack wher-by they make coniecture whether it is like to be faire or fowle weather reading in the face fauour to one and rigour to another Wherefore as their place is great so is their perill The way is slippery wherein they tread and therfore had need looke well to their feete Woe be vnto that Iudge which seeth and seeth not sees the best and followes the worst suffering his reason to be subdued by passion and himselfe by one poore slender haire of a handsome woman to be led by the nose whether shee will leade him For a good face is a tacite kinde of recommendation a faire superscription and a silent deceit which troubles the clearenesse of the minde making white appeare to be blacke and what is iust Exod. 23.8 Leuit. 19.15 to be vniust which was the cause why God commanded the Iudges of Israel that they should remoue their eies from the persons of those that were brought before them and place them wholly on the matter which they were to iudge And for the same reason did the Iudges of Areopagus heare all sortes of causes were they ciuill or criminall in the darke by putting out the Candles And your Athenians did sentence their sutes behind certaine Curtaines which might hinder their sight The Lacedemonians they were a little stricter laced for they did not onely deny eyes to those that went to Law and sued in their courtes but also debard them of eares and because they would prohibit them the power of informing the iustnesse of their cause but
much afterwards much too much and more then too much will not satisfie his hungry mawe Infinita enim est et insatiabilis cupiditatis natura Arist 2. Pol. cap. 5. Eccl. 5.10 Infinite saith Aristotle and insatiable is the gut of couetousnesse And the Holy Ghost tells vs Auarus non implebitur pecunia He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer nor he that loueth aboundance with increase For it is a kind of salte and brackish water wherewith couetous mans thirst cannot be quenched for when he hath taken this and that other and a world of things he gapes still for more He is better satisfied by denying him that which hee desireth then by giuing him that which he craueth And therefore publicke Ministers if wee will credit Diuinitie should be so noble and so free that they should not onely not be couetous but quite opposite thereunto and to hold a particular hatred and perpetuall enmitie with couetousnesse That they should not onely not receiue giftes and presents but that they should hate and abhorre them and cause those to be informed against that either shall giue a bribe or pretend to giue For most true is that saying of the sonne of Sirack Eccl. 20.29 Munera dona excaecant oculos Iudicum Presents and gifts blind the eyes of wise How sone is a couetous man blinded when he beholdes the baite of his Passion Nor is there any thing more often repeated in sacred and prophane writ then the putting vs in minde of force and efficacie which gifts haue to wrest Iustice and peruert iudgement Moses saith of them That they blinde the eyes of the wise and that they turne and winde the words of good men chopping and changing one for another to serue their purpose Exod. 23.8 Qui quaerit Locupletari peruertit oculum suum The gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous By which is vnderstood the Intention which is easily wrested when interest puts to a helping hand which is that Loade-stone which drawes the yron after it and causeth them to erre that suffer themselues to be carryed away therewith If a Iudge be couetously giuen he will soone varie his opinion and make no scruple to condemne the poore who hath nothing to giue him and absolue the rich who giues him all that hee hath For mony is an able Aduocate and pleads hard And Iustice sayth Isidore is strangled with gold The times are ill when that which cannot be obtained by Iustice must be procured by Money Fiue hundred yeares and more was Greece gouerned by Lycurgus his Lawes to the great happinesse of the Naturalls of that Countrie and admiration of strangers without the breach of any one Law by meanes whereof that Common-wealth was sustained with admirable peace and Iustice because priuate interest had no power with the Iudges of the Land But when money came to beare sway and that men tooke pleasure therein and made it their happinesse the Common-wealth was made vnhappy and the Lawes and Iustice were trodden vnder foote He saith the wise man that is greedy of gaine troubleth his own house Qui autem odit munera Prou. 15.27 viuet But hee that hateth gifts shall liue And I doe not see how hee can liue who receiuing so much so often and of so many sees himselfe so laden and so inuironed and beset with obligations which are so opposite and contrary one to another I say contrary because the Pretenders are so amongst 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 Eccl. 10.10 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 Paris de Put. de Sindic c. 2. num 3. That there are more in your publicke Audiences and open Courts then in your Townes and villages And that iust man Iob affirmeth Iob. 12.6 Luc. de Pena in l. Iudices Cod. de Dignitat lib. 12. Isay 1.23 Deut. 27.25 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 so much 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 Psal 26.9 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
