AS HE CANNOT BE thought worthie to rule and command o­thers, that cannot rule and dantone his owne proper affections and vnreasonable appetites, The true grounde of good gouernment so can he not be thought worthie to gouerne a Christian people knowing and fea­ring God, that in his own person and harte, feareth not and loueth not the Diuine Majestie. Neither can any thing in his gouernment succeed wel with him (deuise and laboure as he list) as cōming from a filthy spring, if his person be vnsanctified: Psalme 127.1 for (as that royall prophet saith) Except the Lorde [Page 2]build the house, they laboure in vaine that builde it: except the Lord keepe the Citie, the keepers watche it in vaine: in respect the blessing of God hath onlie power to giue the successe thereunto: and as Paul saith, 1. Cor. 3.6. he planteth, Apollos wa­tereth; but it is GOD only that giueth the increase. Therefore (my Sonne) first of all things, learne to know and loue that God, Double bonde of a Prince to God. whome-to ye haue a double obligation; first, for that he made you a man; and next, for that he made you a little God to sitte on his throne, and rule ouer other men. Remember, that as in dignitie he hath erected you aboue others, so ought ye in thankfulnesse towardes him, goe as farre beyond all others. A moate in anothers eye, is a beame in­to yours: a blemish in another, is a le­prouse byle into you: and a veniall sinne (as the papists call it) in another, is a greate cryme into you. Thinke not therefore, The greatnes of the fault of a Prince. that the highnes of your dignity diminisheth your faults (muche lesse giueth you a licence to sinne) but by the contrarie, your fault [Page 3]shall be aggrauated, according to the height of your dignity; any sinne that ye committe, not being a single sinne procuring but the fall of one; but be­ing an exemplare sinne, & therefore drawing with it the whole multitude to be guiltie of the same. Remember then, that this glistering worldly glo­rie of Kings, is giuen them by God, The true glory of Kings. to teache them to preasse so to glister & shine before their people, in al works of sanctification & righteousnes, that their persons as brighte lampes of godlines and vertue may, going in & out before their people, giue light to all their steppes. Remember also, that by the right knowledge, and feare of God (whiche is the beginning of wise­dome, Prov. 9.10. as Salomon saith) ye shall know all the thinges necessary for the dis­charge of your duety, both as a chri­stian, & as a King; seeing in him, as in a mirrour, the course of all earthly things, whereof he is the spring and onely moouer.

Now, The means to know god the onely way to bring you to this knowledge, is diligently to [Page 4]reade his word, and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof. Searche the Scriptures, Iohn. 5.39. saith Christ, for they beare testimonie of me: and the whole Scripture, saith Paul, is giuen by in­spiration of God, & is profitable to teache, to conuince, 2. Tim. 3.16.17. to correcte, & to instructe in righteousnes; that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfite vnto all good workes. And most properlie of any other, belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings, Deut. 17. since in that parte of Scripture, where the godly Kings are first made mention off, that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God, there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and comman­dement giuen them, to read and me­ditate in the lawe of God. I ioyne to this, the careful hearing of the doc­trine with attendance and reuerence: For faith commeth by hearing, Rom. 10.17. saith the same Apostle. But aboue all, beware ye wreast not the word to your own appetite, as ouer many doe, making it like a Bell to sound as ye please to in­terprete: but by the contrary, frame [Page 5]all your affections, to follow precise­ly the rule there set downe.

The whole Scripture cheefly con­tayneth two things: a command, Wherein chieflie the whole Scripture consisteth. and a prohibitiō; to do suche things, & to abstaine from the contrarie. Obey in both; neither thinke it ynough to ab­staine from euill, & doe no good: nor thinke not that if ye doe many good things, it maye serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith. And as in these two poyntes, the whole Scripture principally consisteth, Two de­grees of the seruice of God. so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man: interior, or vpwarde; exterior, or downewarde: the first, by prayer in faith towardes God; the next, by workes flowing therefra before the worlde: whiche is nothing else, but the exercise of Religion towardes God, and of equi­tie towardes your neighbour.

As for the particular poyntes of Religion, I neede not to delate them; I am no hypocrite, A reoar­dable pa­terne. follow my foote­steppes, and your owne present e­ducation therein. I thanke God, I [Page 6]was neuer ashamed to giue accounte of my profession, howsoeuer the ma­litious lying tongues of some haue traduced me: and if my conscience had not resolued me, that all my Re­ligion presently professed by me and my kingdome, was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture, without the whiche all points of Re­ligion are superfluous, as any thing contrary to the same is abhominati­on, I had neuer outwardly avowed it, for pleasure or awe of any fleshe.

And as for the poyntes of equitie towardes your neighbour (because that will fall in properly, vpon the se­cond part concerning a Kings office) I leaue it to the owne roome.

For the firste parte then of mans seruice to his God, whiche is Religi­on, Religion that is, the worship of God accor­ding to his reuealed will, it is whol­ly grounded vpon the Scripture, as I haue alreadie saide, quickened by faith, and conserued by conscience. For the Scripture, I haue now spo­ken of it in generall: but that ye may [Page 7]the more readely, make choise of any parte thereof, for your instruction or comforte, remember shortly this me­thode.

The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods spirit, thereby, The me­thode of scripture. as by his Iluely worde, to instruct and rule the whole Churche militant to the end of the worlde. It is composed of two partes, the Olde and new Testament. The grounde of the former is the Lawe, whiche sheweth our sinne, and con­taineth justice: the grounde of the o­ther is Christ, who pardoning sinne containeth grace. The summe of the Lawe is the ten Commandementes, more largelie delated in the bookes of Moses, Of the Lawe. interpreted and applyed by the Prophets, and by the histories, ar the examples shewed of obedi­ence or disobedience thereto, and what praemium or poena was accor­dingly giuen by God. But because no man was able to keepe the Lawe, nor any parte thereof, it pleased God of his infinite wisdome and good­nesse, to incarnate his only Sonne in [Page 8]our nature, for satisfaction of his iu­stice in his suffering for vs: that since we could not be saued by doing, we might at least, besaued by beleeuing.

The grounde therfore of the word of grace, Of Grace. is contained in the foure hi­stories of the birthe, life, death, resur­rection and ascention of Christ. The larger interpretation and vse thereof, is contained in the Epistles of the A­postles: and the practise in the faith­full or vnfaithfull, with the history of the infancy and first progresse of the churche is contayned in their Actes.

Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe? Vse of the Lawe. read the bookes of Mo­ses contayning it. Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon? Reade the Prophets, and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbs & Ecclesiastes, written by that great paterne of wisdome Salo­mon; whiche will not onlie serue you for instruction, howe to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God, but is also so full of golden sentences, & morall precepts, in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the [Page 9]worlde, as amonge all the prophane Philosophers and Poets, ye shall not find so riche a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome, agreing with the will & diuine wisedome of God. Would ye see how good men are re­warded, and wicked punished? looke the historicall partes of these same bookes of Moses, together with the histories of Iosua, the Iudges, Ezra, Ne­hemiah, Esther, and Iob: but especiallie the bookes of the Kings, and Chroni­cles, wherewith ye ought to be fami­liarly acquainted: for there shall ye see your selfe, as in a mirrour, in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings.

Would ye knowe the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ? Vse of the Gospell. reade the Euangelistes. Would ye be more particularlie trayned vp in his Schoole? meditate vpon the Epi­stles of the Apostles. And would ye be acquainted with the practizes of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue churche? Cast vp the Apo­stles Actes. And as to the Apocriphe [Page 10]bookes, I omitte them, because I am no Papist, as I saide before, & indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirite of God.

But when ye reade the Scripture, Howe to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste hart: admire reuerētly suche obscure places as ye vnderstand not, blaming only your owne capacitie: read with delight the plaine places, and studie carefullye to vnderstand those that are somewhat difficile: preasse to be a good textuare; for the Scripture is euer the best interpreter of it selfe. But preasse not curiously to seeke out farther then is contained therein; for that were ouer vnmanerly a pre­sumption, to striue to be further vp­on Gods secreats, then he hath will ye be: for what he thought needfull for vs to knowe, that hath he reuea­led there. And delyte most in rea­ding suche partes of the Scripture, as may best serue for your instruction in your calling; rejecting foolish cu­riosities vpon genealogies and con­tentions, Tit. 3.9. whiche are but vaine and pro­fit [Page 11]not, as Paul saith.

Now, as to Faith, whiche is the nourisher and quickner of Religion, Faith the nourisher of Religi­on. as I haue alreadie said, It is a sure per­swasion & apprehension of the pro­mises of God, applying them to your soule: and therefore may it iustly be called, the golden chaine that linketh the faithfull soule to Christ. And be­cause it groweth not in our gardē, but is the free gift of God, Philip. 1.29. as the same Apo­stle saith, it muste be nourished by prayer, whiche is nothing else, but a freindly talking with God.

As for teaching you the forme of your prayers, Praier & whence to learne the best forme thereof. the Psalmes of Da­uid are the meetest schoole-maister that ye can be acquainted with (nixt the prayer of our Sauiour, whiche is the only rule of prayer) whereout of as of most riche and pure fountaines, ye may learne all forme of prayer necessary for your cōfort at all occa­sions. And so much the fitter ar they for you, then for the cōmon sorte, in respect the composer thereof was a King: & therefore best behoued to [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 12]know a Kings wants, & what things were meetest to be required by a king at Gods hand for remedy thereof.

Vse often to pray when ye are quyetest, Seuerall exercise of prayer. especially forgette it not in your bed howe oft soeuer ye doe it at other times: for publick prayer ser­ueth as muche for exāple, as for any particular comfort to the supplicant.

In your prayer, be neither ouer strange with God, What rule or regard to be vsed in prayer. like the ignorant common sort, that prayeth nothing but out of books; nor yet ouer home­lie with him, like some of the vaine Pharisaicall puritanes, that thinke they rule him vpon their fingers. The former way will breede an vn­couth coldnes in you towardes him, the other will breede in you a con­tempt of him. But in your prayer to God speake with all reuerence: for if a subject, will not speake but reue­rently to a King, muche lesse should any flesh presume to talke with God as with his companion.

Craue in your prayer, What to craue of God. not onelie things spirituall, but also things tem­porall, [Page 13]sometimes of greater, & some times of lesse consequence; that ye may lay vp in store his grant of these thinges, for confirmation of your faith, and to be an arles-penny vnto you of his loue. Pray, as ye find your harte moueth you, pro re natà: but see that ye sute no vnlawfull thinges, as reuenge, luste, or suche like: for that prayer can not come of faith: Rom. 14.23. and whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne, as the Apostle saith.

When ye obtaine your prayer, Howe to interpret the issue of prayer. Luke 18. thanke him joyfully therefore: if o­therwaies, beare patiētly, preassing to winne him with importunitie, as the widow did the vnrighteous Iudge: & if notwithstanding thereof ye be not heard, assure your self, God foreseeth that whiche ye aske is not for your weale: and learne in time, so to inter­prete all the aduersities that God shall send vnto you; so shall ye in the middest of them, not onlie be armed with patience, but joyfully lift vp your eyes from the present trouble, to the happie ende that God will [Page 14]turne it to. And when ye find it once so fall out by proofe, arme your selfe with the experience thereof againste the next trouble, assuring your selfe, thogh ye can not in time of the showre see through the cloud, yet in the end, shall ye find, God sent it for your weale, as ye founde in the for­mer.

And as for conscience, Consci­ence the conseruer of Reli­gion. whiche I called the conseruer of Religion, It is nothing else, but the light of know­ledge that God hath planted in man, whiche euer watching ouer all his a­ctions, as it beareth him a joyfull te­stimonie when he does right, so choppeth it him with a feeling that he hath done wrong, when euer he committeth any sinne. And surely, althogh this conscience be a great torture to the wicked, yet is it as great a comforte to the godlie, if we will consider it rightly. For haue we not a great aduantage, that haue within our selues while we liue heere, a counte booke & inuentarie of all the crymes that we shall be accused of, either at [Page 15]the houre of our death, The inuentarie of our life. or at the great day of judgement; whiche when we please (yea though we forgette) will choppe, and remember vs to look v­pon it; that while we haue leasure & are heere, we may remember to a­mende; & so at the day of our tryall, Reu. 7.14. compeare with new & whyte garments washed in the blood of the Lambe, as S. Iohn saith. Aboue all then, my Sonne, laboure to keepe sounde this consci­ence, whiche many prattle of, but o­uer fewe feele: especially be carefull to keepe it free from two diseases, wherewith it vseth oft to be infected; to wit, Leaprosie, & superstition: The diseases of con­science. 1. Tim. 4.2. the former is the mother of Atheisme, the other of Heresies. By a leaprouse consciēce, I meane a cauterized consci­ence, as Paul calleth it, being become senselesse of sinne, through sleeping in a carelesse security, as King Dauids was, after his murther & adultery, e­uer till he was wakened by the pro­phet Nathans similitude. And by su­perstition, I meane, when one re­straines himselfe to any other rule in [Page 16]the seruice of God, then is warranted by the worde, the onlie true square of Gods seruice.

As for a preseruatiue against this Leaprosie, Preseruatiue a­gainst leaprosie of consciēce. remember euer once in the foure and twentie houres, either in the night, or when ye are at grea­test quyet, to call your self to account of all your last dayes actiones, either wherein ye haue committed thinges ye should not, or omitted the thinges ye should doe, either in your Christi­an or Kinglie calling: and in that ac­counte, let not your selfe be smooth­ed ouer with that flattering [...], whiche is ouer kindlie a sicknes to all mankinde: but censure your selfe as sharply, as if ye were your owne ene­mie: 1. Cor. 11.31. For if ye iudge your selfe, ye shall not be iudged, as the Apostle saith: and then according to your censure, re­forme your actions as far as ye may; eschewing euer, wilfully and witting­ly to contrare your conscience. For a small sinne wilfullie committed, with a deliberate resolution to breake the bridle of conscience therein, is [Page 17]farre more grieuous before God, then a greater sinne committed in a suddaine passion, when conscience is a sleepe. Last ac­counte. Remember therefore in all your actions, of the greate ac­counte that ye are one day to make: in all the dayes of your life euer lear­ning to dye, and liuing euerie day as it were your last; ‘Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supre­mum. Horat. lib. 1. epist’

And therefore, I woulde not haue you to pray with the Papistes, to bee preserued from suddaine death, but that God would giue you grace so to liue, as ye may euerie houre of your life be readie for death: True For­titude. so shall ye at­taine to the vertue of true Fortitude, neuer being affraide for the horror of death, come when he list. And especi­allie, beware to offend your con­science, with vse of swearing or ly­ing, suppose but in jeste; Foolishe vse of oathes. for oathes are but an vse, and a sinne cloathed with no delite nor gaine, & therfore the more inexcusable euen in the sight of men: & lying commeth also [Page 18]muche of a vile vse, whiche banni­sheth shame. Therfore beware euen to denie the trueth, whiche is a sorte of lye, that may best be eschewed by a person of your ranke. For if any thing be asked at you that ye thinke not meete to reueale, if ye saie, that question is not pertinent for them to aske, who dare examine you fur­ther? and vsing sometimes this an­swere both in true and false thinges that shall be asked at you, suche vn­mannerlie people will neuer be the wiser thereof.

