The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. The Qualification of Councellours.
BVT as there is neceſſitie of counſell, ſo there muſt be choyce of counſellours. In the choyce of counſellours foure things muſt be obſerved, 1Numberthere muſt be number equalitie, abilitie and honeſtie. For the firſt, it is a good rule of Comineus, Lib. 1. cap 1that a King should hauehave many Councellours, and that he should never commit the helme of affaires, unto one mans hand: for as many eyes ſee more then one; ſo one man may put out his Maſters eyes, and become Maſter in effect. Among many inſtances take this one of Sejanus. Coruel Tacit. Annal. lib. 5.whom Tiberius advanced ſo highly with great offices, and the mariage of his daughter. He ruled all as he would; he was honored of all, and followed of all, more then the Emperour; to his image they offered ſacrifice, and they were in no ſmall eſteeme, to whom he gaue any reſpect. His brith day, with Ceſars, was celebrated. But like a monſtrous paracide, he went about to ſubvert his Maſter, who, (how vile ſoever he was) had deſerved well of him. But his great fall & ignominious death, together with the death of his, did fully parallel the height of his rize. The like may be ſeene in Dancres rize and fall.
As there muſt be a number, 2Equalitie of power.ſo there ſhould be an equalitie of power amongſt them: for to commit more to one then another, or, it may be then to all the reſt; that one wil goe neere to be Maſter, & the reſt to be but bare voices to ſerve his deſire. One is no number, and where many ſit, and one ſwayeth all, there is a number in name, but none in effect.
Thirdly for their abilitie; 3Abilitiethey muſt be men of judgment & experience. The Romane Senate were pickt out as men of ſufficiencie for counſell; who for their wiſdom and gravitie were called Senators, and for their care of the common good, Fathers; whoſe names were written in letters of gold, and ſo called Conſcripti. It is a queſtion amongſt Humaniſts and Stateſmen, Whether a weak Prince, and a wiſe Councel; or a weak Councel, and a wiſe King be better. Both reaſon and experience doe proue the former to be the better. For many wiſe, can guide one vveak one better, then one wiſe many weak ones. Secondly, the wiſe King taketh no care of giving account; and therfore paſſeth them at his pleaſure: But the wiſe Councel, the weaker the King is, looketh the better to giuegive account of their actions. Severus had as many in Councel of War, as the Senate had: but what were they? Ancient ſouldiers experienced in Armes, Milites veteres, literatos etiam, &c. ut Lamprid.and in Militarie matters, ſuch as by their ſervice and carriage had deſerved well their places. Alſo ſchollers ſuch as were well verſed in Hiſtories, deſiring them to unfold what they knew from the Romane hiſtories, or any other, concerning any matter they had in hand. Pirrhus ſaid of Cyneas; hee had got more Cities by his eloquence, then by his own forces. I knew a very rawe boned youth of a meer Scholler, proved an excellent and much honored Souldier.
The Ancients doe Hyerogliph a wiſe and able Councel by a little fiſh, that goeth before the great Whale; which as an ancient Naturaliſt records, (how truely I will not now diſpute) doth ſeek and finde out every neceſſary for the Whales maintenance, diſcovereth all ſhallows and dangerous paſſages, demonſtrating the way by the motion of it ſelfe. As long as this liveth the Whale is ſafe, this being dead, the Whale knoweth not what to doe. Iuſt ſo, a learned and wiſe Councell provideth how the Throne of the Prince may be eſtabliſhed, looks out everie thing that may make him happy in his government, and his ſubjects happy in him: they foreſee likewiſe the ſhallows, and the ſhelfes of baſe indignity, vvhereupon a Prince may run himſelfe at unawares; by good counſels, motions and admonitions, they avert him from every thing that may diſhonour himſelfe, vex his ſubjects, or bring his Kingdom into contempt. In a word, a wiſe Councel, is the glory of his Majeſty, and the Theater of his actions; as Antigonus ſaid of Zeno; which being removed by death, or diſlike, the pillars of State are removed, and ſo the edifice muſt fall. Princes then are not well adviſed, in making choice of inſufficient men for the government of State, that there own ſufficiency may appear the more. Wil the Sunne darken the Starrs, that it may ſhine the brighter? Wil the fountain hauehave but dripping conduits, that all may come to the Conduits head? Or vvould a man be lame in his hands or feet, that the vvit of his head might the better appear? God indeed doth great things by vveak and fooliſh means, yet that is his prerogatiue. Again, they are ſtrong and wiſe in him and through him.