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 remitments 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 Psal 2.10 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 Arist 3. de anim Text. 37. lâ—ct 13. D. Tho. Vniuersae creaturae homo est praestantissimus vt inter membra oculus D. Chrys in Hom. 15. in Ioan Quodam modo dum 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 sight 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 Plin. lib. 11. c. 31. Eccl. 19.26 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 beautifull 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 Ambr lib. 6. Exam. 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 indewed 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 and his Ministers exercised in Ierusalem and in other Cities and Townes of the Kingdome of Iudaea of that great Captaine Mattathias and his fiue Sonnes hee speaketh thus Hi vederunt mala quae fiebant in populo Iuda in Ierusalem which the vulgar renders thus Now when they saw the blasphemies 1. Mac. 2.6 which were committed in Iuda and Ierusalem These saith he saw the euills that were committed in Ierusalem And my thinkes here must the question be asked Why all they of that Common-wealth suffering so many oppressions and so many afflictions in their Houses in their own Persons those of their children onely Mattathias and his Sonnes are here said to haue seene these euills and these blasphemies The answer hereunto makes notably for our purpose because it expresseth that which we go inforcing To wit That to see businesses is truely and properly to vnderstand them and to put our helping hand vnto them And because Mattathias and his Sonnes were the onely men that were sensible of the hard measure they receiued and the first that rose vp and opposed themselues against the furie of the Tyrant for the remedying their so many and so great Calamities that sacred Historian saith That they onely had eyes and saw the affliction of Gods people This kinde of sight best be fitteth Kings as they are heads of their Kingdomes and Common-wealthes and it is likewise necessary that they haue their sight Large Cleare and Sharpe that they may reach to see euen those things that are most secret and most remote as doth that princely birde the Eagle which houering aloft in the ayre descryes the fishes that are in the deepe Or be like vnto that Maiesticall Creature the Lyon who
Lib. 1. ff De Iust iâ— 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 Esay 32.17 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 Aug. lib. 4. de ciuit Dei cap. 14. Remota Iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia Take away Iustice and what are kingdomes but Latrocinatious 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 Dominus 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 Isidor lib. Etymol 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 Aug. de Doctr. Christ 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 Aristeas in Hist 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 Ambr. lib. 2. in Luc. Aug. lib. de duâ—de abus 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 comfort of the poore the cure of the sicke Cicero lib. 31 de Officijs Plut in Moral lib. de Doctr. priâ— Lact. Tirmâ—lib 3 cap. 22. lib. lib. 5. cap 5. Scot. lib. 4. Distin 46. q. 3. Anselm in Prosolog Plutarc in Agesilao 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 Firmianus 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 mercie 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 ordred And we cannot indeare it more then in saying That if Iustice should fayle all the Vertues would fayle And if that onely be kept there will be litle neede of the other So said King Agesilaus And it is Aristotles Tenent Arist 3. Top. cap. 2. 1. 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 Cicero lib. 1. de Leg 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 S. Tho. 2. â— q. So. Art 1. Diuus Thomas and others whose names I silence say That 24. Vertues side and take part with her which they tearme Adiutrices 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 Gregor 6. quae tuâ—r modis 11. q. 3. de re iud in 6. cap. 1. and helpe For according to Saint Gregory it hath foure most potent opposites which make the rod of Iustice to bow and turne
nihil permanere sub 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 epulae fiunt quae assiduitate viluerant Feastings please most after fasting which by assiduitie 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 stirring 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 goe can recompence this harme For of more weight and moment is one sinne of theirs which is there committed then all the Almes that are giuen throughout the whole world And we know it is the Apostles rule That we are not either to doe or permit an euill that good may come thereof And that which I know is That they which enter in there doe not come thither to giue an Almes but for those ends and purposes which haue beene sufficiently deliuered and reprehended by many holy Doctours and famous Preachers Nor doth it boote them to say That the people that spend their time in seing of Comedies are there met together to see a harmelesse Interlude Which were they not shut vp in that open Assembly would perhaps be wandring abroad committing worse sinnes which by this Intercourse are excused for in this one particular in this very thing is it plainely to be perceiued how bad Playes be since for their defence they haue neede of the fauour of avoyding a greater euill And in realitie of truth they doe not excuse or diuert sinnes but sinnes are there rather learned the spectators carrying them away with them conceiued in their minds by the ones vaine apprehension and the others fowle and wanton representation and anon after bring forth monstrous birthes And in very truth the troubles and temporall scourges of warre famine and pestilence the many Cities that are battred and beaten downe to the ground and destroyed the persecution and the continuall wants and necessities of these Kingdomes doe not require so many and such contents and reioycings Eccl. 22.6 Musica in luctu importuna narratio saith the Holy Ghost Musick in mourning is as a tale out of season Besides we are to vnderstand that God sendeth these