A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
There is no ſtate or condition of man free of his Croſſes and troubles in this life. Of the Prince. Of the magiſtrate. And the diſcontentation of thoſe high ſtates.
EueryEvery man is forced to beare his Croſſe.NOW, if (beſides theſe generall greefes) the condition of euerie particular man in his ſeuerall vocation bee duely conſidered, it will ſoone appeare, what mightie obſtacles and ſtrong cords of vanitie there bee caſt abroad (as the ſnares of the enemie) to catch and draw men frō of their places and dutie of life. And that, as ye latter age of man is weaker, & ſo leſſe apt to vertue: & that in this infirme age do encreaſe vices, ſlothfulnes, louelove and pleaſure, eaſines of the mind, impatiēce, inconſtancie, perfidie, fooliſhneſſe,The infirmity of this laſt age. Iſay. 24.4. as thoſe that dote, do perſwade themſelues to bee wiſe men: ſo ſuch is this laſt age of the the world, wherin both in Churches, & in the cō mon-wealth, are moued vp great troubles, to hinder mens particular vocations or callings. Therfore we muſt pray, and eueryevery man in his place and function, ought to pray with Dauid, Caſt me not away in the time of mine old age: forſake me not when my ſtrength faileth me. Howbeit,Pſal. 71.8.16, al this the ignorant man knoweth not: the vnwiſe man conſidereth it not: the foole doth not heedfully preuent theſe dangers & imminent inconueniences:OnelyOnly the wiſe man, conſidereth theſe things. and therfore as blindfold he is heedleſſe carried away and caſt into manifold miſeries through the ſubtile ſeducer, & the guilefull vanities of this world, to his ignomie and perpetuall confuſion. But the wiſe man, ye man of knowledge, he whoſe eyes be fixed in his head (as Salomon ſaith) knoweth well that theſe be the common maladies, & ordinarie miſeries of mans vaine life. He ſeeth the maleuolēt diſpoſitions of mans inuentions, and the hard changes & chances of al age, ſeaſōs and times. And this mā only paſſeth ſafe throgh thoſe perilous aduenturs, with a due regard of his calling & place: yet not without many vnſpeakable vexations and cares, verifying that ſaying: The more wiſedom, the more greefe.
2 The moſt worthie and good Prince,The good Prince is not without his coraſiue. that doth many times watch to prouide for the ſafetie of his people, euen then, whiles they ſoundly ſleepe (as King Phillip of Macedonia, by the report of Parmenio did) and thoſe Princes that hauehave made the Cities Marble, which they found builded but with bricke, (as Auguſtus ſaid that he had made the citie of Rome) and they yt hauehave reſtored liberty & freedom to them which were thrals & in bōdage, & fought for them, defended and ruled them, as Moſes, and Gedeon, and Samuel, and Samſon, and Iiptha, and Othoniel, & Dauid, hauehave in their times don, performing ye ſafety & good of their people, before their owne liues, and hauehave deſerued therby to be called foreign herds of the people,Homer. fathers, ſauiours, keepers of the Countrey: yea, beneficiall and earthly gods vntounto men. Theſe (I ſay) do meete with and finde out (after all theyr watchfull regardes) moſt ingratefull people, and ſuch, who, when they ſhould in all honeſtie confeſſe thoſe of whom they hauehave receiued profite (as Plynye wrote to Veſpaſian) doo neuertheleſſe ſcarce acknowledge any benefit at all and yeeld them nothing elſe, but hatefull vnkindeneſſe for recompence of all the good. The moſt of all men in the world, regarde not to immitate thoſe ancient gratefull and golden men, who (as it is ſayde) inuented the three foreign or Graces: nor hauehave they any care to learne,Sen. de ben. ca. 3. Alceat Emb. 163. to and for what ende or purpoſe they inuented them. This conſidered Pindare in his time, when he wrote thus:
Thus are the Graces luld a ſheepe,
and thankfulneſſe is quenched:
For men, vnmindfull of good turnes,
in Lethes lake are drenched.