And for keeping your conscience sound from that siknes of superstiti­on, Against superstitiō ye must neither lay the safetie of your conscience vpon the credite of your owne conceits, nor yet of o­ther mens humours, howe great do­ctors of divinitie that euer they be: but ye must only ground it vpon the expresse Scripture: For conscience not grounded vpon sure knowledge, is either an ignorant fantasy, or an ar­rogant vanitie. Beware therefore in this case with two extremities: the [Page 19]one, to beleeue with the Papists, the Churches authority, better thē your owne knowledge: th'other to leane, with the Anabaptistes, to your owne conceits and dreamed revelations.

But learne wisely to discerne be­twixt points of saluation and indiffe­rent things, Differēce of inter­nal & externall things. betwixt substance and ceremonies; and betwixt the expres commandement and will of God in his word, and the invention or ordi­nance of man: since all that is neces­sarie for saluation is contained in the Scripture. For in any thing that is ex­preslie commanded or prohibited in the booke of God, ye cannot be ouer precise, euen in the least thing; coun­ting euerie sinne, not according to the light estimation, & common vse of it in the world, but as the booke of God counteth of it. But as for all other things not contained in the Scripture, spare not to vse or alter them, as the necessitie of the time shall require. Account of things externall. And when any of the spirituall office-bearers in the Churche, speaketh vnto you any [Page 20]thing that is well warranted by the word, reuerence and obey them as the heraulds of the most high God: but, if passing that bounds, they vrge you to embrace any of their fanta­sies in the place of Gods word, or would colour their particulars with a pretended zeale, acknowledge thē for no other then vaine men, excee­ding the bounds of their calling; and according to your office, grauely & with authority redact them in or­dour againe.

To conclude then, Conclusi­en. both this pur­pose of conscience, and the first part of this booke; Keepe God more spa­ringly in your mouth, but aboun­dantly in your hart: be precise in ef­fect, but sociall in shew: kythe more by your deedes thē by your wordes the loue of vertue & hatred of vice: and delight more to be godlie and verteous in deed, then to be thought and called so; expecting more for your praise and rewarde in heauen, then heere: & apply to all your out­ward actions Christes commande, [Page 21]to pray and giue your almes secret­ly: So shall ye on the one part be in­wardly garnished with true Christi­an humilitie, not outwardly (with the proud Pharisie) glorying in your godlinesse: but saying, as Christ commandeth vs all, when we haue done all that we can, Luke 10.17. Inutiles serui su­mus. And on the other part, ye shall eschew outwardly before the worlde, the suspition of fil­thie proud hypocrisie and de ceitfull dis­simulation.

BVT as ye are clothed with two callings, so must ye be alike care­full for the discharge of them both: that as ye are a good Christian, so ye may be a good King, discharging your of­fice (as I shewed before) in the points of justice and aequity: The office of a King whiche in two sundry waies ye must doe: the one, in establishing and executing, Plato in Polit. Isocr. in Sym. (whiche is the life of the lawe) good lawes among your people: the other, by your behauiour in your owne person, and with your seruantes, to teache your people by your exam­ple: [Page 24]for people are naturallie inclined to counterfaite (like apes) their Prin­ces maners, Plato in Polit. according to the notable saying of Plato, Claudian. in 4. cons. Hon. expressed by the Poet

For the part of making, and execu­ting of lawes, consider first the true difference betwixt a lawfull good King, and an vsurping Tyran, and ye shal the more easily vnderstand your duetie herein: Differēce of a King & a tyrā. for contraria iuxta sepo­sita magis elucescunt. The one acknow­ledgeth himselfe ordained for his people, Plato in Polit. hauing receaued from God a burthen of gouernment whereof he must be count-able: the other thin­keth his people ordayned for him, Arist. 5. Polit. a pray to his passions & inordinate ap­petites, as the fruites of his magnani­mitie. And therefore, as their endes are directly contrarie, so are their whole actions, as meanes, whereby they preasse to attaine to their ends: [Page 25]A good King, thinking his highest honor to consist in the due discharge of his calling, employeth all his stu­die and paines, Xen. 8. Cyr. Cic. lib. 5. de Rep. to procure and main­taine, by the making and execution of good lawes, the well-fare and peace of his people; and as their na­turall father & kindly maister, thin­keth his greatest contentment stan­deth in their prosperity, and his grea­test suretie in hauing their harts, sub­iecting his owne priuate affections and appetites to the weale and stan­ding of his subiectes, euer thinking the common interesse his cheefest particulare: where by the contrarie, an vsurping Tyran, thinking his grea­test honour and felicitie to consist in attaining perfas, vel nefas, to his am­bitious pretenses, Arist. 5. Polit. Tacit. 4. hist. thinketh neuer himself sure, but by the dissention & factions among his people; & coun­terfaiting the Sainte while he once creepe in credite, will then (by inver­ting all good lawes to serue only for his vnrulie priuate affections) frame the common-weale euer to advance [Page 26]his particular: building his surety vp­on his peoples miserie: and in the end (as a step-father and an vncouth hireling) make vp his owne hand vp­on the ruines of the Republick. And according to their actions, so receiue they their rewarde. The issue and re­wards of a good King. For a good King (after a happy and famous reigne) dieth in peace, lamented by his sub­jects, & admired by his neighbours; and leauing a reverent renowne be­hinde him in earth, Cic. 6. de Rep. obtaineth the crowne of eternal felicity in heauen. And althogh some of them (whiche falleth out very rarelie) may be cut off by the treason of some vnnaturall subjectes, yet liueth their fame after them, and some notable plague fai­leth neuer to ouer-take the commit­ters in this life, besides their infamie to all posterities heerafter. The issue of Tyrans Arist. 5. Polit. Isocr. in Sym. Where by the cōtrarie, a Tyrannes miserable & infamous life, armeth in end his own subjects to become his burreaux: & although that rebellion be euer vn­lawfull on their part, yet is the world so wearied of him, that his fall is lit­tle [Page 27]meaned by the rest of his subjects, and but smyled at by his neighbours. And besides the infamous memorie he leaueth behinde him heere, & the endles paine he sustaineth hereafter, it oft falleth out, that the commit­ters not only escape vnpunished, but farther, the fact will remaine as al­lowed by the lawe in diuerse ages thereafter. It is easie then for you (my Sonne) to make a choise of one of these two sortes of rulers, by follow­ing the way of vertue to establishe your standing; yea, incase ye fell in the high way, yet should it be with the honourable reporte, and just re­grate of all honest men.

And therefore to returne to my purpose anent the gouernement of your subjects, Anent the ma­king of lawes. by making and putting good lawes to execution; I remit the making of them to your owne discretion, as ye shall finde the neces­sitie of new-rising corruptions to re­quire them: for, ex malis moribus bonae leges nata sunt: besides, that in this [Page 28]country, we haue already moe good lawes then are well execute, and am onely to insist in your forme of go­vernmēt anent their execution. On­lie rmember, that as Parliamentes haue bene ordained for making of lawes, so ye abuse not their instituti­on, in holding them for any mens particulars. The au­thority & true vse of Parli­aments. For as a Parliament is the honorablest and highest judgement in the land (as being the Kings head Courte) if it be well vsed, whiche is by making of good lawes in it; so is it the in-justest judgement-seate that may be, L. 12. Tab. being abused to mens parti­culars: irreuocable decreits against particulare parties being giuen ther­in vnder colour of generall lawes, & ofttimes th'Estates not knowing thē­selues whome therby they hurt. And therefore holde no Parliaments but for necessitie of newe lawes, whiche would be but seldome: for few lawes and well put in execution, are best in a well ruled common-weale. As for the matter of fore-faltures, whiche also are done in Parliament, it is not [Page 29]good tigging with these things; Cic. 3. de leg. pro D.s. & pro Sest. but my aduice is, ye fore-fault none but for suche odious crimes as may make them vn-worthie euer to be restored againe. And for smaller offences, ye haue other penalties sharpe ynough to be vsed against them.

And as for the execution of good lawes, whereat I left, Anēt the execution of lawes. remember that among the differences that I put be­twixt the formes of the gouernment of a good King, and an vsurping Ty­ran; I shewe how a Tyran would en­ter like a Sainte while he found him­self fast vnder-foote, A iust se uerity to be vsed at first. and then would suffer his vn-rulie affections to burste foorth. Therefore be ye contrare at your first entrie to your Kingdome, to that Quinquennium Neronis, with his tender harted wishe, Sen. de cl. Vellem nesci­rē literas, Ar. 7. pol in giuing the lawe full exe­cution against all breakers thereof but exception. For since ye come not to your reigne precariò, nor by con­quest, but by right and due discent; feare no vp-roares for doing of ju­stice, since ye may assure your selfe, [Page 30]the most part of your people will e­uer naturally fauour justice: Plato 2. & 10. de Repub. Cic. ad Q. fr. prouy­ding alwaies, that ye doe it onely for loue to justice, and not for satisfying any particulare passions of yours, vn­der colour thereof: otherwise, howe justlie that euer the offender deserue it, ye are guiltie of murther before God. For ye must consider, that God euer looketh to your inward intenti­on in all your actions.

And when ye haue by the seueri­tie of justice once setled your coun­tries, and made them knowe that ye can strike, A good mixture. Plato in Pol. & 9. de L. Sal. orat. ad Caesar. then may ye thereafter all the dayes of your life mixe justice with mercie, punishing or sparing, as ye shall finde the crime to haue bene wilfullie or rashlie committed, and according to the by-past behauiour of the committer. For if otherwise ye kyth your clemencie at the first, the offences would soone come to suche heapes, and the contempt of you growe so great, that when ye would fall to punishe, the nomber of them to be punished would exceed [Page 31]the innocent; and ye would be trou­bled to resolue whome-at to begin: and against your nature would be compelled then to wracke manie, whome the chastisement of fewe in the beginning might haue preserued But in this, A deare president. my ouer-deare bought experience may serue you for a suffi­cient lesson. For I confesse, where I thought (by being gracious at the beginning) to win all mens heartes to a louing and willing obedience, I by the contrarie founde, the disorder of the countrie, and the losse of my thankes to be all my rewarde.

But as this seuere justice of yours vpon all offences would be but for a time, (as I haue alreadie saide) so is there some horrible crimes that ye are bound in conscience neuer to forgiue: suche as Witch-craft, Crimes vnpardon able. wil­full murther, Incest (especiallie with­in the degrees of consanguinitie) Sodomy, Poysoning, and false coine. As for offences against your owne person and authority, Treason against the Prince his person or authority since the fault concerneth your selfe, I remit to [Page 32]your owne choise to punishe or par­don therin, as your hart serueth you, and according to the circumstances of the turne and the quality of the committer.

Heere would I also eike another crime to be vnpardonable, if I should not be thought partiall: but the fa­therly loue I beare you, will make me breake the bounds of shame in o­pening it vnto you. Stayning of the blood. It is then, the false and vnreuerent writing or spea­king of malicious men against your Parents and Predcessors: ye knowe the command in Gods lawe, Honour your Father and Mother: Exod. 20 12. and conse­quently, sen ye are the lawfull magi­strate, suffer not both your Princes and your Parents to be dishonoured by any; especially, sith the example also toucheth your selfe, Plato 4. de Legib. in leauing therby to your successors, the mea­sure of that whiche they shall mette out againe to you in your like behalf. I graunt we haue all our faultes, whiche, priuatly betwixt you and God, should serue you for examples [Page 33]to meditate vpon, & mende in your person; but should not be a matter of discourse to others what-soeuer. And sith ye are come of as honou­rable Predecessoures as any Prince liuing, represse the insolence of suche, as vnder pretence to taxe a vice in the person, seekes craftily to staine the race, and to steale the af­fection of the people from their po­steritie. For howe can they loue you, that hated them whome-of ye are come? Wherfore destroy men innocent young sucking Wol­ues and Foxes? but for the hatred they beare to their race: & why will a coult of a Courser of Naples, giue a greater price in a market, then an Asse-colt? but for loue of the race. It is therefore a thing monstrouse, to see a man loue the childe, & hate the Parentes: as on the other parte, the infaming and making odious of the parent, is the readiest way to bring the sonne in cōtempt. And for conclusion of this point, I may also alledge my owne experience. For [Page 34]besides the judgements of God, that with my eyes I haue seene fall vpon all them that were chief traitours to my parents, I may justly affirme, I ne­uer found yet a constant byding by me in all my straites, by any that wer of perfite age in my parentes dayes, but only by such as constantly bode by them. I meane specially by them that serued the Queene my mother: for so that I discharge my conscience to you, my Sonne, in reuealing to you the trueth, I care not, what any traitor or treason-allower think of it.

And although the crime of oppres­sion be not in this ranke of vnpardo­nable crimes, Of oppression. yet the ouer-common vse of it in this nation, as if it were a vertue, especially by the greatest rank of subjects in the land, requireth the King to be a sharpe censurer thereof. Be diligent therefore to try, Arist. 5. Polit. Isocr. de reg. Cic. in Of. & ad Q. fr. and aw­full to beate downe the hornes of proude oppressours: embrace the quarrell of the poore and distressed, as your owne particulare, thinking it your greatest honour to represse the [Page 35]oppressours: The true glory of Kings. care for the pleasure of none, neither spare ye any paines in your own person, to see their wrongs redressed: & remember of the honou­rable stile giuen to my grand-father of worthy memory, A memo rable and worthie paterne. in being called the poore mans King. And as the most part of a Kings office, standeth in de­cyding that question of Meum, and Tuum, among his subjectes; so re­member when ye sit in judgement, that the Throne ye sit on is Gods, Deut. 1. as Moyses sayeth, Plato in Polit. Cic. ad Q frat. Arist. 1. Ret. Pl. in Is. and sway neither to the right hand nor to the left; either louing the riche, or pittying the poore. Iustice should be blinde and friendlesse: it is not there ye should reward your friends, or seek to crosse your enemies.

Heere nowe speaking of oppres­sours and of justice, Of the hie-lands the purpose lea­deth mee to speake of Hie-land and Bordour oppressions. As for the Hie­lands, I shortly comprehend them al in two sorts of people: the one, that dwelleth in our maine land, that are barbarous for the most parte, and yet [Page 36]mixed with some shewe of ciuilitie: the other, that dwelleth in the Iles, & are alluterlie barbares, without any forte or shewe of ciuilitie. For the first sorte, put straitly to execution the lawes made alreadie by mee a­gainst their Ouer-lords, & the chiefs of their Clannes; and it will be no difficultie to danton them. As for the other sort, followe foorth the course that I haue intended, in planting Colonies among them of answera­ble In-lands subjects, that within short time may reforme and civilize the best inclined among them: roo­ting out or transporting the barba­rous and stubborne sorte, and plan­ting ciuilitie in their roomes.

