King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7.
Adoniram the Treaſurer, Azariah the chiefe Collector and Benaiah the Captaine ouer the Kinges hoaſtes are iuſtified concerning the cauſe of the Kinges affliction.
AS the former Lordes had ſpoken in the clearing of themſelues of all offence offered to the King,Adoniram the Lord Treaſurer his integrity in his office. which might occaſion his affliction and trouble of minde: So alſo Adoniram the Lorde Treaſurer, Azariah the chiefe Collector, and Benaiah the Captaine of the kings hoaſtes endeuoured the like. And firſt Adoniram ſpake to this effect. It may bee that the Kinges Maieſtie hath conceyued againſt mee ſome matter in minde to the diſquiet of the ſame. But truely (my Lordes) as yée hauehave ſaide and done: ſo may I alſo boldely ſay and auouch for mine owne ſinceritie and vpright dealinges as touching the thinges in the which it hath pleaſed his Highneſſe to put mee in truſt. I hauehave not beene of that couetous minde, and of that baſe and corrupt nature to conueigh the Kings Treaſure into mine owne cheſtes for any my priuate vſes: the which yet, is the only end for the which ſome men hunt after & ſeeke for ſuch Offices, little caring how the king or the commons do either proſper or decay: Nor hauehave I waſted, ſpoiled or ryotouſly ſpent or conſumed the royall wealth: as ſome hauehave done, reſpecting rather their owne pleaſures, then the kings profit, to the abuſe of this authoritie: nor hauehave I purchaſed in large landes, builte vp ſumptuous houſes, endowed my wife, exalted my ſonnes, married my daughters, or otherwiſe prouided for mine houſe and poſterity, with that which I hauehave receiued for the King, & the which (without his eſpecial warrant to the contrary) is onelyonly to be employed, or kept and preſerued to and for his Maieſties vſe and the affaires of his kingdome, I hauehave neither deteined nor withholden that, which I hauehave beene willed or commaunded by the King to diſburſe and payfoorth, as if the things were mine own to bee vſed and cō maunded, nor vnderunder colour of mine office and authority, hauehave I extorted, exacted, or encroched that of the kinges people, which was neither due to his Maieſtie, nor lyable in right to my commiſſion or authority. But why ſhould I be prolixe and tedious in declaring further what I hauehave not béene, and what I hauehave not done, that might bréede offence? It is enough for me to tell you that I hauehave executed mine office, and done my duety faithfully to the vttermoſt of my power. I hauehave kept and preſerued the Royall treaſures for the honour of his Maieſty, the weale of his Realme, and the daunting of the enemie, with a good conſcience: and as there was neuer king more rich: ſo was there neuer any more carefull in preſeruing and more héedefull in well employing the wealth of the ſame. It is wonderfull to reckon vp what hath béene receiued, and againe, to tell what hath beene paide out, in and about the kinges buildinges of his Temple, of his houſes, of his Cities, of his Townes, of his walles, and about many other thinges. The dealers in and about theſe great matters may neither be ignorant, nor inexpert, nor negligent. In al the which (I ſay) I hauehave dealt yet as iuſtly, and as carefully as I might: howbeit not without great toile, trauell, and weakening both of mind and body. But yet I hauehave beene glad and ready thus to imploy my ſelfe, ſo far foorth as therein I might pleaſe my Lord the king, and diſcharge my duety towardes him in this ſeruice. And truely in all theſe great dealinges, as I hauehave beene faithfull, and therein diſcharged mine oath & conſcience both to God and the king: So did I neuer (as yet) eyther heare, or obſerue in the king, that hee was diſpleaſed with mee for any mine actions or doinges therein. Neither belieue I, that at this preſent hee hath taken any iuſt conceite againſt me in any thing that offendeth his kinglie mind.Azariah the L. Collector acquiteth himſelfe in his office. *This being ſaid, Adoniram pauzed. At the which Azariah the Collector ſtoode forth, and ſpake in his owne defence, and thus hee ſaid: Although ſo it be, that the kinges trouble may not ſpring from any of vsus all, (my Lordes) yet, as this one thing hath worthily touched the conceites of others, by the which they hauehave beene right willing for the better ſatiſfaction of others, and for the eaſe and clearing of their owne conſciences to examine and iudge themſelues and their dealinges: ſo am I alſo moued and readie with the reſt to examine and iudge my ſelfe, with all mine actions and dealinges in the kinges affaires: for he that is ſilent in ſuch a time of triall, may be iudged guiltie, and worthy blame, how free & cleare ſoeuer he be. And againe,A guiltie perſō is fearefull. how willing ſoeuer the innocent perſon be to abide the trial of iuſtice, the guilty and faultie perſon will euer ſhunne, or ſeeke to ſhift from himſelfe the right triall and the cenſure of law: for