that he seek to have every man obnoxious, low, and in strait, which the Italians call seminar spine, to fow thorns; or that other principle, contained in the verse which Cicero citeth, Cadant amici, dummodo Inimici intercidant, as the Triumvirs, which fold, every one to other, the lives of their friends for the deaths of their enemies: or that other proteftation of L. Catilina, to fet on fire and trouble ftates, to the end to fifh in droumy waters, and to unwrap their fortunes, Ego fi quid in fortunis meis excitatum fit incendium, id non aqua, fed ruina reftinguam: or that other principle of Lysander, that children are to be deceived with comfits, and men with oaths: and the like evil and corrupt positions, whereof, as in all things, there are more in number than of the good: certainly with these dispenfations from the laws of charity and integrity, the preffing of a man's fortune may be more hafty and compendious. But it is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about. But men, if they be in their own power, and do bear and sustain themselves, and be not carried away with a whirlwind or tempest of ambition, ought, in the pursuit of their own fortune, to set before their eyes not only that general Map of the world, that all things are vanity and vexation of Spirit, but many other more particular Cards and directions: chiefly that,-that Being without wellbeing, is a curse,—and the greater being the greater curfe; and that all virtue is most rewarded, and all wickedness most punished in itself: according as the Poet saith excellently : Quæ vobis, quæ digna, viri, pro laudibus iftis And fo of the contrary. And, fecondly, they ought to look up to the eternal providence and divine judgment, which often fubverteth the wisdom of evil plots and imaginations, according to that Scripture, He hath conceived mischief, and shall bring forth a vain thing. And although men should refrain themselves from injury and evil arts, yet this incessant and Sabbathless pursuit of a man's fortune leaveth not the tribute which we owe to GOD of our time; who we fee demandeth a tenth of our substance, and a seventh, which is more ftrict, of our time and it is to small purpose to have an erected face towards heaven, and a perpetual grovelling spirit upon earth, eating duft, as doth the ferpent, Atque affigit humo Divine particulam auræ. And if any man flatter himself that he will employ his fortune well, though he should obtain it ill, as was faid concerning Augustus Cæfar, and after of Septimius Severus, that either they fhould never have been born or else they should never have died, they did so much mischief in the pursuit and ascent of their greatness, and so much good when they were established; yet these compenfations and fatisfactions are good to be used, but never good to be purposed. And lastly it is not amifs for men, in their race, toward their fortune, to cool themselves a little with that conceit which is elegantly expreffed by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, in his instructions to the King his son, That fortune bath fomewhat of the nature of a woman, that if he be too much wooed, she is the farther off. But this last is but a remedy for those whose Tastes are corrupted: let men rather build upon that foundation which is as a corner-ftone of Divinity and Philosophy, wherein they join close, namely, that fame Primum quærite. For Divinity faith, Primum quærite regnum Dei, et ifta omnia adjicientur vobis: and Philosophy faith, Primum quærite bona animi, cætera aut aderunt, aut non oberunt. And although the human foundation hath fomewhat of the fands, as we fee in M. Brutus, when he brake forth into that fpeech, Te colui, Virtus, ut rem; at tu nomen inane es; yet the divine foundation is upon the Rock. But this may serve for a Taste of that knowledge which I noted as deficient. Concerning Government, it is a part of knowledge fecret and retired, in both these respects in which things are deemed fecret; for fome things are fecret because they are hard to know, and some because they are not fit to utter. We fee all governments are obfcure and invifible: Totamque infufa per artus Mens agitat molem, et magno fe corpore mifcet. Such is the description of governments. We see the government of GOD over the world is hidden, inasmuch as it seemeth to participate of much irre gularity and confusion: the government of the Soul in moving the Body is inward and profound, and the paffages thereof hardly to be reduced to demonstration. Again, the wisdom of Antiquity, (the shadows whereof are in the Poets,) in the description of torments and pains, next unto the crime of Rebellion, which was the Giants' offence, doth deteft the offence of futility, as in Sisyphus and Tantalus. But this was meant of particulars: nevertheless even unto the general rules and difcourfes of policy and government there is due a reverent and referved handling. But contrariwife, in the governors toward the governed, all things ought as far as the frailty of Man permitteth, to be manifeft and revealed. For so it is expreffed in the Scriptures touching the government of God, that this globe, which feemeth to us a dark and shady body, is in the view of GOD as Crystal Et in confpectu fedis tanquam mare vitreum fimile Crystallo. So unto Princes and States, especially towards wife Senates and Councils, the natures and difpofitions of the people, their conditions and neceffities, their factions and combinations, their animofities and discontents, ought to be, in regard of the variety of their Intelligences, the wisdom of their obfervations, and the height of their station where they keep Sentinel, in great part clear and transparent. Wherefore, confidering that I write to a King that is a master of this Science, and is fo well affifted, I think it decent to pass over this part in filence, as willing to obtain the certificate which one of the ancient Philofophers aspired unto; who being filent, when others contended to make demonftration of their abilities by speech, desired it might be certified for his part, that there was one that knew how to hold his peace. Notwithstanding, for the more public part of Government, which is Laws, I think good to note only one deficiency; which is, that all those which have written of Laws, have written either as Philofophers or as Lawyers, and none as statesmen. As for the Philofophers, they make imaginary Laws for imaginary commonwealths; and their difcourfes are as the stars, which give little light, because they are fo high. For the Lawyers, they write according to the States where they live, what is received Law, and not what ought to be Law: for the wifdom of a Lawmaker is one, and of a Lawyer is another. For there are in Nature certain fountains of Juftice, whence all Civil Laws are derived but as ftreams: and like as waters do take tinctures and tastes from the foils through which they run, so do civil Laws vary according to the Regions and governments where they are planted, though, they proceed from the fame fountains. Again, the wisdom of a Lawmaker confifteth not only in a platform of Justice, but in the application thereof; taking into confideration by what means Laws may be made certain, and what are the causes and remedies of the doubtfulness and incertainty of Law; by what means Laws may be made apt and eafy to be executed, and what are |