But as for the Bordours, because I knowe, if ye injoy not this whole Ile, Of the Borders. according to Gods right & your lineall discent, ye wil neuer get leaue to brook this north and barrennest part therof; no, not your owne head wheron the Crowne should stande; I neede not in that case trouble you with them: for then they will be the [Page 37]middest of the Ile, & so as easily ruled as any part thereof.

And that ye may the readier with wisedome and justice gouerne your subjects, A neces­sar point in a good gouerne­ment. Plato in Polit. by knowing what vices they are naturally most inclyned to, as a good Physician, who must first knowe what peccant humours his patient naturallie is most subject vn­to, before he can begin his cure: I shall therfore shortly note vnto you, the principall faultes that euery rank of the people of this country is most affected vnto. And as for England, I will not speake be-gesse of them, neuer hauing bene among them; al­though I hope in that God, who e­uer fauoreth the right, before I die, to be as well acquainted with their fashions.

As the whole subjectes of our country (by the auncient and foun­damentall policie of our Kingdome) are deuided into three estates; A conside ration of the 3. E­states. so is e­uery estate heere of generally subject to some speciall vices; whiche in a maner by long habitude, are thoght [Page 38]rather vertue then vice among them: not that euery particular man, in any of these rankes of men, is subject vn­to them; for there is good and euill of all sortes: but that I meane, I haue found by experience, these vices to haue taken greatest holde with these rankes of men.

And first, that I prejudge not the Churche of her ancient priuiledges, reason would she should haue the first place, for ordours sake, in this ca­talogue.

The naturall sicknesse that haue euer troubled, The diseases of the Churche. and beene the decay of all the Churches, since the begin­ning of the world, changing the can­dle-sticke from one to another, as Iohn saith, haue bene Pride, Ambiti­on, and Auarice: and now last, these same infirmities wrought the ouer­throwe of the Popishe Churche, in this country and diuers others. But the reformation of Religion in Scot­land, being extraordinarily wrought by God, wherein many things were inordinarly done by a populare tu­mult [Page 39]& rebellion, Th'occasion of the Tribunat of some Puritanes of suche as blind­ly were doing the work of God, but clogged with their owne passions & particular respects, as well appeared by the destruction of our policie; and not proceeding from the Princes or­dour, as it did in our neighbour coū­try of England, as likewise in Den­marke, and sundry parts of Germa­nie; some fierie spirited men in the ministerie, gote suche a guyding of the people at that time of confusion, as finding the guste of gouernment sweete, they begouth to fantasie to themselues, a Democratick forme of gouernment: and hauing (by the ini­quity of time) bene ouer-well baited vpon the wracke, first of my Grand­mother, and next of my owne mo­ther, and after vsurping the liberty of the time in my long minority, setled themselues so faste vpon that imagi­ned Democracie, Suche were the Demago­gi at A­thens. as they fed them­selues with the hope to become Tri­buni plebis: and so in a populare go­uernment by leading the people by the nose, to beare the sway of all the [Page 40]rule. And for this cause, there neuer rose faction in the time of my mino­ritie, nor trouble sen-syne, but they that were vpon that factious parte, Their formes in the State. were euer carefull to perswade & al­lure these vnrulie spirits among the ministerie, to spouse that quarrell as their owne: wher-through I was oft­times calumniated in their populare sermons, not for any euill or vice in me, but because I was a King; whiche they thought the highest euill. And because they were ashamed to profes this quarrell, they were busie to look narrowlie in all my actions; and I warrant you a moate in my eye, yea a false reporte was matter ynough for them to worke vpon: and yet for all their cunning, whereby they pre­tended to distinguishe the lawfulnes of the office, from the vice of the per­son, some of them would some-times snapper out well groselie with the truth of their intentions: Their ra­zing the ground of the Princely rule. informing the people, that all Kings and Princes were naturally enemies to the liber­tie of the Churche, and could neuer [Page 41]patiently beare the yoke of Christ: with suche sound doctrine fed they their flocks. And because the lear­ned, graue, and honest men of the mi­nisterie, were euer ashamed and of­fended with their temeritie and pre­sumption, preassing by all good meanes by their authority and ex­ample, to reduce them to a greater moderation; there could be no way found out so meete in their conceit, that were turbulent spirites among them, for maintaining their plottes, as paritie in the churche: whereby the ignorants were emboldened (as bairdes) to cry the learned, godly, Their pretence of Paritie. & modest out of it: paritie the mother of confusion, and enemy to Vnitie whiche is the mother of ordour. For if by the example thereof, once esta­blished in the Ecclesiasticall gouern­ment, the Politicke and ciuill estate should be drawne to the like, the greate confusion that there-upon would arise, may easilie be discerned. Take heede therefore (my Sonne) to suche Puritanes, very pestes in the [Page 42]Churche & cōmon-weale: An euill sorte of seed-men in the state. whome no deserts can oblishe, neither oathes or promises binde; breathing no­thing but sedition and calumnies, a­spyring without measure, rayling without reason, and making their owne imaginations (without any warrant of the worde) the square of their conscience. I protest before the great God, and since I am heere as vpon my Testament, it is no place for me to lie in, that ye shall neuer finde with any Hie-land or Bordour thee­ues greater ingratitude, and moe lies and vile perjuries, then with these phanatick spirites. And suffer not the principalles of them to brooke your land, if ye like to sit at rest: except ye would keepe them for trying your patience, Xantippe as Socrates did an euill wife.

And for preseruatiue against their poison, Preseruatiue a­gainst suche poi­son. intertaine and aduance the godlie, learned, and modest men of the ministry, whom of (God be prai­sed) there lacketh not a sufficient nomber: and by their prouision to Bishopricks & Benefices (annulling [Page 43]that vile act of Annexation, if ye find it not done to your hand) ye shall not onely bannish their conceited Pari­tie, whereof I haue spoken, Parity in­compati­ble with a Monar­chie. and their other imaginarie groundes; whiche can neither stand with the ordour of the Churche, nor the peace of a com­mon-weale and well ruled Monar­chie: but ye shall also re-establishe the olde institution of three Estates in Parliament, whiche can no other­wise be done. But in this I hope (if God spare me dayes) to make you a faire entrie; alwaies where I leaue, followe ye my steppes.

And to end my aduice anent the Churche estate, Generall aduice in behalfe of the churche. cherishe no man more then a good Pastor, hate no man more then a proude Puritane: thinking it one of your fairest styles, to be called a louing nourish-father to the Churche; seeing all the Chur­ches within your dominions planted with good Pastors, the Schooles (the seminary of the church) maintained, the doctrine and discipline preser­ued in puritie, according to Gods [Page 44]word, a sufficient provision for their sustentation, a comelie ordour in their policie, pride punished, humi­litie advanced, and they so to reue­rence their superiours, & their flocks them, as the flourishing of your churche in pietie, peace, & learning, may be one of the cheefe pointes of your earthly glory: being euer alike ware with both the extremities; as well as ye represse the vaine Puri­tane, so not to suffer proude Papall Bishops: but as some for their quali­ties will deserue to be preferred be­fore others, so chaine them with suche bondes as may preserue that estate from creeping to corruption.

The next estate now that by or­dour commeth in purpose, accor­ding to their rankes in Parliament, is the Nobilitie, Of the Nobility, & their formes although second in ranke, yet ouer-farre first in greatnes and power, either to doe good or e­uill, as they are inclined.

The naturall sicknesse, that I haue perceiued this estate subject to in my time, hath bene, a fectlesse arrogant [Page 45]conceit of their greatnesse & power: drinking in with their very nouris­milke, that their honor stood in com­mitting three points of iniquity: to thrall, by oppression, the meaner sort that dwelleth neere them, to their seruice and following, although they hold nothing of them: to maintaine their seruants and dependers in any wrong, although they be not answe­rable to the lawes (for any body wil maintaine his man in a right cause) & for any displeasure, that they ap­prehend to be done vnto them by their neighbour, to take vp a plaine feide against him; and (without re­spect to God, King, or common-weale) to bang it out brauelie, he & all his kinne, against him & all his: yea they will thinke the King far in their common, in-case they aggree to grant an assurance to a short day, for keeping of the peace: where, by their naturall duetie, they are obli­shed to obey the lawe, & keepe the peace all the daies of their life, vpon the perill of their very craigges.

For remeid to these euils in their estate, Remedie of suche euils. Arist. 5. P [...]l. teache your Nobilitie to keep your lawes as precisely as the mea­nest: feare not their orping or being discontented, as long as ye rule well; for their pretended reformation of Princes taketh neuer effect, but wher euill gouernement preceedeth. Ac­quaint your selfe so with all the ho­nest men of your Barrones and Gen­tle-men, Zen. in Cyr. Is [...]an Eu. Cic. ad Qfrat. & be in your giuing accesse so open and affable to euery ranke of honest persons, as may make them pearte without scarring at you, to make their owne sutes to you them­selues, and not to employ the great Lordes their intercessours; for inter­cession to Saints is Papistry: so shall ye bring to a measure their mon­strous backes. And for their barba­rous feides, put the lawes to due ex­ecution made by me there-anent; beginning euer rathest at him that ye loue best, & is most oblished vn­to you; to make him an example to the rest. For ye shall make all your re­formations to begin at your elbowe, [Page 47]and so by degrees to flowe to the ex­tremities of the lande. And reste not, vntill ye roote out these barbarous feides; that their effectes may be as well smoared downe, as their barba­rous name is vnknowne to any other nation. For if this treatise were writ­ten either in Frenche or Latine, I could not get them named vnto you but by circumlocution. And for your easier abolishing of them, put sharp­ly to execution my lawes made a­gainst Gunnes and traiterous Pisto­lets; thinking in your hart, tearming in your speache, and vsing by your punishments, all suche as we are and vse them, as brigands & cut-throates.

On the other part, eschew the o­ther extremitie, in lightlying & con­temning your Nobilitie. Remember howe that errour brake the King my grand-fathers hart. But consider that vertue followeth oftest noble blood: Pla. in 1. Al. in pol & 5. de l. Arist. 2. [...]c. the worthinesse of their antecessors craueth a reuerent regarde to be had vnto them: honour them therefore that are obedient to the lawe among [Page 48]them, as Peeres and Fathers of your land: the more frequently that your Court can be garnished with them, thinke it the more your honour; Zen. in Cyr. ac­quainting and employing them in all your greatest affaires; sen it is they must be your armes & executers of your lawes: and so vse your selfe lo­uingly to the obedient, and rigorou­sly to the stubborne, as may make the greatest of them to thinke, that the cheefest point of their honour, stan­deth in stryuing with the meanest of the land in humilitie towards you, & obedience to your lawes: beating e­uer in their eares, that one of the principall points of seruice that ye craue of them, is, in their persons to practise, and by their power to pro­cure due obediēce to the lawe; with­out the whiche, no seruice they can make, can be aggreable vnto you.

But the greatest hinderance to the execution of our lawes in this countrie, Of Shiref domes & Regali­ties. are these heritable Shiref­domes and Regalities, whiche be­ing in the hands of the great men, do [Page 49]wracke the whole country. For whiche I knowe no present remedy, but by taking the sharper account of them in their offices; vsing all pu­nishment against the slouthfull, that the lawe will permit: & euer as they vaike, Ar. 2. pol for any offences committed by them, dispone them neuer herita­blie againe: preassing, with time, Laudable custome of England. to drawe it to the laudable custome of England: whiche ye may the easili­er doe, being King of both, as I hope in God ye shall.

And as to the third and last estate, The third estate. whiche is our Burghes (for the small Barrones are but an inferiour part of the Nobilitie and of their estate) they are composed of two sortes of men; Merchants and Craftes-men: either of these sortes being subject to their owne infirmities.

The Merchants thinke the whole common-weale ordayned for ma­king them vp; The formes of the mer­chants. & accounting it their lawfull gaine and trade, to enriche themselues vpon the losse of all the rest of the people, they transporte [Page 50]from vs things necessary; bringing back some-times vnnecessary things, and at other times nothing at all. They buy for vs the worst wares, & sell them at the dearest prices: and albeit the victuals fall or rise of their prices, according to the aboun­dance or skantnesse thereof; yet the prices of their wares euer rise, but neuer fall: being as constant in that their euill custome, as if it were a set­led lawe for them. They are also the speciall cause of the corruption of the coyne, transporting al our owne, and bringing in forraine, vpon what price they please to set on it. For or­der putting to thē, put the good laws in execution that are alreadie made anent these abuses: but especially do three thinges. Establishe honest, di­ligent, but fewe searchers, for many handes make slight worke; and haue an honest and diligent Thesaurer to take count of them. Pl. 2. de Rep. 8. & 11. de leg Permit & allure forraine merchants to trade heere: so shall ye haue best and best cheape wares, not buying them at the third [Page 51]hand. And set euerie yeare downe a certaine price of all things; conside­ring first, howe it is in other coun­tries: and the price being set reasona­blie downe, if the merchantes will not bring them home on the price, cry forrainers free to bring them.

And because I haue made menti­on heere of the coyne, Adui [...]c a nent the coyne. make your money of fine Golde & Siluer; cau­sing the people be payed with sub­stance, and not abused with nomber: so shall ye enriche the common­weale, and haue a great treasure laid vp in store, if ye fall in warres or in any straites. For the making it baser will breede your commoditie; but it is not to be vsed, but at a great neces­sitie.

And the Craftes-men thinke, Of craftes men Pl. 11. de leg. A good policie of England. we should be content with their worke, howe bad and deare so euer it be: & if they in any thing be controlled, vp goeth the blew-blanket. But for their part take example by England, how it hath flourished both in wealth and policie, since the strangers Craftes­men [Page 52]came in among them. Pla. 9. de Leg. There­fore not only permit, but allure strā­gers to come heere also: taking as straite ordour for repressing the mu­tining of ours at them, as was done in England, at their first in-bringing there.

But vnto one fault, A gene­rall fault in the people. is all the com­mon people of this Kingdome sub­ject, as well burgh as land; whiche is, to judge and speake rashelie of their Prince: setting the common-weale vpon foure proppes, as we call it; euer wearying of the present estate, Sal. in Iug and desirous of nouelties. For reme­die whereof (besides the execution of lawes that are to be vsed against vnreuerent speakers) I know no bet­ter meane, thē so to rule, as may just­ly stop their mouthes, from all suche idle and vnreuerent speaches: and so to prop the weale of your people, with prouident care for their good gouernment; that justly, Momus him self may haue no grounde to grudge at: and yet so to temper and mixe your seueritie with myldenesse, that [Page 53]as the vn-just railers may be restray­ned with a reuerent awe; so the good and louing subjectes, may not onely liue in suretie and wealth, but be stir­red vp and invited by your benigne courtesies, to open their mouthes in the just praise of your so well mode­rated regiment. In respect whereof, Ar. 5. pol Isoc. in Pa neg. and there-with also the more to al­lure them to a common amitie a­mong themselues, certaine dayes in the yeare would be appointed, for delighting the people with publicke spectacles of all honest games, & ex­ercise of armes: as also for convee­ning of neighbours, for entertaining friendship and hartlinesse, by honest feasting and merinesse. For I cannot see what greater superstition can be in making plaies and lawfull games in Maie, and good cheere at Christ­masse, then in eating fishe in lent, & vpō frydaies; the Papists aswell vsing the one as the other: so that alwayes the Sabbothes be kept holie, and no vn-lawfull pastime be vsed. And as this forme of contenting the peoples [Page 54]mindes, hath beene vsed in all well gouerned Republicks: so will it make you to performe in your gouernmēt that olde good sentence, ‘Omne tulit punctum, Hor. de art. Poet. qui miscuit vti­le dulci.’