Now I come to the laſt, 4Honeſty.but not the leaſt; namely, the honeſtie required in Councellours. Which wee muſt not take ſtrictly, onelyonly for outward decency vvith the Apoſtle; or for that Economick, Rom. 12.17 foreign.Ethick, or Politick honeſty; vvhichwhich we call by the name of Civill honesty, by which it is poſſible, (as the Car-men of this age aſſure,) for ſome to goe to heaven: But vvee muſt take it ſo as it comprehendeth piety, equity and honeſty; called by the Evangeliſt, good and fair honeſty. Luk. 18.15 foreign.Iethro gaue Moſes counſell to make choyce of ſuch Councellours, Exod. 18.20, compare it with Deut. 1.13, and you ſhall ſee 7 properties required; Wiſedome, Vnderſtanding, knowledge, fear of God, ability, truth, and hatred of coveteouſneſſe: The like choyce vvas to be obſerved for that great Shanhedrion, conſiſting of 70 with Moſes; Numb. 11.16. Theſe were interreſſed in the higheſt matters, and ſate vvith Moſes himſelfe. The ſpirit directeth vvhat men they ſhould be, namely, known men, that is, ſuch as hauehave approved themſelues by their wiſedom and good carriage, worthy of ſo great a place. One deſcribing the properties of a good Councellour, commeth cloſe to this marke: They ſhould hauehave experimentall wit in their brains, words of truth in their mouths, zeale in their iustice, and ſanctity in their life. Tully giveth a reaſon from the weight of their charge. De Sence. lib. 3.Councellours of State ſhould be better then other men, becauſe they hauehave the custody of the Common-wealth. He illuſtrateth the ſame by a Maſter of a Ship ſitting at the Helm. Ambroſe giues another reaſon from the quality of counſell, either good or bad, according to the Councellour. Who will ſeek fair water out of a puddle, or a pearle amongst dirt and Mire? Where luſt, avarice, Atheiſm, or Idolatry remaineth, ſhall a King, State or Generall, look for good counſell? Can a man gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thiſtles? foreign.The counſell is as the counſellour; witneſſe Salomon, Prov. 12.5, The counſels of the wicked are deceit; the words are very emphaticall in the originall; the craftie counſels of the ungodly are deceit: where he cals them not deceitfull but deceit, as all compoſed of deceit, and no other thing in them. Anne eum idoneum putabo qui mihi det conſilium, qui non dedit ſibi? lib. 2. de offi.The Septuagint Tranſlation is a good paraphraſt; They coyn out (in ſteed of counſell) ungodly deceit. Shall I think him a fit man (ſaith he) to giuegive me counſell, that never took any good counſell to himſelfe? No; where any ſin raigneth there is no room for good counſell: There may well be counſell for Rome.