The vertues of good princes be not conſidered of the ingrateful people.3 There be fewe which hauehave the grace to conſider this, that, thoſe noble men beeing in place of Gouernment, where (hauing the reynes at libertie) they might hauehave ſpoyled the Common-wealth, as Nero did, they hauehave notwithſtanding that, aduentured theyr credit, their wealth, their liues and all, for the ſafetie and good of other men: that they hauehave taken on them the care and regard not onelyonly of themſelues and of a priuate houſe, but alſo of the Empire or Kingdome, and hauehave ordred the whole nation according to the iuſtice and equitie of a Prince. Wherin Salomons ſpectacle is rightly verified, Eccleſ. 9. That no body thought on that man by whoſe wiſedome the Citie was deliuered from the power of the mightie King which had beſieged it. And ſurely, this beeing applyed to the caſe of the wiſe Prince and the ingratefull people, thus importeth in effect. I hauehave ſeene vnderunder the Sunne a certain King, who in his gouernment neuer oppreſſed any man by the abuſe of his authoritie: yt iudged betweene man and man without reſpect of perſons: that defēded ſtrangers, pupils, & widowes: ye duly puniſhed theeues and adulterers: that aduaunced not the wicked, nor maintained impudent & vaine perſons: that rooted out vngodly men, & ſpared not murtherers, nor permitted periurers to liue in the Common-wealth: that defended the Church, and relieued the poore people: that placed ouer the affaires of his kingdom righteous men, & had a cheefe regard of moſt ancient, wiſe, graue, and ſober men for his Counſellers: that neuer liſtned to the ſuperſtitions of Witches, Sorcerers, Charmers, Southſaires, and Pithoniſſes: that baniſhed from his preſence, adulterers, flatterers, back-biters, and ſlaunderers: that by wiſedome knowing God & himſelfe, had power to bridle his owne affections, to deferre his diſpleaſure, & to rule himſelf & his family:For his good he hath a baſe reward. that had moſt valiantly defended his Countrey from the forraigne mightie aduerſaries, and had dedicated himſelfe to the right worſhip of God. Yet behold, he hath not bin gratefully requited,Iudg. 8.35. nor in any ſort honoured of his people, according to thoſe his demerites.
4 Yea, I hauehave ſeene, that a certaine Prince was choſen by the Lord of heauen to raigne ouer his people,Deut. 17. & to rule them: he neuer multipled horſes to himſelfe, nor purpoſe to bring the people into Egypt, againe: neither did he multiplie Wiues, nor put his truſt in ſiluer and gold: neither did his heart ariſe aboue his brethren: nor turned he from the commandement of the Lord his God, to the right hand or to the left. But, he did write out a copie of the law booke, and did reade therein all the daies of his life, that he might thereby learne to feare the Lord his God,2. King. 1.6. and to keepe all the words of his law for to do them: according to that deſire of his heart in his prayer to the Lord. And thereby hath bin (of the goodneſſe of God) vntounto his people, as an hiding place from the wind, Iſa. 32.1.& as a refuge for the tempeſt: as riuers of waters in a drie place, and as the ſhadow of a great Rocke in a drie land▪ & gouerned them after the rule of righteouſneſſe, and according to the ballance of equitie. Yet all this notwithſtanding,Senec. in Hercul. he findeth the people ingratum genus, ingratefull towards him, and forgetfull of all: yea, they recompence with euill, for al his great good, to the great greefe of his heart. This is the onelyonly reward which ſuch noble Princes and godly men are to expect of the vnthankfull world, after ſo many Princely vertues and benefits.
5 Abraham, Noah, Moſes, Ioſeph, Samuel, Dauid, and ſuch like, which right well know how to beare this heauie burthen, hauehave yet continued their places, hauehave done their dutie, and walked in ye way of the Lord (maugre the malice of the maligne world) howbeit it is true inough, and a thing too often tryed by daylie experience, that a ſlaunderous or ingratefull perſon deſtroyeth a liberall heart, Eccleſ. 7.8.and be ſotteth many wiſe men. Such kind of requitals do often diſcourage the good Prince, cauſing him vnwilling to perform his dutie in his place.Many hauehave beene vnable to beare thoſe burdens. Philip of Macedonia. Neither hauehave ye moſt part bin able to digeſt theſe and ſuch like morſels: as namely, that the father of Alexander, (notwithſtanding his place, his wiſdom, his dignitie, his renowne, and all the noble aduentures hee had taken for the good of his kingdome) was ſlaine in a publike triumph his Princes & attēdants looking on the ſame. That the valiant Iulius Caeſar (who had atchieued ſo many famous victories and high benefits for the Romanes, and after the ciuill wars ended, had ſhewed to his enemies great mercifulneſſe, and to his friends large bountie, and had left nothing vndone of that which might hauehave purchaſed to himſelfe beneuolence, fauour, authoritie, and rule, among the Romanes) he was for all that, moſt cowardly murthered among them in the Senate houſe,Iulius Caeſar was cowardly murthered. through the conſpiracie of Brutus and Caſſius, his own moſt familiar friends, whom aboue all others, he had moſt ſingularly enriched with large benefits.