Ye see nowe (my Sonne) howe for the zeale I beare to acquaint you with the plaine & single verity of all things, I haue not spared to be some­thing satyrick, in touching wel quick ly the faultes in all the estates of my kingdome. But I protest before God, I doe it with the fatherly loue that I owe to them all: onely hating their vices, wherof there is a good nomber of honest men free in euery estate.

And because, for the better refor­mation of all these abuses among your estates, it will be a great helpe vnto you, to be well acquainted with the nature and humours of all your subjects, Pla. in pol & Min. Tac. 7. an Mart. and to knowe particularlie the estate of euery part of your dominions; I would therfore coūsell you, once in the yeare to visit the princi­pall parts of the country, ye shal-be in [Page 55]for the time: and because, I hope ye shall be King of moe countries then this; once in the three yeares to visit all your Kingdomes: not lipening to Vice-roies, but hearing your selfe their complaintes; and hauing ordi­nary councels and justice-seats in e­uery kingdome, of their owne coun­try-men: and the principall matters euer to be decided by your selfe when ye come in those parts.

Ye haue also to consider, Protectiō from for­raine iniu ries. Xen. 8. Cyr. Ar. 5. po. Polib. 6. Dion. Hal de Romu. that ye must not onely be carefull to keepe your subjectes, from receiuing anie wrong of others within; but also ye must be carefull to keepe them from the wrong of anie forraine Prince without: sen the sword is giuen you by God not onely to revenge vpon your owne subjectes, the wrongs committed amongst themselues; but further, to reuenge and free them of forraine injuries done vnto thē. And therefore warres vpon just quarrels are lawfull: but aboue all, let not the wrong cause be on your side.

Vse all other Princes, What formes to be vsed with other Princes. as your bre­thren, [Page 56]honestly and kindely: Keepe precisely your promise vnto them, although to your hurte: Striue with euery one of them in courtesie & thankfulnes: Isoc. in Plat. & Parag. and as with all men, so especially with them, be plaine & trueth-full; keeping euer that Chri­stian rule, to doe as ye would be done to: especially in counting rebellion a­gainst any other Prince, a cryme a­gainst your owne self, because of the preparatiue. Supplie not therefore, nor trust not other Princes rebels; but pittie & succour all lawfull Prin­ces in their troubles. Ar. ad A Var. 11. de V. P. R. Cic. 2. Of. Liu. lib. 4 But if any of them will not abstaine, notwithstan­ding what-soeuer your good deserts, to wrong you or your subjects, craue redresse at leasure; heare and doe all reason: and if no offer that is lawfull or honourable, can make him to ab­staine, nor repaire his wrong doing; then for last refuge, commit the just­nesse of your cause to God: giuing first honestly vp with him, Liu. lib. 1 Cic. eod. and in a publicke and honourable forme.

But omitting nowe to teache you [Page 57]the forme of making warres, becaus that arte is largelie treated of by ma­ny, Of warre and is better learned by practise then speculation; I will onely set downe to you heere a fewe precepts therein. Prop. 4. Eleg. Lucan. 7. Varro 11 de V.P.R. Let first the justnesse of your cause be your greatest strength; and then omitte not to vse all lawfull meanes for backing of the same. Cō­sult therfore with no Necromancier nor false Prophet, vpon the successe of your warres; remembring on king Saules miserable end: 1. Sam. 31. but keepe your land cleane of all Suth-sayers, accor­ding to the command in the Lawe of God, dilated by Ieremie. Deut. 18. Neither commit your quarrell to be tried by a Duell: for beside that generally all Duell appeareth to be vn-lawfull, committing the quarrell, as it were, to a lot; whereof there is no warrant in the Scripture, since the abroga­ting of the olde Lawe: it is speciallie moste vn-lawfull in the person of a King: Plut. in Sert. & Ant. who beeing a publick person hath no power therefore to dispose of himself, in respect, that to his prae­seruation [Page 58]or fall, the safety or wrack of the whole common-weale is ne­cessarily coupled, as the body is to the heade.

Before ye take on warre, play the wise Kings part descriued by Christ; Luc. 14. fore-seeing howe ye may beare it out with all necessarie provision: Thuc. 2. Sal. in Iug Cic. pro l. Man. Demost. olyn. 2. Liu. li. 30 Veget. 1 es­pecially remember, that money is Nervus belli. Choose olde experi­mented Captaines, and young able souldiers. Be extreamlie straite and seuere in martiall Discipline, as well for keeping of ordour, whiche is as requisite as hardinesse in the warres, Caes. 1. & 3. de bel. ciuili. Proh. in Thras. & punishing of slouth, which at a time may put the whole army in hazard; as likewise for repressing of mutinies whiche in warres are won­derfull dangerous. And looke to the Spaniard, whose great successe in all his warres hath onely come through straitnesse of Discipline and ordour: for suche errours may be committed in the warres, as cannot be gotten mended againe.

Be in your owne person walkrife, Caes. 1. de hello ciu. Liu. l. 7 Xen. 1. & 5. Cyr. & de discip. mi. [Page 59]diligent, & painfull; vsing the aduice of suche as are skilfullest in the craft, as ye must also doe in all other. Be homelie with your souldiers as your companiōs, for winning their harts; & extreamlie liberall, for then is no time of sparing. Be colde & fore-se­ing in deuysing, Xen. in Ages. constant in your re­solutions, and forward and quicke in your executions. Pol. l. 5. Fortifie well your Campe, and assaile not rashlie with­out an advantage: neither feare nor lightly your enemie. Xē. 1. cyr Thuc. 5. Be curious in deuising stratagems, but alwaies ho­nestly: for of any thing they worke greatest effectes in the warres, if se­crecie be joyned to invention. And once or twise in your owne person hazard your selfe fairely; but, Isoc. ad Phil. P. a. 9. de leg. Liu. l. 22. & 31. Tac. 2. his Plut. de fort. hauing acquired so the fame of courage and magnanimitie, make not a daylie souldier of your selfe, exposing rash­lie your person to euery perill: but conserue your selfe thereafter for the weale of your people, for whose sake ye must more care for your self, then for your owne.

And as I haue counselled you to be slowe in taking on a warre; Of Peace. Isocr. in Arch. so ad­uise I you to be slowe in peace-ma­king. Before ye aggree, looke that the groūde of your warres be satisfied in your peace; Polib. 3. Cic. 1. Of & 7. Phil Tac. 4. his and that ye see a good suretie for you and your people: o­therwaies, a honorable & just warre is more tolerable, then a dishono­rable and dis-aduantageous peace.

But it is not ynough to a good King, by the scepter of good lawes well execute to gouerne, & by force of armes to protect his people; if he joyne not therewith his vertuous life in his owne person, and in the person of his Court and companie: by good example alluring his subjectes to the loue of vertue, A Kings life must be exem­plare. Pl. in pol. & 4. de leg. and hatred of vice. And therefore (my Sonne) sith all people are naturally inclyned to fol­lowe their Princes example (as I shewed you before) let it not be said, that ye command others to keep the contrarie course to that, whiche in your owne person ye practise: ma­king so your wordes and deedes to [Page 61]fight together: but by the contrarie, let your owne life be a law-booke & a mirrour to your people; that there­in they may read the practise of their owne lawes; and therein they may see, by your image, what life they should leade.

And this example in your owne life and person, I likewise deuide in two parts: The first, in the gouerne­ment of your Courte and followers, in all godlinesse & vertue: the next, in hauing your owne minde decked & enriched so with all vertuous qua­lities, that ther-with ye may worthe­lie rule your people. Plato in Theae. & Euth. For it is not y­nough that ye haue and retaine (as prisoners) within your selfe neuer so many good qualities and vertues, ex­cept ye imploy them, and set them on worke, Ar. 1. Eth. Cic. in Of. for the weale of them that are committed to your charge: Virtu­tit enim laus omnis in actione consistit.

First then, as to the gouernement of your Courte and followers; Of the Courte. Psal. 101 King Dauid sets downe the best preceptes, that any wise and christian King can [Page 62]practise in that point. For as ye ought to haue a great care for the ruling well of all your subjects, so ought ye to haue a double care for the ruling well of your owne seruantes; since vnto them ye are both a Politick & Oeconomick gouernour. And as e­uerie one of the people will delite to followe the example of any of the Courteours, Cic. ad Q. frat. as well in euill as in good: so what crime so horrible can there be cōmitted & ouer-sene in a Courteour, that will not be an exē­plare excuse for any other boldly to commit the like? And therefore in two points haue ye to take good heede anent your Court and house­holde. First, in choosing them wise­ly: next, in carefully ruling them whome ye haue chosen.

It is an olde and true saying, Pla. 5. de leg. Ar. 2. oec. that a kindelie Auer will neuer be­come a good horse: for albeit good education and companie be great helpes to Nature, and education be therefore moste justly called altera natura: yet is it euill to get out of the [Page 63]fleshe, that is bred in the bone, as the olde prouerbe sayeth. Be very ware then in making choise of your ser­uantes and companie; Nam ‘Turpius eijcitur, Ouid. 5. de Trist. quam non admitti­tur hospes:’ and many respects may lawfully let an admission, that will not be suffici­ent causes of depriuation.

All your seruantes and Courte must be composed partly of minors, Of the choise of seruants. suche as young Lords, to be broght vp in your company, or Pages and suche like; and partly of men of per­fite age, for seruing you in suche roomes, as ought to be filled with men of wisdome and discretion. For the first sorte, Ar. 1. & 5. pol. Cic. ad Q frat. ye can doe no more, but choose them within age, that are come of a good & vertuous kinde, In fide parentum, as Baptisme is vsed. For though anima non venit ex traduce, but is immediatly cre­ated by God, and infused from a­boue: yet it is moste certaine, that vertue or vice will oftentimes, with the heritage, be transferred from the [Page 64]parents to the posteritie, Witnesse th'experi­ence of the late house of Cowrie. and runne on a blood (as the Prouerbe is) the sicknesse of the minde becomming as kindly to some races; as these sick­nesses of the bodie, that infects in the seede. Pl. 6. de Leg. Ar. 2. oec & 1. pol. Especially choose suche minors, as are come of a true and ho­nest race, and haue not had the house wherof they are descended, in fected with falshoode.

And as for the other sort of your companie and seruantes, that ought to be of perfite age; first see that they be of a good fame and without ble­mishe: Pla. 6. de leg. Is. in Pan. Ar. 5. pol otherwise, what can the peo­ple thinke, but that ye haue chosen a cōpany vnto you, according to your owne humour; and so haue prefer­red these men, for the loue of their vices and crimes, that ye knew them to be guiltie of? Dem. 2. Ph. For the people that see you not within, cannot judge of you, but according to the out-warde appearance of your actions and companie; which onely is subject to their sight. And next, see that they be in­dued with suche honest qualities, as [Page 65]are meete for suche offices, Plat. 7. de Rep. 3. & 12. de L. Arist. 5. & 6. Pol. as ye or­daine them to serue in; that your judgement may be knowne in im­ploying euery man according to his guiftes. And shortlie, Psa. 101 followe good king Dauids counsell in the choise of your seruantes, by setting your eyes vpon the faithfull and vpright of the land to dwell with you.

But heere I must not forget to re­member, A trans­mission of haeredita­rie kinde­nesse. and according to my fa­therlie authoritie, to charge you to praeferre speciallie to your seruice, so many as haue trulie serued me, and are able for it: the rest, honorably to rewarde them, praeferring their po­steritie before others, as kindliest: so shall ye not only be best serued, (for if the haters of your parents cannot loue you, as I shewed before, it fol­loweth of necessity their louers must loue you) but further, ye shall kyth your thankfull memorie of your fa­ther, & procure the blessing of these olde seruants, in not missing their old maister in you; whiche otherwaies would be turned in a prayer for me, [Page 66]and a curse for you. Vse them there­fore when God shall call me, as the testimonies of your affectiō towards me: trusting and advancing those farthest, whome I found faithfullest: which ye must not discerne by their rewards at my hande (for rewards, as they are called Bona fortunae, so are they subject vnto fortune) but accor­ding to the trust I gaue them; hauing oft-times had better hart then hap to the rewarding of sundry. And on the other parte, as I wishe you to kyth your constant loue towardes them that I loued, so desire I you to kyth in the same measure, your constant ha­tred to them that I hated: I meane, bring not home, nor restore not suche, as ye finde standing bannished or forefaulted by me. The contrarie would kyth in you ouer great a con­tempt of me, and lightnesse in your owne nature: for howe can they be true to the Sonne, that were false to the Father?

But to returne to the purpose a­nent the choise of your seruants, ye [Page 67]shall by this wise forme of doing, es­chewe the inconuenients, that in my minoritie I fell in, anent the choise of my seruantes. For by them that had the command where I was brought vp, were my seruantes put vnto me; not choosing thē that were meetest to serue me, but whome they thoght meetest to serue their turn about me; A dome­stick and neere ex­ample. as kythed well in many of them at the first rebellion raised against me; whiche compelled me to make a great alteration among my seruants. And yet the example of that corrup­tion, made me to be long troubled there-after with solliciters, recom­mending seruants vnto me, more for seruing in effect, their friendes that put them in, then their maister that admitted them. Let my example thē teache you to followe the rules here set downe: Ar. 2. pol choosing your seruantes for your owne vse, and not for the vse of others. And since ye must be communis parens to all your people, so choose your seruantes indifferentlie out of all quarters; not respecting o­ther [Page 68]mens appetites, but their owne qualities. For as ye must command all, so reason would, ye should be ser­ued out of all, as ye please to make choise.

But speciallie take good heede to the choise of your seruants, Of the of­ficers of the crown Pl. 3. de Rep. Cic. ad Q frat. Isoc. in Panath. ad Nic. & de pace. Thuc. 6. Plut. in pol. that ye praeferre to the offices of the crowne & estate: for in other offices ye haue onely to take heede to your owne weale; but these concerne likewise the weale of your people; for the whiche ye must be answer-able to God. Choose then for all these offi­ces, men of knowne wisdome, hone­stie, and good conscience; well pra­ctised in the points of the crafte, that ye ordaine them for; and free of all factions and partialities: but special­lie free of that filthy vice of Flattery, the pest of all Princes, Plato in Phedr. & Menex. and wracke of Republickes. For since in the firste part of this treatise, Ar. 5. pol Is. in Sym. Tac. 3. his Curt 8. I for-warned you to be warre with your owne inward flatterer [...]; howe muche more should ye be warre with outwarde flatterers, who are nothing so sib to [Page 69]you, as your selfe is; by the selling of suche counterfait wares, onely preas­sing to grounde their greatnesse vp­on your ruines? And therefore be carefull to praeferre none, as ye will be answerable to God, but onely for their worthinesse. But speciallie choose honest, diligent, meane, Of pub­lick receauers. but responsall men, to be your receauers in money matters: meane I say, that ye may when ye please, take a sharpe account of their intromission, with­out perril of their breeding any trou­ble to your estate: for this ouer-sight hath beene the greatest cause of my mis thriuing in money matters. A special principle in policie. Ar. 5. pol Cic. ad Q. frat. Espe­cially, put neuer a forrainer, in any principal office of estate: for that will neuer faile to stirre vp sedition and enuy in the countrie-mens hartes, both against you and him. But (as I said before) if God prouide you with moe countries then this; choose the borne-men of euery country, to be your chiefe counsellers therein.