A third reaſon may be given from the divers effects that follows from good and evill counſellours. Forreignes uſe to inform themſelues of two things eſpecially in the State; Of the Councell of State, and of the Kings foole; if the Councell be wiſe and vertuous; and the foole ſimply plain and honeſt, there they gather evidences of a well governed State: But if the Councell be ſhallow, and corrupt; and the foole more knaue then foole, thence they collect the weakneſſe of the State. And indeed as the Councellors be good or bade, ſo falleth, or flouriſheth the State. A remarkeable inſtance of this we hauehave in Ioaſh King of Iudah, who under the counſell of Iehoiada his uncle governed exceeding well; hee was zealous of Gods ſervice; he razed out all the High places, purged the Church, rooted out Baals Prieſts, cauſed mony to be collected for the repairing of Gods houſe. In a word, He did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, all the daies that Iehoiada lived, all which time he proſpered. But Iehoiada being dead, the Princes of Iuda, Baals old friends comes to the King with cap and knee (like diſſembling traitors as they were) and tels him,The Mar-Kings Oration. no doubt, a fair tale, that liberty of conſcience would doe wel, and he might honour himſelfe and pleaſe his ſubjects much, to reſtore to them againe their old ſervice; hee had too too long been awed by an old hot-ſpur; who, it might be had ſhewed more fury then zeale in the harſh handling of his grandmother; and that, happily, for ſome end of his own; and howſoever he had ſaved his life, and brought him to the Kingdome; yet all this time he had been but his King, reſtreyned of thoſe pleaſures and delights, that otherwiſe he might hauehave had: For as for their parts, they had no delight to come at Court, where, for ſuch a preciſe fellow, they could not be merry: beſides, hee had quitted him of all his regall authority, in matters of religious worſhip; wherefore it ſhould be greater for the honour of his Majeſtie, to take the power into his own hand, and to quit himſelfe of that yong fellow Zacharie, who would be as ſaucily peremptory as his father. As for the people it would be meat and drink to them, to hauehave their Groues and Gods in pomp; and his Majeſtie ſhould finde more obedience from them, and more louelove amongſt themſelues, then ever he found under all Iehoiada his preaching; & as for a few preciſe fellows that would grumble at it (that would be but for a time) an act of Parliament would fright them, and make them as mute as fiſhes. Laſtly, their conformity with iſraels worſhip, and others, might gain their louelove and good liking; yea, who knows but it might bring again the ten Tribes.
To theſe, or the like ſpeeches of the corrupt Courtiers, the unhappy King is ſaid to hearken, with whom preſently the caſe is altered, he becommeth an apoſtata from God, a plague to his people (and that deſervedly both in their bodyes and ſoules,) an ungtate full and a cruell tyrant, in murthering of the prieſts. But marke what was the end, even ſuch as the proceedings, The wrath of the Lord came upon him and his, and a ſmall company of the Aſſirians routed their great hoaſt; he ſpoyled the land in giving all to the enemies; The Lord ſmote his heart which cowardyſe, and his body with diſeaſes, his ſervants conſpiring againſt him, ſlew him, & he wanted the honour of a kingly buryall. 2. Chro: 24.The ſpeciall cauſe of his death is ſet downe to be the shedding of the innocent bloud of Iehoiadaes ſonne. The like example wee hauehave in Rehoboam, who forſaking the good counſell of the vviſe and ancient, and following the counſell of young and heady Courtiers, ſet himſelfe beſides the throne.
Not to take up time with inſtances, I will but touch ſome of our owne nation. Sigibert King of the Weſt Saxons, hated good counſell ſo much, that he killed Combranus his faithfull Concellor; the reſt taking indignation at that, conſpired againſt him, & thruſt him from the throne, who ſeeking ſhelter in a wood was found by Combranus his ſwineheard, who killed him becauſe he ſlevv his Maſter. Edward the ſecond, not hearkening to the counſell of his dying Father, P…hil lib. 4.namely, that he should take heede of looſe counſell; but following the Counſell of the Spenſers and Gaveſton, loſt his Crovvn, and his life. So Richard the ſecond, rejecting the counſell of the three noble Dukes, as I ſhevved you, and follovving the vvill of the tvvo Earle Marſhalls, one after another, brought not onelyonly himſelfe to diſgrace and ruin, but alſo, by his fall, that fire of civill war was kindled, which was not quenched but by an ocean of Engliſh bloud. One inſtance more in Iames the third, King of Scottes; who being of an ingenuous diſpoſition, and a Prince of much hope; yet, through cuſtome and euill counſell being corrupted, became a very unhappy Prince, for caſting of his Nobilitie, and addicting himſelfe to the beaſtly humors of a few baſe fellowes, as Preston, Cocheran, English Roger, & Andrew a Phiſitian, he ſpared not his owne bloud. So he runne from one evill to another, till in the midway, that overtook him, Vt Leo a catulis extingueretur.which Magitians told him, & he feared (for he was much addicted to divination) namely, that the Lyon ſhould be torne of his owne whelps.