And that alſo the Emperours Tiberius, Druſus, Henry 7. of Germany, and King Iohn of England, The ſorrowful ends of many Emperours and Kings.were poiſoned to death: that Valerianus was ſhut vp in priſon, where hee dyed miſerably: that Scipio was killed by them of his houſe: that Richard the ſecond, Edward the 5. Henrie the 6, Kings of England, and the Emperour Commodus were murthered: that Carinus and Numerianus both Kaeſares, wretchedly ended theyr liues: and that noble Pompey, Pompey.who had atchieued ſo many goodly enterpriſes, profitable to his countrey, for wordly glory happy, for his vertues a mirror to many princes: and had reſtored the yong king Ptolomy of Egypt to his kingdom, he was at the length conſtrained to flie into Egypt, where he was moſt butcherly killed of the ſame king, and with ſuch beaſtly ingratitude requited. Finally, it hath much yerked many of them, when they hauehave conſidered how many noble Princes & Captaines of the Romanes, the Athenians, the Lacedemonians, of the Iſraelites, of the Engliſh-men, of the French-men, and other famous Monarches hauehave founde the like rewards of ſuch ingratefull people, who hauehave ouercharged them in their times with many partiall cenſures, murmurings, grudgings, rebellions, trecheries, torments, and death. In the conſideration whereof, they hauehave meaſured theyr places both dangerous, and full of difficultie and feare.Dioniſe ſhewelth to Democes the danger of the regall ſtate. This thing Dioniſius of Syracuſae, being thereof experienced, would pretily declare vntounto his friend Democles, when entertaining him very magnificently and Princely at his table, he cauſed a ſharp ſword to be hanged ouer his head by a ſmal haire or threed, with the poynt threof downeward. Wherat Democles, notwithſtanding his princely fare & like cheerings, was ſtriken with a moſt horrible feare, and deſired in all the haſte to bee dimiſſed from the Table.The troubles and the dangers of of gouernment hauehave tyred out, and made many men fearefull. Charles 5. King Iewe, King Cadwallader. Graft. pag. 127.
6 The conſideration of theſe and ſuch like ſpectacles, hath occaſioned ſome of them, rather Heliogabalus to dedicate themſelues to idleneſſe, ſenſualitie, and vaine worldly pleaſures, which in yong men is fooliſhneſſe, and in old men abhomination, then to the right ditties of their vocations. Some with the Emperour Charles 5. and with King Iewe, and King Cadwallader of the Britaines, hauehave wiſhed to reſigne their royaltie, thereby to bee quiet from ſuch daungerous troubles. Some hauehave with Pompey, Pompey.thought it much better for them to be borne poore mens children, and to lead their liues quietly in the countrey, then to be made thrals in and by ſuch preferments, to ſo many and ſo great vexations. Ardentius thought it wiſdome, and much eaſe for himſelf,Ardentius. to denie to ſucceede Antonius in the Empire. The Marques of Meſſena, Marques of Meſſena. Edward the third.and king Edward the third of England, vponupon the offer of the Empire vntounto them, hauehave both moſt willingly refuſed to mount the monſter with ſo manie heads, whereon they might hauehave beene oppoſed to many ſtrong enemies, and beene made ſubiect to many ſtrokes of bitter torment.Diocleſian. Diocleſian ſaide to one which gaue him counſaile to returne againe to the Empire (after hee had choſen to toile in the Garden, as a Gardiner) that ſeeing he was deliuered ſafely from the plague, he would not drinke poyſon againe.
Theſe (as it ſeemeth) reſolued with Ammian, Ammian.that this kinde of preferment is nought elſe, but the care of an other mans ſafetie: with Antiochus, Antiochus.that it is but a noble thraldome, and with Agamemnon, Agamemnonthat Princes are but the peoples ſeruaunts, howe ſoeuer they appeare in ſtate, might, and magnificence. This matter Ioathan intendeth,Ioathan in Iudg. 9.7.8.9.10. by the riddle of the trees of the wood, that went forth to chooſe them a King, when the Figge tree, the Vine, and the Oliue tree, refuſed that, which the Bramble willingly accepted. Demosthenes ſayde,Demoſthenes that he for his owne part, would not ſtoope to the ground to take vp the crowne of a Kingdome: and Antisthenes ſaid, that if two wayes were to him propoſed, the one to a priuate life, the other to the place of gouernment, hee would rather chooſe the priuate life. Alluding to that ſentence of the wiſe man, The mightie ſhall hauehave mightie torments.
