Character. Principis. Alexander magnus. If men did know, what shining fetters, guilded miseries, and painted happinesse, Thrones and Scepters were. There would not bee so frequent strife about the getting, or holding of them. There would be more Principalities, then Princes. For a Prince is the Pastor of the people. Hee ought to sheere, no to flea his sheepe; to take their fleeces, not their fels. Who were his enemies before, being a private man, become his children, now hee is publike. Hee is the soule of the Common-wealth; and ought to cherish it, as his owne body. Alexander the Great was wont to say: Hee hated that Gardiner, that pluck'd his herbes, or flowers up by the roots. A man may milke a beast, till the blood come: (107) Churne milke, and it yeeldeth butter: but wring the More mon nose, and the blood followeth. Hee is an ill Prince, that so puls his Subjects feathers, as hee would not have them grow againe: that makes his Exchequer a receipt for the spoyles of those hee governs. No, let him keepe his owne, not affect his Subjects: strive rather to be call'd just, then powerfull. Not, like the Romans Tyrans, affect the Surnames that grow by humane slaughters: Neither to seeke warre in peace, or peace in warre; but to observe faith given, though to an Enemy. Study Piety toward the Subject: Shew care to defend him. Bee slow to punish in diverse cases; but be a sharpe, and severe Revenger of open crimes. Breake no decrees, or dissolve no orders, to slacken the strength of Lawes. Choose neither Magistrates civill, or Ecclesiastick, by favour, or Price: but with long disquisition, and report of their worth, by all Suffrages. Sell no honours, nor give them hastily; but bestow them with counsell, and for reward; If hee doe acknowledge it, (though late) and mend it. For Princes are easie to be deceiv'd. And what wisdome can escape it; where so many CourtArts are studied? But above all, the Prince is to remember, that when the great day of Account comes, which neither Magistrate, nor Prince can shunne, there will be requir'd of him a reckoning for those, whom hee hath trusted; as for himselfe, which hee must provide. And if Piety be wanting in the Priests, Equity in the Iudges, or the Magistrate be found rated at a price; what Iustice or Religion is to be expected? which are the only two Attributes make Kings a kinne to Gods; and is the Delphick sword, both to kill Sacrifices, and to chastise offenders. When a vertuous man is rais'd, it brings gladnesse De Grato his friends: griefe to his enemies, and glory to his tiofis. Posterity. Nay his honours are a great part of the honour of the times: when by this meanes he is growne to active men, an example; to the sloathfull, a spurre; to the envious, a Punishment. Hæredes Hee, which is sole heire to many rich men, having Divites. (beside his Fathers, and Vncles) the states of diverse his kindred come to him by accession; must needs bee richer then Father, or Gran-father: So they which are left heires ex Asse, of all their Ancestors vices; ex Asse. and by their good husbandry improve the old, and daily purchase new; must needs be wealthier in vice, and have a greater revenue, or stock of ill to spend on. The great theeves of a State are lightly the officers Publici. Fures Iuvenalis. -Plautus. of the Crowne; they hang the lesse still; play the Pikes in the Pond; eate whom they list. The Net was never spread for the Hawke or Buzzard that hurt us, but the harmelesse birds, they are good meate. Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. But they are not alwayes safe, though especially, when they meet with wise Masters. They can take downe all the huffe, and swelling of their lookes; and like dexterous Auditors, place the Counter, where he Lewis xi. shall value nothing. Let them but remember Lewis the eleventh, who to a Clarke of the Exchequer, that came to be Lord Treasurer, and had (for his device) represented himselfe sitting upon fortunes wheele: told him, hee (108) might doe well to fasten it with a good strong nayle, lest turning about, it might bring him, where hee was againe. As indeed it did. De bonis De Innocentiâ. Autoluogr A good man will avoide the spot of any sinne. The very aspersion is grievous: which makes him choose his way in his life, as hee would in his journey. The Ill-man rides through all confidently; hee is coated, and booted for it. The oftner hee offends, the more openly; and the fowler, the fitter in fashion. His modesty like a riding Coat, the more it is worne, is the lesse car'd for. It is good enough for the durt still; and the wayes he travels in. An Innocent man needs no Eloquence: his Innocence is in stead of it: else I had never come off so many times from these Precipices, whether mens malice hath pursued me. It is true, I have beene accus'd to the Lords, to the King; and by great ones: but it hap'ned my accusers had not thought of the Accusation with themselves; and so were driven for want of crimes, to use invention, which was found slander: or too late, (being entred so farre) to seeke starting holes for their rashnesse, which were not given them. And then they may thinke, what accusation that was like to prove, when they, that were the Ingineers, fear'd to be the Authors. Nor were they content, to faine things against mee, but to urge things fain'd by the Ignorant, against my profession; which though from their hired, and mercenary impudence, I might have past by, as granted to a Nation of Barkers, that let out their tongues to lick others sores; yet I durst not leave my selfe undefended, having a paire of eares unskilfull to heare lyes; or have those things said of me, which I could truly prove of them. They objected, making of verses to me, when I could object to most of them, their not being able to reade them, but as worthy of scorne. Nay, they would offer to urge mine owne Writings against me; but by em pieces, (which was an excellent way of malice) as if any mans Context, might not seeme dangerous, and offensive, if that which was knit, to what went before, were defrauded of his beginning; or that things by themselves utter'd, might not seeme subject to Calumnie, which read entire, would appeare most free. At last they upbraided my poverty; I confesse,de cwn in shee is my Domestick; sober of diet, simple of habit; frugall, painefull; a good Counsellor to me; that Amor nummi. keepes me from Cruelty, Pride, or other more delicate impertinences; which are the Nurse-children of Riches. But let them looke over all the great, and monstruous wickednesses, they shall never find those in poore families. They are the issue of the wealthy Giants, and the mighty Hunters: Whereas no great worke, or worthy of praise, or memory, but came out of poore cradles. It was the ancient poverty, that founded Common-weales; built Cities, invented Arts, made wholesome Lawes; armed men against vices; rewarded them with their owne vertues; and preserv'd the honour, and state of Nations, till they betray'd themselves to Riches. Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himselfe to the Law of nature, is not onely without the sense, but the feare of poverty. O! but to strike blind the people with our wealth, and Declan pompe, is the thing! what a wretchednesse is this, to етер thrust all our riches outward, and be beggars within: to contemplate nothing, but the little, vile, and sordid things of the world; not the great, noble, and pretious? wee serve our avarice, and not content with the good of the Earth, that (109) is offer'd us; wee search, and digge for the evill that is hidden. God offer'd us those things, and plac'd them at hand, and neere us, that hee knew were profitable for us; but the hurtfull hee laid deepe, and hid. Yet doe wee seeke onely the things, whereby wee may perish; and bring them forth, when God and nature hath buried them. Wee covet super-fluous things; when it were more honour for us, if wee could contemne necessary. What need |