his scourges that wee may feele his stripes and repent and amend our sinfull liues And therefore the Prophet Esay representeth the wrath which God had conceiued against his people because they were not sensible of his chasticements Et non est reuersus ad percutientem se et Dominum non inquifierunt The people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of Hostes Haue yee seene the like dullnesse in any nation That God chastising them they will not so much as turne backe their eyes and craue pardon and forgiuenes of him that is whipping of them and goes increasing their punishment There is no demonstration of sorrow in them but they goe on still in their pleasures and delights Isay 22.12 Vocauit Dominus Deus ad fletum ad planctum ad caluitiem ad cingulum sacci et eccè gaudium et laetitia occidere vitulos et iugulare arietes comedere carnes et bibere vinum Comedamus et bibamus cras enim moriemur The Lord God of Hostes calls to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sack cloth and behold ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye God hauing called them to repentance with a desire to pardon them they answer him with quite contrary exercises and in stead of weeping fal into extraordinary laughing and in stead of sack-cloath put on rich and glorious apparrel and in stead of fasting betake themselues to feasting in stead of sobbs and sighes to sports and pleasures Which preposterous kinde of course did offend God in that high degree that he threatned to shut the gate of mercy against those that shut the doore of their hearts against sorrow and repentance Et reuelata est in auribus meis vox Domini Ibi. 14 non dimittetur iniquitas haec vobis donec moriamur dicit Dominus And it was reuealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till yee dye saith
in his head hee will presently out with it But a wise man will not speake all that hee knowes And therfore 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 Psal 52.2 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 Prou. 18.21 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 Prou. 13.3 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 Vniuersitas iniquitatis Iam. 3.6 Wherein is read a Lecture of all the Vices Whereas on the contrary Vir prudens secreta non prodit Tacenda enim tacet et loquenda loquitur Seneca lib 4. de Virtut 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 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 fraeno maxillas eorum constringe Psal 31.92 Iames 3.8 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 Bern. lib. 2. de Conside ad Eugen. aut detrahentem audire quid horum damnabilius sit non facile dixerim To detract or to heare him that detracteth which is the more damnable I cannot easily define But more especially in Kings persons of authoritie who with a blast only of their breath or with a sower looke may make them hold their peace I leaue the charge of this vnto them and charge their consciencs with it And for the discharge of mine owne I will now aduertise them of another sort of people whom for their tongue and talke none can exceede §. IIII. Of Flatterers and their Flatteries AMongst those infinite hurtes and mischiefes which an euill tongue causeth one amongst the rest and not the least is that of Adulation and flattery Which is so much the greater by how much the more dissembled and feigned it is The sacred Scripture tearmes it absolutely a sinne and says that a flatterer is absolutely a sinner So some doe paraphrase vpon that Verse Oleum autem peccatoris The oyle or balme of a sinner For in it is included all sortes of sinne whatsoeuer and aboue all a great neglect and contempt of God for although this be to be seene in all kinde of sinnes yet doth it more particularly expresse it selfe in those which draw not with them any delight which they doe as it were vnprofitably and sine pretio for it brings them no profit at all vnlesse when most a little Vanitie which they more esteeme then God These that they may gaine the kings elbowe or that they may not bee put from it speake alwayes vnto him in fauour of that which hee desireth and all their Artifice and cunning is to conceale the Truth and that the doore may be shut against him that may tell it him or those that know not like themselues how to please the Kings palate And being confident that they will giue eare to euery word which they speake they lay falsehoods and lyes athwart their way fathering such Actions of Prowesse and valour vpon Kings that they haue much adoe to for-beare laughing that heare their folly For there are some prayses that are dis-prayses and redound much to the disgrace and dishonour of Princes For by those vntruths wherewith they sooth and flatter them they breed suspition of that good which is in them And because they make pleasing the marke whereat they shoote they neuer looke whether it be a lye or a truth which they deliuer nor haue an eye more vnto good then ill iuste or vniust against God or his neighbour all is one Cannonizing their King for
