How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects, To the reader – Colophon
WILLIAM KETHE TO the Reader.
THe vayne harte of mā, full frayle is and blynde,
vncerteynely ſetled, and reſt can none fynde:
Whoſe hap is in wandring, to wade the wronge way,
As one apte by kinde to runne ſtill aſtray.
For, what thīge ſo good by truethe hathe bene wroght,
Or what ſo well framed hath nature forth brought,
Which man is not prone by crafte to accuſe,
And natures good gyftes dothe not ſore abuſe?
Thus ſee we how man, contemning Gods grace,
Is wholie inclyned, that ill ſhulde take place:
Whoſe will (truethe reiectinge) delitth that to hauehave,
Which nature corrupted woulde ſeeme ſtill to craue.
Sith man then in iudgeinge, ſo thwartly is bente.
To ſatisfie fanſie, and not true intente:
How hardly in this caſe, can ſuch iudge vpright,
Whē trueth doth but peepe out, as ſemth to our ſight.
Ful nedefull then were it, we had this reſpecte,
Before we receaue oght, or oght do reiect:
The thinge to decide ſo with Iudgement and ſkill,
That trueth may be ſtickler, and not our one will.
Beholde here a trueth drawne forth of her graue,
By power ſore oppreſſed, and made a bonde ſlaue:
Whoſe chaīs, thogh this Autor could not rēt or teare,
Yet hath he forth broght hir, in to moſte clere ayer.
With whome now to reaſon, whoſo wil aſſaye,
Shal learne how ill Rulers we oght to obeye.
Whiche kill, how they ca…e not in their cruell rage.
Reſpectīg their will more, thē lawe, othe, or charge.
… longe foſtered by ſuffrance and awe,
HaueHave right rule ſubuerted, and made will their lawe:
Whoſe pride, how to temper, this truthe will thee tell,
So as thou reſiſte mayſte, and yet not rebell.
Rebellion is ill, to reſiſte is not ſo,
When right through reſiſting, is donne to that foo,
Who ſeeketh, but by ruine, agaynſt right to raigne,
Not paſsinge what periſhe, ſo ſhe ſpoyle the gayne.
A publick weale wretched, and to farre diſgraſte,
Where the right-head is of cut, and a wronge in ſteed plaſte,
A brut beaſt vntamed a miſbegotthen;
More meete to be ruled, then raigne ouer men.
A maruelous madneſſe, if we well beholde,
When ſighes ſhall aſſaut mē, to ſee them ſelues ſolde:
And yet whē frō ſlauery, their friēds woulde thē free,
To ſtick to their foes ſo, ſtill ſlaues to be.
For France ſpiteth Spayne, which Englend doth threat,
And England proud Spanyards, with ſalte woulde fayne eate:
Yet Englande proud Spayne aydeth with men, ſhips, and botes.
That Spayne, (France ſubdued once) may cut all their throtes.
A people peruerſe, repleate with diſdayne,
Thogh flattrie fayne hide woulde their hate, and vile trayne.
Whoſe rage, ād hotte luſte, diſceate, crafte and pride,
Poore Naples their bondeſlaue, with great grefe hath tryed.
Lo, theſe be the byrdes which Englāde muſte feede,
By plantinge of whom, to roote out their ſeede
Their owne landes ād lyues, by them firſte deuourde,
Their maydes then ād wyues, moſte vilelie deflourde.
Is this not ſtronge treaſon, ye vnnoble bloudds?
To ayde ſuche deſtroyers, both with landes ād goods?
But when they thus pinche you, and ye put to flight,
To what forte then flee you: or where will you light?
For Englande thus ſolde, for Spaniardes to dwell,
Ye maye not by right, poſſeſſe that ye ſell.
They ſeinge your treaſon, agaynſte your owne ſtate,
Wil not with theirs truſt you, which they know ye hate.
To Skotlande or France, yf ye then ſhulde cry,
Your vile deeds now preſent, they may well reply,
And Dutchlād abhorth you: this thē doth remayne,
Whē Spaniards are placed, ye muſte to newe Spayne.
But, oh dreadfull plague, ād ſigne of Gods wrothe,
On ſuch noble Gnatos, ſtronge foes to Gods trothe.
Whom fonde feare hath framed, to prop ſuch a ſtaye,
As countrie and people, ſo ſeekth to betraye.
Which thinge herein proued, to be with out doute,
All ſuch full well finde ſhall, as reade it throughout.
Yf then their hartes fayle them the right to defende,
Confuſion remayneth for ſuche a meete end.
Geue not thy glorie to an other: nether that whiche is profitable for thee, to a ſtrange nation.
Baruch. 4.
The way to life it ſtreicte and fewe finde it.
Mat.7.
Imprinted at Geneua by Iohn Creſpin. the firſt of Ianuarie. Anno. D. M.D.LVIII.
End of the text · Christopher Goodman, How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects (1558)