And for conclusion of my aduice anent the choise of your seruantes, [Page 70]delight to be serued with men of the noblest blood that may be had: Pla. in 1. Al. in pol & 5. de l. Ar. 2. oec for besides that their seruice shall breede you great good-will and least enuy, contrary to that of start-ups; ye shall oft finde vertue followe noble races, as I haue saide before speaking of the Nobilitie.

Nowe, Gouerne­ment of the court. Isoc. in Arecp. as to the other point, a­nent your gouerning of your ser­uantes when ye haue chosen them; make your Court and companie to be a paterne of godlinesse and all ho­nest vertues, to all the rest of the peo­ple. Be a daily watch-man ouer your seruantes, Id. in Pa­nath. that they obey your lawes praeciselie: for howe can your lawes be kept in the countrie, if they be broken at your care? Punishing the breache therof in a Courteour, more seuearly, then in the person of any o­ther of your subjects: and aboue all, suffer none of them (by abusing their credite with you) to oppresse or wrong any of your subjectes. Be homelie or strange with them, Ar. 2. pol as ye thinke their behauiour deserueth, & [Page 71]their nature may beare with. Tac. 1. his Thinke a quarrellous man a pest in your cō­panie. Val. l. 2. Curt. 4. Be carefull euer to praeferre the gentilest natured and trustiest, to the inwardest offices about you; es­pecially in your chalmer. Suffer none about you to medle in any mēs particulars; Demost. 8. phil. Sal. in Cat Liu. 22. but like the Turkes Iani­sares, let them knowe no Father but you, nor particular but yours. And if any wil medle in their kin or friends quarrelles, giue them their leaue: for since ye must be of no surname nor kinne, but aequall to all honest men; it becōmeth you not to be followed with partiall or factious seruantes. Teache obediēce to your seruantes, Tac. eod. & 1. An and not to thinke themselues ouer­wise: and, as when any of them de­serueth it, The ground­stone of good go­uernment Ar. 5. po. Ta. in Ag Diō l. 52 ye must not spare to put them away; so, without a seene cause change none of them. Pay them, as all others your subjects, with praemi­um or poena as they deserue; whiche is the very ground-stone of good go­uernement. Employ euery man as ye thinke him qualified, but vse not [Page 72]one in all thinges, Xen. in Ages. Isan Sym & ad Ph. Id. de per­mutat. Cic. ad Q. frat. leaste he waxe proud, & be enuyed by his fellowes. Loue them best, that are plainnest with you, and disguise not the trueth for all their kinne: suffer none to be euill tongued, nor backbyters of them they hate: command a hartly and brotherly loue among all them that serue you. And shortlie, main­taine peace in your Court, bannishe enuie, cherishe modestie, bannishe deboshed insolence, foster humility, and represse pride: setting downe suche a comelie and honourable or­der in all the points of your seruice; that when strangers shall visite your Court, 1. King. 10. they may with the Quene of of Sheba, admire your wisdome in the glorie of your house, and comelie or­der among your seruants.

But the principall blessing that ye can get of good companie, Of Mari­age. will stand in your Marying of a godly and vertuous wife: for she must be nea­rer vnto you, then any other compa­nie, Gen. 2.23. being Fleshe of your fleshe, and bone of your bone, as Adam saide of Heuah. [Page 73]And because I knowe not but God may call me, before ye be ready for Mariage; I will shortly set downe to you heere my aduice therein.

First of all consider, that Mariage is the greatest earthly felicitie or mi­serie, that can come to a man, accor­ding as it pleaseth God to blesse or cursse the same. Since then without the blessing of GOD, ye cannot looke for a happie successe in Mari­age; Praepara­tion to ma riage. ye must be carefull both in your praeparation for it, and in the choise and vsage of your wife, to procure the same. By your praeparation, I meane, that ye must keepe your bo­die cleane and vnpolluted, till ye giue it to your wife; whome-to onlie it belongeth. For howe can ye just­lie craue to be joyned with a pure Virgine, if your body be polluted? Why should the one halfe be cleane, and the other defiled? And althogh I knowe, Fornication is thought but a light & a veniall sinne, by the most part of the world; yet remember wel what I saide to you in my first booke [Page 74]anent conscience: and count euerie sinne & breache of Gods lawe, not according as the vaine world estee­meth of it; but as God the judge & maker of the lawe accounteth of the same. Heare God commanding by the mouth of Paule, to abstaine from Fornication, 1. Cor. 6.10. declaring that the Forni­cator shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen: and by the mouth of Iohn, reckoning out Fornication amongst other greeuous sinnes, that debarres the committers amongst Dogs and swyne, Reuel. 22 15. from entry in that spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem. And consider, if a man shall once take vpon him, to count that light, whiche God calleth heauie; & veniall that, whiche God calleth greeuous; beginning first to measure any one sinne by the rule of his luste & appetites, The dan­gerous ef­fectes of luste. & not of his cō­science; what shall let him to doe so with the next, that his affections shal stirre him to, the like reason seruing for all: and so to goe fore-ward till he place his whole corrupted affecti­ons in Gods roome? And then what [Page 75]shall come of him; but, as a man gi­uen ouer to his owne filthie affecti­ons, shall perishe into them? And be­cause we are all of that nature, that sibbest examples touches vs neerest, consider the difference of successe that God granted in the Mariages of the King my grand-father, A dome­stick exā­ple. and me your owne father: the reward of his incontinencie, (proceeding from his euill education) being the suddaine death at one time, of two pleasant young Princes; and a daughter only borne to succeede to him, whome he had neuer the hap, so muche as once to see or blesse before his death: lea­uing a double cursse behinde him to the lande, both a Woman of sexe, & a newe borne babe of age to raigne ouer them. And as for the blessing God hath bestowed on me, in gran­ting me both a greater continency, and the frutes following ther-upon; your selfe, and sib folkes to you, are (praise be to God) sufficient witnes­ses: whiche, I hope the same God of his infinite mercy, shall continue & [Page 76]increase, without repentance to me and my posteritie. Be not ashamed then, 1. Cor. 6.19. to keepe cleane your body, whiche is the Temple of the holie Spirite, notwithstanding all vaine allurements to the contrarie: discer­ning truely and wisely of euery ver­tue and vice, according to the true qualities therof; and not according to the vaine conceites of men.

As for your choise in Mariage, re­spect cheifly the three causes, wher­fore Mariage was first ordayned by God: and then ioyne three accesso­ries, so far as they may be obtained, not derogating to the principalles.

The three causes it was ordeyned for, Mariage ordayned for three causes. Ar. 7. pol. are, for staying of lust, for procre­ation of children, & that man should by his Wife get a helper like himself. Deferre not then to Marie till your age; for it is ordained for quenching the luste of your youth. Especiallie a King must tymouslie Marie for the weale of his people. Neither Marie ye, Id. eod. for any accessory cause or world­ly respectes, a woman, vn-able, either [Page 77]through age, nature, or accident, for procreation of children: for in a king that were a double faulte, aswell a­gainst his owne weale, as against the weale of his people. Neither also Marie one of knowne euill conditi­ons, or vicious education: for the woman is ordayned to be a helper, and not a hinderer to man.

The three accessories, Accesso­ry causes of mari­age. Aeg. Ro. 2. de reg. pr. whiche as I haue saide, ought also to be respe­cted, without derogating to the prin­cipall causes, are beautie, riches, and friendship by alliance, whiche are al blessings of God. For beautie increa­seth your loue to your Wife, conten­ting you the better with her, without caring for others: and riches & great alliance, doe both make her the abler to be a helper vnto you. But if, ouer great respect being had to these ac­cessories, the principall causes be o­uer-seene (whiche is ouer oft practi­sed in the worlde) as of them-selues they are a blessing being wel vsed; so the abuse of them will turne thē in a [...]ursse. For what can all these world­lie [Page 78]respects auaile, when a man shall finde himselfe coupled with a Di­uell, to be one fleshe with him, & the halfe marrowe in his bed? Then (though too late) shall he finde that beautie without bountie, wealth without wisdome, and great friend­ship without grace and honestie; are but faire shewes, and the deceatfull masques of infinite miseries.

But haue ye respect, my Sonne, to these three speciall causes in your Mariage, whiche flowe from the first institution therof, Math. 13 A special caution in mariage. & caetera omnia ad­ijcieniur vobis. And therefore I would rathest haue you to Marie one that were fullie of your owne Religion; her ranke and other qualities beeing aggree-able to your estate. For al­though that to my great regrate, the nomber of any Princes of power and account, professing our Religion, be but very small; & that therefore this aduice seemes to be the more straite and difficile: yet ye haue deepelie to weigh & cōsider vpon these doubts; howe ye & your wife can be of one [Page 79]fleshe, and keepe vnitie betwix you, beeing members of two opposite Churches: disagreement in Reli­gion bringeth euer with it, disagree­ment in manners; and the dissention betwixt your Preachers and hers, will breede and foster a dissention a­mong your subjects, taking their ex­ample from your familie; besides the perrill of the euill education of your children. Neither pride you that ye will be able to frame and make her as ye please: that deceaued Salomon the wisest King that euer was: the grace of Perseverance not being a flowre that groweth in our garden.

Remember also that Mariage is one of the greatestactiōs that a man doth in all his time, especially in taking of his first Wife: and if he Marie firste basely beneath his rank, he will euer be the lesse accounted of there-after. For kee­ping the blood pure. Pl. 5. de Rep. And lastly, remember to choose your Wife as Iaduised you to choose your seruants: that she be of a whole & cleane race, not subject to the he­reditary sicknesses, either of the soule [Page 80]or the body. Cic. 2. de Diu. Arist. de gen. An. Lucr. 4. For if a man will be care­full to breede horses & dogs of good kindes; howe muche more carefull should he be, for the breede of his owne loines? So shall ye in your Ma­riage haue respect to your consci­ence, honour, and naturall weale in your successours.

When ye are Maried, keepe in­violablie your promise made to God in your Mariage; whiche standeth all in doing of one thing, and abstay­ning from another: to treat her in all thinges as your Wife and the halfe of your selfe; and to make your bodie (whiche then is no more yours, but properly hers) common with none other. Pl. 11. de leg. Is. in Syn [...] I truste I neede not to insist here to disswade you from the filthy vice of adultery: remember onely what solemne promise ye make to God at your Mariage: and since it is onely by the force of that promise that your children succeede to you, whiche otherwaies they could not doe; aequity and reason would, ye should keepe your part thereof. God [Page 81]is euer a seueare avenger of all per­juries; & it is no oath made in jeste, Cic. 2. de leg. that giueth power to children to succeede to great kingdomes. Haue the King my grand-fathers example before your eies, who by his adulte­rie, bred the wracke of his lawfull daughter & heire; in begetting that bastard, who vnnaturally rebelled, & procured the ruine of his owne So­uerane & sister. And what good her posteritie hath gotten sen-syne, of some of that vn-lawfull generation, Bothuell his treacherous behauiours can beare witnesse. Keepe praeciselie then your promise made at Mariage, as ye would wishe to be partaker of the blessing therein.

And for your behauiour to your Wife, the Scripture can best giue you counsell therin. Treate her as your owne fleshe, command her as her Lord, cherishe her as your hel­per, rule her as your pupill, & please her in all things reasonable; Arist. 8. Aeth. & 1. Pol. but teache her not to be curious in things that belonges her not. Ye [Page 80] [...] [Page 81] [...] [Page 82]are the heade, Xen. & Arist. in oeco. she is your body: It is your office to command, and hers to obey; but yet with suche a sweete harmonie, as she should be as readie to obey, as ye to commande; as willing to followe, as ye to go be­fore: your loue beeing whollie knit vnto her, and all her affections lo­uingly bent to followe your will.

And to conclude, keepe specially three rules with your Wife: first, suf­fer her neuer to medle with the poli­tick gouernment of the common­weale, Ar. 1. rhet. Pl. in Me non. Aegid. R de reg. pr. Pl. 5. de Rep. & 7 de leg. but holde her at the Oecono­mick rule of the house; and yet all to be subject to your direction: keepe carefullie good and chaste companie about her; for wemen are the frailest sexe: and be neuer both angrie at once; but when ye see her in passion, ye should with reason danton yours. For both when ye are setled, ye are meetest to judge of her errours; and when she is come to her selfe, she may be best made to apprehend her offence, A Kings behaui­our to­wards his children. and reuerence your rebuke.

If God send you succession, be [Page 83]carefull for their vertuous educati­on: loue them as ye ought, but let them knowe as muche of it, as the gentlenesse of their nature will de­serue; Pl. in The 4. & 5. de Rep. & 6 & 7. del. Ar. 7. pol contayning them euer in a re­uerent loue and feare of you. And in case it please God to prouide you to all these three kingdomes, make your eldest sonne Isaac, A cautiō foreschewing future diuision. leauing him all your kingdomes; and prouyde the rest with priuate possessions. Other­waies by deuiding your kingdomes, ye shall leaue the seede of diuision & discorde among your posteritie: as befell to this Ile, by the diuisiō & as­signement therof, Polid. 1. to the three sonnes of Brutus, Locrine, Albanact, and Camber. But if God giue you not suc­cession, Crownes comes not in com­merce. defraud neuer the nearest by right, what-so euer conceit ye haue of the person. For Kingdomes are e­uer at Gods disposition, and in that case we are but liue-rentars, lying no more in the Kings, nor peoples hands to dispossesse the righteous heire.

And as your company should be a paterne to the rest of the people, so [Page 84]should your person be a lampe and mirrour to your companie: Pl. [...]n Pol. Cic. ad Q. frat. giuing light to your seruantes to walke in the path of vertue, and representing vnto them suche worthie qualities, as they shoulde preasse to imitate.

I neede not to trouble you with the particular discourse of the foure Cardinall vertues, The right vse of tē­perance. Ar. 5. pol Pol. 6. Cic. 1. of. 2. de invē & in Par it is so troden a path: but I will shortly say vnto you; make one of them, whiche is Tem­perance, Queene of all the rest with­in you. I meane not by the vulgar in­terpretation of Temperance, whiche only consists in gustu & tactu, by the moderating of these two senses: but I meane of that wise moderation, that first commanding your selfe, shall as a Queene, command all the affections & passions of your minde; and, as a Physicion, wisely mixe all your actions according therto. Ther­fore, not onely in all your affections and passions, but euen in your moste vertuous actions, make euer modera­tion to be the chiefe ruler. In Holi­nesse. For al­though holinesse be the first & most [Page 85]requisite qualitie of a Christian, as proceeding frō a feeling feare & true knowledge of God: yet ye remem­ber howe in the conclusion of my first booke, I aduised you to mode­rate all your outwarde actions flow­ing there-fra. The like say I nowe of Iustice, whiche is the greatest ver­tue, that properly belongeth to a Kings office.