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 our of this trunke onely nay this little chip mâ—â— 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 Calidirie Humidiâ—â—â— and Siccitie and some other 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 Arist lib. 2. de â—ui c. 17. 27. 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 delicate 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 Greg. Nit. de homi opifici 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 manu tentans said Saint Peter and S. Ambrose Quod Tactu probamus 2 Pet. Ambr. lib. 6. Exam c. 9. 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 Basil lib. de verâ— Virginit 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 therewith 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 Bern. de interiâ— domo c. 39. 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 sed and make so much of themselues they are more subiect thereunto for that their naturall condition conformes it selfe more to it 's guste pleasure and is a great friend of Regalas of daintinesse and nice vsage of fine linnen soft raiment choice deliacies and all that which causeth delight prouoketh pleasure And in Courts and Kings Pallaces and in the houses of Princes and great Persons Luk. 7.25 these things are in greatest request Ecce qui in veste pretiosa sunt delicijs in domibus Regum sunt Behold they which are gorgeously apparelled and liue delicately are in Kings Courts So says our Sauiour Christ And many dangers doe they runne who measure out all their life by the Compasse of Contents and passe times that goe cloathed in Silkes and Veluetts and are continually conuersant amidst the sweetest perfumes the purest Holland the finest Damaske and the richest cloathes of Silke and Gold Yet for all this doe not I say That Princes and great Lords liuing in this State and Pompe cannot eo nomine bee saued but to shew that in all Estates there is a great deale of danger but much more in your daintier and nicer sort of people Nor will I with all my force straine this vnto Kings as well witting what their Estate and Greatnesse doth admit and require And that as Nature did difference them from the rest both in blood and birth so likewise ought there to be a distinction in their diet raiment and in the furnishing and adorning of their houses But I say that which cannot be denied that in excuse of this their state and conueniencie they take vnto themselues heerein too large a licence and passe to soone from the foote to the hand from the hand to the mouth making of an inch an ell and of an elll an Aker So hard a matter is in for great Princes to moderate themselues and vse a meane And that Heathen was not much wide of the marke who sayd in the Senate That that is an vnfortunate Estate that obligeth a man to liue alwayes vp to the eyes grazing in his pleasures and delightes And that it is a very bad O
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 sor◠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 Cicero lib. 2. de sin Aug. lib. de moribus 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 Dionis 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 S. Prosper lib. 3. de vita Contemp. cap 19. 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 Arist 6. Ethic. cap 5. 6. 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 S. Leo. Serm. de Ieiun aciem mentis obtundi vigorem cordis hebetari It is made good by daily experience that facietie of drinke dulleth the edge of the minde and blunteth the vigour of the heart Temperance likewise 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 Eccl. 30.14 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 Cate that hee gouerned his house increased his wealth preserued his health and in larged his life by Temperance In multis escis erit infirmitas saith Ecclesiasticus Qui autem abstinens est adijciet vitam Exceste of meates bringeth sicknesse By surfeiting haue many perished but hee that taketh heede prolongeth his life King Māsinoja 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 Plin. 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 Soldiers 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 Eccl. 10.17 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 being iust like vnto him hath a great and precise obligation lying vpon him both by his life and example to giue life vnto his kingdome and to set himselfe as a patterne before his subiects that and they being that mysticall bodie whereof he is the head And see what dependencie the members in mans bodie haue on the head the same or little lesse haue subiects on their Kings And if that be sound and good it is well with all the members but if ill affected all of them suffer with it The Prouerbe saith Cum caput dolet catera membra dolent When the head aketh the rest of the members ake with it And as it is so true as nothing more so is it more in Common-wealths then mens bodies For as the humours of these are in or out of order according to those which the head communicateth vnto them So likewise the composition of a whole kingdome dependeth on the good or ill composition of their King and Head Whence it followeth that the same necessitie which a body hath of a good head the very selfesame hath a kingdome of a good King being that he as hee is King as already hath beene deliuered doth therein supply the Office of the Head And therefore it was well said of Plato That the inclining of a King to good or ill is the inclining of the whole kingdome according to his scale
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 Statuae◠so vnprofitable as are such men being not good enough to be staues 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 aduertise 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 cares 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 nor 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 dis 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 Subiects treating them as if they were his children and procuring that not any one of them may depart discontented from his presence which would be the the onely Load-stone to draw all their loue and affection towards him So did that great Fauourite of the King of Syria Naaman whom all the people with a full and open mouth called Father corresponding with him in the loue of so many sonnes or children For those that are seated in so high a place haue great cause for many reasons to procure publike loue and together with the grace of their Prince to haue the good wills and affections of the people for this makes the other to be more durable and firme For this