One reaſon more, which might make Princes to be choyſe in their counſel, may be this. In my reading I hauehave obſerved great ones, miſcarryed by corrupt counſellours, to hauehave cryed out when it was too late. An example wee hauehave in Theodorick Marquies of Brandenburgh; who being of a haughtie ſpirit, not hearkening to the counſell of the wiſe, but to the counſell of the vitious and proud, he ran unto all kind of tiranny, and inſolency. At laſt, abuſing one Miſtovius a Vandalian king, provoked him by his rayling ſpeeches to forſake Chriſtianitie (for he was chriſtened and marryed to the Duke of Sax his ſiſter;) Theoderick raſhly adventured with his owne forces, to giuegive him fight: who being defeated, was baniſhed from his dominions for ever, hated of all, forſaken of his friends, and lived extremely poore in Madburgh upon the Almes of the Monkes. Being thus brought low, with many teares, he confeſt his outrages in particular, and that by them he had juſtly provoked the wrath of God againſt him. Excitavi ego iram Dei adverſus me. George Sabin: in vita Theodor:This he regrated much, that he could never endure ſound counſell, but followed ſuch wicked and corrupt counſellers, as ſoothed his humor, and were bellowes to all his bloudy deſignes.
So you ſee, how miſlead Princes, in the midſt of their miſery, can ſee the evill of evill counſell. I could bring more examples, but let this ſuffice.
Notwithſtanding of all theſe waighty reaſons, Elige tibi conciliarios Deum timentes & veritatem amantes, ſepe enim adulatores blanda facie decipiunt animas audientiū, & intcrimunt. Epiſt. ad Iulian. Comitem.this rule is not regarded. Auguſtine giveth excellent counſell, if Princes and Generalls would hearken to it. Chooſe to thy ſelfe (ſaith he) councellors fearing God, loving the truth: for flatterers with a faire shew deceive, and kill the ſoules of thoſe that hearken to them. But alas, few or none looke to this. A forme changing Pro…eus; a treacherous Seianus, a time-ſerving Abiathar; a ſtati…ing Architophel; a calumniating Doeg, are the onelyonly coun…ellers. Is not civill honeſtie the moſt, that by moſt is …oked for? who looketh for religious pietie, or truth of re…igion? ”Qui ſuo numini fidi non ſunt, nec mihi Euſeb. lib. 1. cap. 11. de vita Cō ſtant.Conſtantine tryed his courtyers fidelitie to him, …y their pietie towards God; but now a man truely religious, … thought unfitteſt of all for State affaires. They cannot ſay it may be) but that he is an honeſt man, but with this con…itionall, if he were not a ranck Puritane. ‘Bonus vir G. Sejus, ſed in hoc tantū malus quia Chriſtianus Tertull. lib. 3. Apolog. Tu haec pateris? tu hoc times? ignoras te Caeſarem eſſe, teque illorum poteſtatem habere non ill…s tuis? Xiphilim in Nerone.Men ſhew what they are by their practice. Many Councellers of this age are like thoſe of Ceſars. They make Kings beleeve what they liſt, and doe what themſelves liſt. Nero was bade …ough of himſelfe, yet wicked counſellours made him worſe. They were alwayes buzzing in his eare; What Sir, will …ou ſuffer this? what neede you to feare? know you not that you are …eſar, and that you hauehave power over all, but none hath power over …ou? I will conclude this point with that ſpeech of Comineus … man of much experience, out of which, all Princes & peo…le, may pick a leſſon. Where wiſe counſell is rejected and novists …nd noddies, and arrant aſſentators, are ſet up in their place, the …uine of that realme and Prince is nigh at hand.
Thus you ſee I hauehave gone a long in theſe circumſtances of …uncell, making a mixed application of them as occaſion was given, both to civill and martiall affaires.