Vse Iustice, In Iustice. Pl. 4. de [...]eg. Ar. 1. mag. mor. Cic. 1. of. pro Rab. & ad Q. f Sen. de cl. but with suche mode­ration, as it turne not in Tyrannie: otherwaies summum ius, is summa iniuria. As for example: if a man of a knowne honest life, be invaded by brigandes or theeues for his purse, & in his owne defence slaie one of them, they being both moe in nom­ber, and also knowne to be deboshed and insolent liuers; where by the cō­trarie, he was single alone, beeing a man of sounde reputation: yet be­cause they were not at the horne, or there was no eie-witnesse present that could verifie their first inuading of him; shall he therefore lose his head? And likewise, by the lawe­burrowes [Page 86]in our lawes, men are pro­hibited vnder great pecuniall paines, from any waies inuading or mole­sting their neighbours person or boundes: if then his horse breake the halter, and pastor in his neighbours medowe, shall he pay two or three thousand poundes, for the wanton­nesse of his horse, or the weaknesse of his halter? Ar. 5. aeth. & 1. rhet Cic. pro Cac. Surelie no. For lawes are ordained as rules of vertuous & sociall liuing, and not to be snares to trap your good subjectes: and there­fore the lawe must be interpreted ac­cording to the meaning, and not to the literall sense therof: Nam ratio est anima legis.

And as I saide of Iustice, so say I of Clemencie, Magnanimitie, Libe­ralitie, The false semblāce of extre­mities. Constancie, Humilitie, and all other Princelie vertues; Nam in me­dio stat virtus And it is but the crafte of the Diuell that falselie coloureth the two vices that are on either side thereof, with the borrowed titles of it, albeit in very deede they haue no affinitie therewith: and the [Page 87]two extremities themselues, although they seeme contrary, Their co­incidence. yet growing to the height, runnes euer both in one. For in infinitis omnia concurrunt; and what difference is betwixt ex­treame tyrannie, delighting to de­stroy all mankinde; and extreame slacknesse of punishment, permitting euery man to tyrannize ouer his cō­panion? Or what differeth extreame prodigalitie, by wasting of all to pos­sesse nothing; from extreame nig­gardnesse, by hoarding vp all to en­joy nothing; like the Asse that car­rying victuall on her backe, is like to sterue for hunger, and will be glade of thrissels for her part? And what is betwixt the pride of a glorions Ne­buchadnezar, and the praeposterous humilitie of one of the proude Puri­tanes, clayming to their Paritie, and crying, We are all but vile wormes; and yet will judge and giue lawe to their King, but will be judged nor controlled by none? Surelie, there is more pride vnder suche a ones black bonnet, then vnder Alexander the [Page 88]great his Diademe, as was saide of Diogenes in the like cace.

But aboue all vertues, study to know̄e well your owne craft, which is to rule your people. The right extention of a kings craft. And when I say this, I bid you knowe all craftes. For except ye knowe euerie one, howe can ye controlle euery one, whiche is your proper office? Ther­fore besides your education, Pl. in pol. 5. de Rep. & epist. 7 Cic. ad Q. frat. & de or. it is ne­cessarie ye delight in reading, & see­king the knowledge of all lawfull thinges; but with these two restricti­ons: first, that ye choose idle houres for it, not interrupting therewith the discharge of your office: and next, that ye study not for knowledge na­kedly; but that your principall end be, Id. 1. de fin. to make you able thereby to vse your office; practising according to your knowledge in all the pointes of your calling: not like these vaine A­strologians, that studie night and day on the course of the starres, Id. 1. of. only that they may, for satisfying their curio­sitie, knowe their course. But since all artes and sciences are linked eue­rie [Page 89]one with other, their greatest principles aggreeing in one (whiche moued the Poets to faine the nyne Muses to be all sisters) studie them, that out of their harmonie, ye may sucke the knowledge of all faculties; and consequently, be on the counsell of all craftes, that ye may be able to containe them all in order, as I haue alreadie saide. For knowledge and learning is a light burthē, the waight wherof will neuer presse your shoul­ders.

First of all then, The Scripture. Deut. 17. study to be well seene in the Scriptures, as I remem­bred you in the first book; aswell for the knowledge of your owne salua­tion, as that ye may be able to con­taine your Churche in their calling, as Custos vtriusque Tabulae. For the ruling them well, is no small point of your office; taking specially heede, that they vague not from their texte in the Pulpite: and if euer ye would haue peace in your land, suffer them not to medle in that place with the estate or policy: but punishe seuear­lie [Page 90]the first that praesumeth to it. Doe nothing towardes them without a good grounde and warrant; but reason not muche with them: for I haue ouer-much surfaited them with that, & it is not their fashiō to yeeld. And suffer no conventions nor mee­tings among Churche-men, but by your knowledge and permission.

Next the Scriptures, Of the lawes municipall. studie well your owne lawes: for howe can ye discerne by the thing ye knowe not? But preasse to drawe all your lawes and processes, Pla. 4. de Rep. & 6. de Leg. Ar. 1. r [...] to be as short & plaine as ye can: assure your selfe the long­somnesse both of rights and proces­ses, breedeth their vn-sure loos nesse and obscuritie: the shortest being e­uer both the surest and plainnest forme: Cic. 1. de Or. Sen. in Lud. and the long-somnesse ser­uing onely for the enriching of the Advocates & Clerks, with the spoile of the whole countrie. Resort to the Sessiō. And therfore delight to haunt your Session, and spie carefullie their procedings; ta­king good heed, if any bryberie may be tryed among them; whiche can­not [Page 91]not ouer-seucarly be punished. Spare not to go there, for gracing that farre any that ye fauoure, by your prae­sence to procure them expedition of Iustice: although that should be spe­ciallie done, for the poore that can­not waite on, or are debarred by mightier parties. But when ye are there, remember the throne is Gods and not yours, that ye sit in, Pla. in pol Arist. 1. rhet. Cic. ad Q. frat. Plut. in Is and let no fauour, nor whatsoeuer respectes moue you from the right. Ye sit not there, as I shewe before, for rewar­ding of friendes or seruants; nor for crossing of contemners, but only for doing of justice. Learne also wisely to discerne, betwixt justice and ae­quitie; and for pittie of the poore, rob not the riche, because he may better spare it; but giue the little-man the larger coate if it be his: eschew­ing the error of young Cyrus therin. For justice, by the lawe, Xē. 1. Cyr giueth eue­ry man his owne; and aequitie in thinges arbitrall, giueth euerie one that whiche is meetest for him.

Be an ordinarie sitter in your se­crete [Page 92]Counsell: But speci­ally to the secret counsell. that judicature is onely ordained for matters of estate, and repressing of insolent oppressi­ons. Make that judgement as com­pendious and plaine as ye can: and suffer no Aduocates to be heard there with their dilatours, Cic. ad Q. frat. Tac. 1. his Plut. in Demet. but let e­uery party tell his owne tale himself: and wearie not to heare the com­plaintes of the oppressed, aut ne Rex sis. Remitte euery thing to the or­dinary judicature, for eschewing of confusion: but let it be your owne craft, to take a sharpe account of e­uery man in his office.

And next the lawes, Reading of histo­ries. I would haue you to be well versed in authenticke histories, & in the Chronicles of all nations; but speciallie in our owne histories (Ne sis peregrinus domi) the example wherof moste neerely con­cernes you. I meane not of suche in­famous invectiues, as Buchanans or Knoxes Chronicles: & if any of these infamous libels remaine vntill your daies, vse the lawe vpon the keepers thereof. For in that point I would [Page 93]haue you a Pythagorist, to thinke that the very spirites of these archi­bellouses of rebellion, Plat. in Menon. haue made transition in them that hoardes their bookes, or maintaines their opini­ons; punishing them, Ar. 1. rh. Pol. 1. Plut. in Timo. Cic. 2. de or. euen as it were their authours risen againe. But by reading of authenticke histories and chronicles, ye shall learne experi­ence by Theorick, applying the by­past things to the present estate, quia nihil novum subsole: suche is the con­tinuall volubility of things earthlie, Eccles. 1. according to the roundnesse of the worlde, and revolution of the hea­uenly circles: whiche is expressed by the wheeles in Ezechiels visions, Ezech. 1. and counterfaited by the Poets in rota Fortunae. And likewise by the know­ledge of histories, ye shall knowe howe to behaue your self to all Em­bassadours and strangers; being able to discourse with them vpon the e­state of their owne countrie. And a­mong all profane histories, I muste not omitte most speciallie to recom­mend vnto you, the Commentaries [Page 94]or Caesar; both for the sweete flowing of the stile, as also for the worthinesse of the matter it selfe. For I haue euer bene of that opinion, that of all the Ethnicke Emperours, or great Cap­taines that euer was, he hath farthest excelled, both in his practise, and in his praecepts in martiall affaires.

As for the studie of other liberall artes and sciences, Of th' arts liberall. Sen. ep. 84. I would haue you reasonablie versed in them, but not preassing to be a passe-maister in any of them: for that cannot but distract you from the points of your calling, as I shewed you before: and when, by the enemie winning the towne, ye shall be interrupted in your demonstration, as Archimedes was; Liu. l. 24 Plut. in Marc. your people (I thinke) wil looke very bluntly vpon it. I graunt it is meete ye haue some entrance, speci­allie in the Mathematickes; Of Mathematickes. Pl. 7. de leg. Ar. 2. Metaph. for the knowledge of the arte militarie, in situatiō of Campes, ordering of bat­tels, making Fortificatiōs, placing of batteries, or suche like. And let not this your knowledge be deade with­out [Page 95]fruites, as S. I am. 2.17. Iames speaketh of Faith: but let it appeare in your day­lie conuersation, & in all the actions of your life.

Embrace true Magnanimitie, not in being vindictiue, Of mag­nanimitie Arist. 4. eth. Sen. de cl. whiche the cor­rupted judgementes of the worlde thinkes to be true Magnanimitie; but by the contrary, in thinking your offender not worthie of your wrath, empyring ouer your owne passion, Cic. 1. off. and triumphing in the commanding your selfe to forgiue: Virg. 6. Aen. husbanding the effectes of your courage and wrath, to be rightly employed vpon repelling of injuries within, by re­uenge taking vpon the oppressours; and in reuenging injuries without, by just warres vpon forraine ene­mies. And so, where ye finde a nota­ble injury, spare not to giue course to the torrents of your wrath. Pro. 20. Of humi­litie. The wrath of a King, is like to the roring of a Lyon.

Foster true Humility, in bannishing pride, not only towardes God (con­sidering ye differ not in stuffe, but in vse, and that onely by his ordinance, [Page 96]from the basest of your people) but also towards your Parents. Plat. 4. de leg. Xen 2. de dict. & fact. Soc. And if it fall out that my Wife shall out-liue me, as euer ye thinke to purchase my blessing, honour your Mother: set Beersheba in a throne on your right hand: offend her for no thing, muche lesse wrong her: remember her ‘Quae longa decem tulerit fastidia men­ses;’ and that your fleshe and bloode is made of hers: and beginne not, like the young lordes and lairdes, your first warres vpon your Mother: but preasse earnestlie to deserue her bles­sing. Neither deceaue your self with many that say, they care not for their Parents cursse, so they deserue it not. O invert not the order of nature, by judging your superiours, chieflie in your owne particular! But assure your selfe, the blessing or cursse of the Parents, hath almost euer a Pro­phetick power joyned with it: and if there were no more, honour your Parents, for the lengthening of your owne daies, Ex. 20. as God in his lawe pro­miseth. [Page 97]Honour also them that are in loco Parentum vnto you, Xen. 1. &. 3. Cyr. suche as your gouernours, vp-bringers, and Praeceptours: be thankefull vnto them and rewarde them, whiche is your dewtie and honour.

But on the other part, let not this true humilitie stay your high indig­nation to appeare, Cic. ad Q. frat. when any great oppressours shall praesume to come in your presence; then frowne as ye ought. And in-case they vse a colour of lawe in oppressing their poore ones, as ouer-manie do; that whiche ye cannot mend by lawe, Ar. 5. pol mend by the with-drawing of your counte­nance from them: and once in the yeare crosse them, when their erands come in your way, recompencing the oppressour, Mat. 18. according to Christs parable of the two debtours. Of Con­stancie. Ar. 4. aeth. Thuc. 3.6 Cic. 1. Of. & ad Q. f

Keepe true Constancie, not onely in your kindenesse towardes honest men; but beeing also invicti animi a­gainst all adversities: not with that Stoick insensible stupiditie, where­with [Page 98]with many in our dayes, Brut. ad Cic. preassing to winne honor, in imitating that aun­cient sect, by their inconstant beha­viour in their owne liues, belyes their profession. But although ye are not a stocke, not to feele calami­ties; yet let not the feeling of thē, so ouer-rule and doazen your reason, as may stay you from taking & vsing the best resolution for remedie, that can be found out.

Vse true Liberalitie in rewarding the good, and bestowing frankly for your honour & weale: Of Libe­ralitie. Cic. 1. & 2. Of. Sal. in Iug Sen. 4. de ben. but with that proportionall discretion, that euerie man may be serued according to his measure: wherein respect must be had to his ranke, desertes, & necessi­tie. And prouide howe to haue, but cast not away without cause. In spe­ciall empaire not by your Liberality the ordinarie rents of your crowne; whereby the estate royall of you, and your successours, must be maintai­ned, ne exhaurias fontem liberalitatis: for that would euer be kept sacro­sanctum [Page 99]& extra commercium: other­waies, your Liberalitie would de­clyne to Prodigalitie, in helping o­thers with your and your successors hurte. And aboue all, Isoc. ep. 7. Xen. 8. Cyr. Phil. Com 10 enriche not your selfe with exactions vpon your subjects; but think the riches of your people your best treasure, by the sinnes of offenders, where no prae­vention can availe, making justlie your commoditie. And in-case necessitie of warres, or other extra­ordinaries compell you to lift Sub­sidies, doe it as rarelie as ye can: Ar. 5. pol employing it onely to the vse it was ordained for; and vsing your selfe in that case, as fidus depositarius to your people.

And principallie, Anent reporters. Iso. ad Ph in Panath & de per. Cic. ad Q fr. Plut. de curios. exercise true Wisdome; in discerning wiselie be­twixt true and false reportes: firste considering the nature of the person reporter; next, what entresse he can haue in the weale or euill of him, of whome he maketh the report; third­lie, the likelie-hoode of the purpose [Page 100]it selfe; and last, the nature and by­past life of the dilated person: and where ye finde a tratler, away with him. And although it be true, that a Prince can neuer without secrecie doe great things, yet it is better oft­times to try reportes, then by credu­litie to foster suspicion vpon a honest man. Is. de pac. Cic. 3. Of. For since suspicion is the Ty­rants sicknesse, as the frutes of an euil Conscience, potiùs in alteram partem peccato: I meane, in not mistrusting one, whome-to no suche vnhonestie was knowne before. But as for suche as haue slipped before, former expe­rience may justlie breede praeventi­on by fore-sight.