The Magiſtrates are tormented with many afflictions. Exod. 18.21.7 Moreouer, the worthy Magiſtrates of the Cō mon wealth, which in their places repreſent the roiall perſons of their Princes, and endeuor to obſerue their duties, being (indeed) men of courage, fearing God, dealing truly, & hating couetouſneſſe, according to that rule of Iethro, which gaue Moſes coūſell to ordaine Iudges vnderunder him: when theſe (I ſay) cō ſider what Salomon ſaith touching ye danger of their places, and vnkindneſſe of them whom they ſhall benefit:Eccles. 10.8, 9. (He that breaketh vp an hedge, ſhal be bitten of a Serpent: he that moueth ſtones, ſhall hurt himſelfe thereby: he that cleaueth wood, ſhall thereby annoy himſelfe:) they hauehave no meane cauſe of diſcouragement: and when they hauehave proued it in this, that nothing beſides iniurious vexations of one towards another, and tedious quarels of perſons troubleſome, be preſented vntounto them: and that, when they hauehave done wel, and as the place, the perſons, and cauſe require, they bee partially cenſured, controlled, and many wayes indangered and iniured; they hauehave bin moued to yrke with him in Terence, Noſtri noſmet poenitet. But when vntounto all theſe things is added the ſuperiour diſpleaſure, without any iuſt deſert, and calling to minde, what hard fare that noble Seneca found vnderunder Nero, Seneca. Papinianus. Clytus. Shatilion, the Admirall of France.and Papinianus vnderunder Anthonius, and Clytus vnderunder Alexander, and Iaſper Caligne Shatilion, vnderunder the French king, to whom although they had bin moſt faithfull and wiſe Counſailours, they were neuertheleſſe vponupon ſudden and ſmall diſpleaſures, diſgraced graced and murthered: they are pearced with a ſore terrour, and holde not onelyonly their places, but alſo their liues, both ſuſpenſiue and loathſome to themſelues. Whereupon many hauehave more labored to be ſetled on lower ground, then to climbe the pinacle or turret ſo full of perils.
8 This thing Seneca Papinianus, and Shatilion did ſee, and therefore they would gladly hauehave renounced their power, offices, and places, and hauehave betaken themſelues to a life ſolitarie, and more ſafe: yea,S. Thom. in Boeth. de conſol. Philo. li. 3. Proſ. 5. Seneca (for his part) offred to employ and beſtow all his goods and riches, to the vſe and benefit of the Emperour, therby to hauehave purchaſed his manumiſſion and libertie, which yet hee could not obtaine, vntill his painefull life was cut off by an iniurious death. Thus alſo Themiſtocles among the Athenians, and Lucullus among the Komanes hauehave beene verie deſirous to exchaunge their publike places for a life priuate, and more free from emulation. Demosthenes reſolued, that better it is, for him which is depoſed of ſuch a gouernment or office, to die then to bee readuaunced. Aeſchines is verie glad, that hee is deliuered from an office, which hee tearmeth a madde dogge. Timon woulde rather bee called foreign, A contemner of the ſocietie and fellowſhippe of men, then to ſerue other mens turnes in ſuch an vnthankefull and troubleſome place.
Socrates eſteemed vacant time of leiſure, one of the beſt of all the poſſeſsions of the world, meaning, that to be free and quiet from ſuch cumbrous buſineſſe, and the vexations of publike affaires, and from ſuch appetites as trouble the tranquilitie of the mind, is no menae treaſure. This thing Themiſtocles, Phociā, Demoſthenes, Ariſtides, Cicero, Salpitius, Marius, Boethius, and many others, ſome Greekes, ſome Romans, ſome Iewes, ſome chriſtians, ſome Barbarians, hauehave alſo too wel approued, & hauehave acknowledged and confeſſed it, in the ſorrowfull ſenſe of the ſame. This conſideration (no doubt) pearced the mind of Barzellai, Barzillai. 2. Sam. 19.37when he refuſed to be aduanced by King Dauid, which offred him no meane preferment:Sunemite. 2. King. 4.13. and this moued the wiſe Sunemite, to deſire rather to inhabit amongſt her owne people (with a cōtented mind) then to be ſpoken for vntounto the king, when as Eliſha the Prophet would hauehave done her that pleaſure.Graft. pag. 123. Chron. And hereof was it, that Benet the maiſter of Beda, who diſcended of rich kinred, and was in high fauor with Oſwye king of Britain, did forſake both the kings court, and his owne houſe, & all that he had, and became a Monke. The Chronicles and Hiſtories of the former ages, are not without manie ſuch examples. And a great many noble and wiſe perſonages that preſently liue in the worlde, are not freed from the hard experiment of this thing.