And to conclude my aduice anent your behauiour in your person; con­sider that God is the authour of all vertue, Cic. 3. Tusc. hauing imprinted in mens mindes by the very light of nature, the loue of all morall vertues; as was seene by the vertuous liues of the olde Romaines: and preasse then to shine as farre before your people, [Page 101]in all vertue and honesty; as in great­nesse of ranke: that the vse thereof in all your actions, may turne, with time, to a naturall habitude in you; & as by their hearing of your lawes, so by their sight of your person, both their eies and their eares, may leade and allure them to the loue of ver­tue, and hatred of vice.

IT is a true olde saying, That a King is as one set on a stage, C. ph. 8.3. de leg. Ouid. ad Liv. Quint. 4. aecl. whose smallest actions and ge­stures, all the people gazing­lie doe beholde: and therefore al­thogh a King be neuer so praecise in the discharging of his office, the peo­ple, who seeth but the outward part, will euer judge of the substance, by the circumstances; and according to the outwarde appearance, if his be­hauiour be light or dissolute, will [Page 104]conceiue prae-occupied conceits of the Kings inward intention: whiche although with time, the tryar of all trueth, it will evanishe, by the evi­dence of the contrarie effectes, yet interim patitur iustus; and prae-jud­ged conceits will, Ar. 5. pol Indifferēt actiōs & their de­pendancie Plato in Phil. & 9 de leg. in the meane time, breede contempt, the mother of re­bellion and disorder. And besides that, it is certaine that all the indiffe­rent actions and behauiour of a man, haue a certaine holding and depen­dance, either vpon vertue or vice, ac­cording as they are vsed or ruled: for there is not a middes betwixt them, no more then betwixt their rewards, heauen and hell.

Be care-full then, my Sonne, so to frame all your indifferent actions & outward behauiour, as they may serue for the furtherance and forth-setting of your inward vertuous dis­position.

The whole indifferent actions of a man, Two sorts of them. I deuide in two sortes: in his be­hauiour in things necessary, as foode sleeping, rayment, speaking, writing, [Page 105]and gesture; and in things not neces­sarie, though conuenient and law­full, as pastimes or exercises, and v­sing of companie for recreation.

As to the indifferent things ne­cessarie, First sorte & howe they be indifferēt. although that of them selues they cannot be wanted, & so in that case are not indifferent; as like-waies in-cace they be not vsed with mode­ration, declyning so to the extremity whiche is vice; yet the qualitie and forme of vsing them, may smell of vertue or vice, and be great furthe­rers to any of them.

To beginne then at the things ne­cessary; one of the publickest indiffe­rent actions of a King, and that ma­niest, especially strangers, will nar­rowlie take heede to; is his manner of refection at his Table, Formes at the Table. and his be­hauiour thereat. Therefore, as Kings vse oft to eate publicklie, Xen. in Cyr. it is meete and honorable that ye also doe so, as well to eschewe the opinion that ye loue not to haunt companie, whiche is one of the markes of a Tyrant; as likewise, that your delight to eate [Page 106]priuatlie, be not thought to be for priuate satisfying of your gluttonie; whiche ye would be ashamed should be publicklie seene. Let your Ta­ble be honourablie serued; but serue your appetite with fewe dishes, Xen. 1. Cyr. as young Cyrus did: whiche both is holesommest, and freest from the vice of delicacie, whiche is a degree of gluttonie. Plut. in Apoth. And vse moste to eate of reasonablie-groffe, & common-meates; aswell for making your body strong and durable for trauell at all occasiōs, either in peace or in warre: as that ye may be the hartlier recea­ued by your meane subjects in their houses, when their cheere may suf­fice you: whiche otherwaies would be imputed to you for pride & dain­tinesse, and breede coldenesse & dis­daine in them. Let all your foode be simple, Sen. ep. 96. without composition or sau­ces; whiche are more like medecines then meate: The vsing of them was counted amongst the auncient Ro­manes a filthie vice of delicacie; be­cause they serue only for pleasing of [Page 107]the taste, Sen. de consol. ad Alb. Iuuen. sat 2. Arist. 4. eth. and not for satisfying of the necessity of nature; abhorring Api­cius their owne citizen, for his vice of delicacie & mōstrous gluttony. Like as both the Graecians & Romanes had in detestation the very name of Philoxenus, for his filthie wishe of a Crane-craig. And therfore was that sentence vsed amongst them against these artificiall false appetites, Xen. de dict. & fact. Socr. Lacrt. in Socr. Cic. 5. Tus Plac. 6. de Leg. Plin. l. 14 optimū condimētum fames. But be warre with vsing excesse of meate & drinke; and chieflie, be warre of drunkennesse, whiche is a beastlie vice, namelie in a King: but speciallie be warre with it, because it is one of those vices that increaseth with age. In the forme of your meate-eating, be neither vn­ciuill, like a grosse Cynicke; nor af­fectatlie mignarde, like a daintie dame; but eate in a manlie, rounde, and honest fashion. Cic. 1. off. It is no waies comelie to dispatche affaires, or to be pensiue at meate: but keepe then an open & cheerefull countenance, causing to reade pleasant histories vnto you, that profite may be mix­ed [Page 108]with pleasure: and when ye are no: disposed, entertaine pleasant, quicke, but honest discourses.

And because meate prouoketh sleeping, Of sleepe. Pl. a. 7. de leg. be also moderate in your sleepe; for it goeth muche by vse: & remember that if your whole life were deuided in foure parts, three of them would be found to be consu­med on meate, drink, sleepe, and vn­necessarie occupations.

But albeit ordinarie times would commonlie be kept in meate and sleepe; yet vse your selfe some-times so, Best form of diet. Pla. 6. de leg. that any time in the foure & twē­tie houres may be alike to you for a­ny of them; that thereby your diet may be accommodate to your affai­res, & not your affaires to your diet: not therfore vsing your selfe to ouer great softnesse and delicacie in your sleepe, more then in your meate; & speciallie in-case ye haue adoe with the warres.

Let not your Chalmer be throng & common in the time of your rest, Pormes in the Chal­mer. aswell for comelinesse, as for eschew­ing [Page 109]of carrying reports out of the same. Let them that haue the credite to serue in your Chalmer, Val. 2. Cur. 4. be trustie & secrete; for a King will haue need to vse secrecie in many thinges: but yet behaue your self so in your grea­test secrets, as ye neede not be asha­med, suppose they were all proclai­med at the mercate crosse. Pla. 6. de leg. But spe­cially see that those of your Chalmer be of a sounde fame, and without blemishe.

Take no heede to any of your dreames: for all Prophecies, Dreames not to be taken heed to. visi­ons, and prophetick dreames are ac­complished and ceased in Christ. And therfore take no heede to freets either in dreames, or any other things: for that errour proceedeth of ignorance, & is vnworthy of a Chri­stian; who should be assured, Omnia esse pura puris, as Paule saieth; Rom. 14. Tit. 1. all daies and meates being alike to Christi­ans.

Next followeth to speake of ray­ment, Of appa­rell. the on-putting whereof is the ordinary action that followeth next [Page 108] [...] [Page 109] [...] [Page 110]to sleepe. Iso. de reg. Be also moderate in your rayment; neither ouer superfluous, like a deboshed waister; nor yet ouer base, like a miserable wretche; not artificiallie trimmed & decked, like a Courtizane; nor yet ouer sluggishly clothed, like a coūtry-clowne; not o­uer lightly, like a Candie-fouldier, or a vaine yoūg Courtier; nor yet ouer grauelie, Cic. 1. Of. like a Minister. But in your garments be proper, cleanlie, come­lie & honest: wearing your cloathes in a carelesse, yet comelie forme: keeping in them a midde forme, inter Togatos & Paludatos; betwixt the grauitie of the one, and lightnesse of the other. Thereby to signifie, that by your calling ye are mixed of both the professions; Pl. de reg. Togatus, as a judge making and pronouncing the lawe; paludatus, by the power of the sword: as your office is likewise mixed, be­twixt the Ecclesiasticall and ciuill e­state. For a King is not merè laicus, as both the Papistes and Anabaptistes would haue him; to the whiche error also the Puritanes incline ouer-farre. [Page 111]But to returne to the purpose of gar­ments, they ought to be vsed accor­ding to their first institutiō by God; whiche was for three causes: first to hide our nakednesse and shame; next and consequentlie, to make vs more comelie; and thirdlie, to preserue vs from the injuries of heate and colde. If to hide our nakednes & shamefull parts, then these naturall parts ordai­ned to be hid, should not be represē­ted by any vn-decent formes in the cloathes: and if they should helpe our comlines, they should not thē by their painted preened fashion, serue for baites to filthie lecherie; as false haire and fairding does amongst vn­chaste wemen: and if they should praeserue vs from the injuries of heat and colde, men should not, like sens­lesse stones, contemne God, in light­lying the seasons; glorying to con­quere honour on heate and colde. And although it be praise-worthy & necessarie in a Prince, to be patiens al­goris & aestus, when he shall haue adoe with warres vpon the fieldes; yet I [Page 112]thinke it meeter that ye got both clo­thed and armed, then naked to the battell; except you would make you light for away-running: and yet for cowards, metus addit alas. And short­lie, in your cloathes keepe a propor­tion, aswell with the seasons of the yeare, as of your age: in the fashions of them being carelesse, vsing them according to the common forme of the time, Cic. 1. Of. some-times richelier, some­times meanlier clothed as occasion serueth, without keeping any pręcise rule therein. Ar. ad Alex. For if your minde be found occupied vpon them, it will be thought idle otherwaies, and ye shall be accompted in the nomber of one of these compti iuvenes; which will make your spirite & judgement to be lesse thought of. But speciallie eschewe to be effoeminate in your cloathes, in perfuming, preening, or suche like: and faile neuer in time of warres to be galliardest and brauest, both in cloathes and countenance. And make not a foole of your selfe in disguysing or wearing long haire or [Page 113]nailes; whiche are but excrements of nature, and bewraie suche misusers of them, to be either of a vindictiue, or a vaine light naturall. Especiallie, make no vowes in suche vaine and outward thinges, as concerne either meate or cloathes.

Let your selfe and all your Court weare no ordinarie armour with your cloathes, What or­dinarie ar mour to be vsed at Courte but suche as is knight­lie, and honourable: I meane rapier­swordes, & daggers. For tuilyesome weapons in the Courte, betokens confusion in the countrie. And ther­fore bannishe not onelie from your Courte, all traiterous offensiue wea­pons, forbidden by the lawes; as gunnes and suche like (whereof I spake alreadie) but also all traite­rous defensiue armes, as secretes, plate-sleeues, and suche like vnseene armour. For, besides that the wea­rers thereof, may be praesupposed to haue a secrete euill intention, they want both the vses that defensiue ar­mour is ordained for: whiche is, to be able to holde out violence, and [Page 114]by their outwarde glaunsing in their enemies eies, to strike a terrour in their harts. Where by the contrarie, they can serue for neither; being not onely vnable to resist, but dangerous for shots, and giuing no outwarde showe against the enemie: being on­lie ordained, for betraying vnder truste; whereof honest men should be ashamed to beare the outwarde badge, not resembling the thing they are not. And for answere a­gainst these arguments, I know none but the olde Scottes fashion: whiche if it be wrong, is no more to be al­lowed for auncientnesse, then the olde Masse is, whiche also our fore­fathers vsed.

The next thing that ye haue to take heede to, Of lan­guage & gesture. Ar. 3. ad Theod. Cic. in or. ad Q. fr. & ad Br. is your speaking and language; whereunto I joyne your gesture, since action is one of the cheefest qualities, that is required in an oratour: for as the tongue spea­keth to the eares, so doth the gesture speake to the eies of the auditour. In both your speaking and your ge­sture, [Page 115]vse a naturall and plaine forme, Cic. 1, Os. not fairded with artifice: for (as the French-men say) Rien contre-faict fin: but eschewe all affectate formes in both.

In your language be plaine, ho­nest, naturall, comelie, cleane, short, Id. eod. and sentencious: eschewing both the extremities, aswell in not vsing any rusticall corrupt leide, as booke­language, and pen and inke-horne tearmes: and least of all mignarde & effoeminate tearmes. But let the grea­test parte of your eloquence consist in a naturall, cleare, Id. ad Q. frat. & ad Brut. and sensible forme of the deliuerie of your minde, builded euer vpon certaine and good groundes; tempering it with grauitie, quicknesse, or me­rinesse, according to the subject, & occasion of the time; not taunting in Theology, nor alleadging and pro­phaning the Scripture in drinking purposes, as ouer manie doe.

Vse also the like forme in your gesture; neither looking sillelie, Id. 1. Of. like a stupide pedant; nor vnsetled lie, with [Page 116]an vncouth morgue, like a new-com­ouer Cavalier: but let your behauior be naturall, graue, and according to the fashion of the countrie. Phil. ad Alex. Cic. 2. Of. Be not ouer sparing in your courtesies; for that will be imputed to in-civility & arrogancie: nor yet ouer prodigal in jowking or nodding at euery step; for that forme of being populare, be­commeth better aspiring Absalons, Arist. 4. Aeth. Cic. ad At. then lawfull Kings: framing euer your gesture according to your pre­sent actions: looking grauelie & with a majestie when ye sit in judgement, or giues audience to Embassadours; homely, when ye are in priuate with your owne seruantes; merelie, when ye are at any pastime or merrie dis­course; and let your countenance smell of courage and magnanimitie when ye are at the warres. And re­member (I say ouer againe) to be plaine & sensible in your language: Is. de reg. & in Euag. for besides that it is the tongues of­fice, to be the messinger of the mind; it may be thought a point of imbe­cillitie of spirite in a King, to speake [Page 117]obscurelie; muche more vntrulie: Cic. 3. Of. as if he stoode awe of any in vttering his thoughts.

Remember also, to put a difference betwixt your forme of language in reasoning, Id. 1. Of. and your pronouncing of sentences, Formes in reasoning or declaratour of your wil in judgement, or anie other waies in the points of your office. For in the former case, ye must reason pleasant­lie and pacientlie, not like a king, but like a priuate man and a scholer: o­therwaies, your impacience of con­tradiction will be interpreted to be for lacke of reason on your parte. Where in the pointes of your office, ye should ripelie aduise indeede, be­fore ye giue forth your sentence: but fra it be giuen forth, In iudge­ment. Is. ad Nic Cic. ad Q. fr. the suffering of any contradiction, diminisheth the Majestie of your authoritie, and ma­keth the processes endlesse. The like forme would also be obserued by all your inferiour judges and Magi­strates.

Nowe as to your writing, whiche is nothing else, Of wri­ting and what stile fitteth a Prince. but a forme of en-re­gistrate [Page 118]speeche; vse a plaine, shorte, but statelie stile, both in your Procla­mations and missiues, especiallie to forraine Princes. And if your engine spurre you to write any workes, ey­ther in verse or in prose; I cannot but allowe you to practise it: but take no longsome workes in hande, for distracting you from your cal­ling.

Flatter not your selfe in your la­boures, Cic. 1. Of. but before they be set forth, let them first be priuilie censured by some of the best skilled men in that craft, that in these workes ye medle with. And because your writes will remaine as true pictures of your minde, to all posterities; let them be free of all vn-comelinesse and vn-ho­nestie: De arte Poetica. and according to Horace his counsell ‘Nonumque premantur in annum.’ I meane both your verse and your prose; letting first that fury & heate, wherewith they were written, coole at leasure; and then as an vncouth judge and censor, reuising them o­uer [Page 119]againe, before they be published, quia nescit vox missa reuerti. Id. eod.

If ye would write worthelie, choose subjectes worthie of you, that be not full of vanitie, but of ver­tue; eschewing obscuritie, and de­lighting euer to be plaine and sensi­ble. And if ye write in verse, remem­ber that it is not the principall parte of a poëme to rime right, and flowe well with many prettie wordes: but the chiefe commendation of a po­ëme is, that when the verse shall be shaken sundrie in prose, Ar. de art. poet. it shall be founde so riche in quick inventions, & poëticke floures, and in faire and pertinent comparisons; as it shall re­taine the lustre of a poëme, although in prose. And I would also aduise you to write in your owne language: for there is no thing left to be saide in Greeke and Latine alreadie; and ynewe of poore schollers would matche you in these languages; and besides that, it best becommeth a King to purifie and make famous his owne tongue; wherein he may goe [Page 120]before all his subjectes; as it setteth him well to doe in all honest & law­full things.

And amongst all vnnecessarie thinges that are lawfull and expedi­ent, Of the exercise of the bodie. Xē. 1. Cyr I thinke exercises of the bodie moste commendable to be vsed by a young Prince, in suche honest games or pastimes, as may further ability & maintaine health. For albeit I graunt it to be most requisite for a King to exercise his engine, whiche surelie with idlenesse will rouste and be­come blunt; yet certainly bodily ex­ercises and games are verie commē­dable; Plat. 6. de leg. [...]r. 7. & 8. pol. Cic. 1. Of. aswell for bannishing of idle­nesse (the mother of all vice) as for making his bodie able and durable for trauell, whiche is very necessarie for a King. But from this count I debarre all rough & violēt exercises, as the foot-ball; meeter for laming, then making able the vsers thereof: as likewise suche tumbling trickes as onely serue for Comedians & Balla­dines, to win their breade with. But the exercises that I would haue you Pl. eod. [Page 121]to vse (although but moderatlie, not making a craft of them) are running, leaping, wrastling, fencing, daūcing, & playing at the caitche or tennise, archery, palle maillé, & suche like o­ther faire & pleasāt field games. Xē. in Cyr Is. de iug. And the honorablest & most commen­dable games that ye can vse, are on horse-backe: for it becommeth a Prince best of anie man, to be a faire and good horse-man. Vse therefore to ride and danton great and coura­gious horses; that I may say of you, as Philip saide of great Alexander his sonne, [...]. Plut. in Alex. And speci­allie vse suche games on horse-back, as may teache you to handle your armes thereon; suche as the tilt, the ring, and lowe-ryding for handling of your sworde.

I cannot omit heere the hunting, Of hun­ting namelie with running houndes; whiche is the most honourable and noblest sorte thereof: for it is a thee­uishe forme of hunting to shoote with gunnes and bowes; and grey­hound hunting is not so martiall a [Page 122]game. But becaus I would not be thoght a partiall praiser of this sport, I remit you to Xenophon, in Cyn. 1. Cyr. & de Rep. Lac. Cic. 1. Of. an olde & famous writer, who had no mind of flattering you or me in this purpose: & who also setteth downe a faire pa­tern, Cyropoe­dia. for the educatiō of a yong king, vnder the supposed name of Cyrus.

As for hawking I condemne it not, Of Haw­king. but I must praise it more spa­ringlie; because it neither resem­bleth the warres so neere as hunting doth, in making a man hardie, and skilfullie ridden in all grounds; and is more vncertaine and subject to mischances: and (whiche is worst of all) is there-through an extreame stirrer vp of passions. But in vsing ei­ther of these games obserue that mo­deration, that ye slip not there-with the houres appointed for your af­faires, Ar. 10. Aeth. whiche ye ought euer prae­ciselie to keepe: remembring that these games are but ordayned for you, in enabling you for your office, for the whiche ye are ordained.

And as for sitting house pastimes, [Page 123]where-with men by driuing time, Of house­games. spurre a free and fast ynough run­ning horse (as the prouerbe is) al­though they are not profitable for the exercise either of minde or bo­die, Ar. 8. pol yet can I not vtterlie condemne them; since they may at times sup­ply the roome, whiche being empty, would be patēt to pernitious idlenes quia nihil potest esse vacuum. I will not therfore aggree with the curiosity of some learned men in our age, Dan. de lus. al. in for­bidding carts, dice, and other suche like games of hazard; althogh other­waies surely I reuerence them as no table & godlie men. For they are de­ceaued therein, in founding their ar­gument vpon a mistaken grounde; whiche is, that the playing at suche games, is a kinde of casting of lot, & therfore vn-lawfull; wherin they de­ceaue them selues. For the casting of lot was vsed for triall of the trueth in any obscure thing, that otherwaies could not be gotten cleared; & ther­fore was a sorte of prophecie: where by the contrarie, no man goeth to a­nie [Page 124]of these plaies, to cleare any ob­scure trueth, but onelie to gage so muche of his owne money, as he pleaseth, vpon the hazarde of the running of the cartes or dice; aswell as he would doe vpon the speede of a horse or a dog, or any suche like gaigeour. And so, if they be vn-law­full, all gaigeours vpon vncertainties must likewaies be condemned. Not that thereby I take the defence of vaine carters and dicers, that waste their moyen, and their time (wherof fewe consider the pretiousnesse) vp­on prodigall and continuall playing: no, Cic. 1. Of. I would rather allowe it to be discharged, where suche corruption cannot be eschewed. But onelie I cānot condemne you at some times, when ye haue no other thing a doe (as a good King will be seeldome) & are wearie of reading, or euill dispo­sed in your person, and when it is foule and stormie weather; then, I say, may ye lawfully play at the carts or tables. For as to dycing, I thinke it becōmeth best deboshed souldiers [Page 125]to play at, on the head of their drums, being onelie ruled by hazarde, and subject to knauishe cogging. And as for the chesse, I thinke it ouer fonde, because it is ouer wise and Philoso­phicke a follie. For where all suche light plaies, are ordained to free mēs heades for a time, from the fashious thoughts on their affaires; it by the contrarie filleth and troubleth mens heades, with as many fashious toies of the play, as before it was filled with thoughts on his affaires.

But in your playing I would haue you to keepe three rules: Rules in playing. first or ye play, consider ye doe it onely for your recreation, and resolue to ha­zard the losse of all that ye play; and next, for that cause play no more thē ye care to cast among Pages; & last, play alwaies faire play precisely, that ye come not in vse of tricking and lying in jeste: otherwise, if ye cannot keepe these rules, my counsell is that ye alluterly abstain from these plays. For neither a madde passion for losse, nor falshood vsed for desire of gaine, [Page 126]can be called a play.

Nowe, What choise of company. it is not onely lawfull, but necessarie, that ye haue companie meete for euerie thing ye take on hand, aswell in your games and ex­ercises, as in your graue and earnest affaires. Is. de reg. Cic. 1. Of. But learne to distinguishe time according to th'occasion; cho­sing your companie accordinglie. Conferre not with hunters at your counsell, nor in your counsell af­faires; nor dispatche not affaires at hunting or other games. And haue the like respect to the seasons of your age; vsing your sortes of recre­ation and companie therefore, ag­greeing there-unto. For it becom­meth best, as kindliest, euery age to smell of their owne qualitie, Ar. 2. ad Theod. inso­lence and vn-lawfull thinges beeing alwaies eschewed: & not that a colte should drawe the plough, and an old horse run away with the harrowes. But take heede speciallie, that your company for recreatiō, be chosen of honest persons; not defamed or vici­ous, mixing filthy talk with merrines Corrumpūt bonos mores colloquia praua. [Page 127]And chieflie abstaine from haunting before your mariage, Men. the idle com­panie of dames, whiche are no thing else, but irritamenta libidinis. Be warre likewaies to abuse your selfe, in ma­king your sporters your counsellers: and delight not to keepe ordinarilie in your companie, Comoedians or Balladines: for the Tyrans delighted most in thē, Pl. 3. de rep. Ar. 7. & 8. pol. Sen. 1. ep. glorying to be both au­thors & actors of Comoedies & Tra­goedies themselues. Wher-upon the answer that the poëte Philoxenus dis­dainfullie gaue to the Tyran of Syra­cuse there-anent, Dyonis. is nowe come in a prouerbe, reduc me in latomias. And all the ruse that Nero made of him selfe when he died, Suid. was Qualis artifex pe­reo? Suetan Ner. meaning of his skill in menstral­ly, and playing of Tragoedies: as in­deede his whole life and death, was all but one tragoedie.

Delight not also to be in your owne person a player vpon instru­ments; especiallie on suche as com­monly men winne their liuing with: nor yet to be fine of any mechanick [Page 128]craft: 1. Sep. Leur esprit s'en fuit an bout des doigts, saith Du Bartas: whose works, as they are all moste worthie to be red by any Prince, or other good Christian; so would I especially wish you to be well versed in them. But spare not some-times by merie com­panie, to be free from importu­nitie: for ye should be euer moo­ued with reason, whiche is the onely quality whereby men differ from beastes; and not with importunitie. For the whiche cause (as also for aug­menting your Majestie) ye shall not be so facile of accesse-giuing at all times, Curt. 8. Lui. 35. Xen. in Ages. Cic. ad Q­frat. as I haue bene: and yet not al­together retired or locked vp, like the Kings of Persia: appointing also cer­taine houres for publick audience.

And since my trust is, that GOD hath ordained you for moe King­domes then this (as I haue oft alrea­die saide) preasse by the outward be­hauiour aswell of your owne per­son, Aspecial good rule in gouernment. as of your courte, in all indiffe­rent things, to allure peece & peece, the rest of your kingdomes, to fol­lowe [Page 149]the fashions of that kingdome of yours, that ye finde most ciuill, ea­siest to be ruled, and most obedient to the lawes. For these outward and indifferent things, will serue greatlie for allurements to the people, to em­brace and followe vertue. But be ware of thrawing or constrayning them thereto; letting it be brought on with time, and at leasure: special­lie by so mixing through alliance & daylie conuersation, the inhabitants of euery kingdome with other, as may with time make them to growe and weld all in one. Whiche may easilie be done betwixt these two nations, beeing both but one Ile of Britaine, and alreadie joyned in vni­tie of Religion, & language. The fruitful effects of the vn [...] on. So that euen as in the times of our ancestors, the long warres and many bloodie battels betwixt these two countries, bred a naturall & haereditarie hatred in euery of them, against the other: the vniting & welding of them heer­after in one, by all sort of friendship, commerce, and alliance; will by the [Page 150]contrary, produce and maintaine a naturall & inseparable vnitie of loue amongst them. As we haue alreadie (praise be to God) a great experi­ence of the good beginning heereof, Alreadie kithing in the happie amitie. & of the quenching of the olde hate in the harts of both the people; pro­cured by the meanes of this long & happie amitie, betweene the Queene my dearest sister & me; whiche du­ring the whole time of both our raignes hath euer beene inviolablie obserued.

And for conclusion of this my whole treatise, Conclusiō in forme of abridge of the whole treatise remēber, my Sonne, by your true & constant depending vpon God, to looke for a blessing to all your actions in your office: by the outwarde vsing thereof, to testifie the inwarde vprightnesse of your hart; and by your behauiour in all indifferent things, to set forth the viue image of your vertuous disposi­tion: and in respect of the greatnes & waight of your burthen, to be pa­tient in hearing, keeping your hart free from praeoccupation; ripe in cō­cluding, [Page 151]and constant in your reso­lution. Thuc. 6. Dion 52. For better it is to bide at your resolution, although there were some defect in it, then by daily changing, to effectuate nothing. Taking the pa­terne thereof from the microcosme of your owne body: wherin ye haue two eyes, signifying great fore-sight and prouidence, with a narrowe loo­king in all things; and also two eares, signifying patient hearing, and that of both the parties: but ye haue but one tongue, for pronoūcing a plaine sensible, & vniforme sentence; & but one head, & one hart, for keeping a constant & vniforme resolution, ac­cording to your apprehensiō: hauing two handes and two feete, with ma­ny fingers & toes for quick executiō, in employing all instruments meete for effectuating your deliberations.

But forget not to digest euer your passion, before ye determine vpon a­ny thing, since Ira furor breuis est: Hor. lib. 1 epist. vt­tering onely your anger according to the Apostles rule, Irascimini, Eph. 4. sed ne peccetis: taking pleasure, not onely to [Page 152]rewarde, but to advance the good; whiche is a cheefe point of a Kings glorie (but make none ouer-great, but according as the power of the countrie may beare) and punishing the euill; Ar. 5. pol Dion. 52 but euery man according to his owne offence: not punishing nor blaming the father for the sonne, Pla. 9. de leg. nor the brother for the brother; muche lesse generallie to hate a whole race for the fault of one: for noxa caput se­quitur.

And aboue all, let the measure of your loue to euery one, be according to the measure of his vertue; letting your fauour be no longer tyed to any, then the continuance of his ver­tuous disposition shall deserue: not admitting the excuse vpon a just re­venge, to procure ouer-sight to an injurie. For the first injurie is com­mitted against the partie: but the parties revenging therof at his owne hand, is a wrong committed against you, in vsurping your office, whom­to onely the sworde belongeth, for revenging of all the injuries com­mitted [Page 153]against any of your people.

Thus hoping in the goodnesse of God, that your naturall inclination shall haue a happie sympathie with these praecepts, making the wise-mās schoole-maister, whiche is the ex­ample of others, to be your teacher, according to that olde verse, ‘Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum;’ eschewing so the ouer-late repen­tance by your owne experience, whiche is the schoole-maister of fooles; I will for end of all, requyre you, my Sonne, as euer ye think to deserue my fatherly blessing, to keep continuallie before the eies of your minde, the greatnes of your charge: Plat. in pol. Cic. 5. de rep. making the faithfull and due dis­charge thereof, the principall butte ye shoot at in all your actions: coun­ting it euer the principall, & all your other actions but as accessories, to be employed as middesses for the furthering of that principall. And be­ing content to let others excell in o­ther things, let it be your cheefest [Page 154]earthlie glorie, to excell in your own craft: according to the worthie coun­sell & charge of Anchises to his poste­rity, in that sublime & heroical Poet, wherein also my dicton is included;