he that doth euill hateth the truth: nor will hee come to the light, that his wickednes might not appeare. Therefore knowing mine vprightnes, I ſtand to be tried, and ſpeaking for my ſelfe, thus I proteſt: howſoeuer it be, that I be holden faultie, or ſuſpected, of any indirect courſes and procéedinges in my ſuruey of his Maieſties Collectors, Receyuers, Auditours, or of any kind of wrongfull exaction, extortion oppreſſion, or vniuſt impoſitions of taxes, tributes or tolles on his liege people, or of any kind of miſdemeanour or lawles behauiour towardes his Grace and them: I am able here with an vpright heart to iuſtifie my ſelfe and my doinges: albeit, I doe not throughlie know what euerie particular meane officer in his place hath done, eyther good or euill. But for that (as occaſion may require) let eueryevery one of them plead & anſwere for himſelfe, and let the guiltie perſon beare the blame of his owne guiltines,A fault in the meaner officers as well worthy. And it may be (for it is a thing too too common with officers) that many louelove to licke their owne fingers in their offices, howſoeuer they be ſworne to doe and deale iuſtly: whereof the Prouerbe is, that it is a good thing for a man to hauehave an office. Hereof it is (indeed) that many ichinges are purloined, and much of the Kinges treaſure mſcarrieth in the way: neither can a great part of that either come home to the kinges coffer, or be brought to light, which is either payed or receiued to and for the kinges vſe, ſuch is the fault of Officers. But to ſpeake of my ſelfe, I hauehave done that which I hauehave been able to do in mine office, as mine owne cōſcience teſtifieth for me be fore God and the king. I hauehave taken the Accompts, viewed the Audictes, reckoned the Receites, receiued in the moneis and duties; I hauehave againe diſburſed, allowed & paid out yt wc I hauehave or might hauehave receiued, faithfully to the kinges vſe: that which remaineth is made knowne, and I am alwayes readie both to yeeld an accompt of thoſe things and of my dealinges therein. I hauehave cleared my fingers, and am ready to cleare my conſcience, I doubt not therefore, but that as the king is wiſe, & hath two eares in his head: ſo he hath not opened them both vntounto him which hath ſiniſtrelie accuſed or ſlaundered me before his royall preſence: but hath yet reſerued the one of his eares for me,Solomons diſcretiō in iudgment. when I ſhall come forth to be heard in my honeſt & iuſt defēce, for this princelie virtue hath béen euer apparant and ſhining in the king, from the tyme that he began to go out and in before vsus and the people. Such words ſpake Azariah the Collector, and then gaue palce of ſpeach vntounto Benaiah the Captaine, who had expected,Benaiah the captaine declareth his integrity for his owne diſcharge in his office. as yet, when he might hauehave the like oportunity to ſpeake for himſelfe amongſt the reſt * And thus he proſteſted with great boldneſſe: Being placed ouer the kinges hoaſtes, I hauehave béene alſo ready for my part in all pointes to do my duetie, and to eſchew and abandon the contrary, as any other whatſoeuer. I know how ready ſome are to leauie warres, and to wage battailes, without the Princes authority: how haſty ſome are to ioyne their authoritie to old ſoares when they would be reuenged: how ſome hauehave vponupon diſpleaſure, preſſed forth the vnworthy to ſerue in the Kinges warres, and againe for money hauehave releaſed and ſent them home againe which were meeteſt for the ſeruice: how ſome hauehave reteined to themſelues the poore Souldiers paie, and others hauehave receiued from the kinges Treaſure, pay for many more then they hauehave had in their Bandes. And to paſſe ouer other particular faultes, committed by them whome the king hath authorized to deale in his warres) many hauehave dealt moſt vngodly, reſpecting neither the cauſe nor the kinges commaundement, nor the defence of the innocent, nor the ſafetie of their Countrie, nor the ouerthrow or weakning of the enemie, nor any thing elſe beſides the ſpoile for their owne lucre, or the victorie for their owne glory.
For mine owne part, I know iuſt warres are not vnlawfull nor vnméete for a godly man to fight in:The honor of a good Souldier & the duety of a Captaine. and the office of a Captaine therein is an honourable calling, and therefore ought to bee vſed and eſteemed accordingly. I hauehave not béen ignorant what thing this profeſſion is: what is the right end and vſe of the ſame: what is the dutie and office of a Captain: who ought to be choſen for Souldiers, and what they be: what thinges are to be conſidered in them: what thinges are neceſſarie: how to place the companies and bandes: what directions to giuegive: what caueats, how to encounter with the enemie: how to fight, how to triumph after victory, & ſuch like. The whole eſtate of a kingdome is contained in two partes, wherof the one is Iudiciall, the other Military: and this Military part is euen a kind of prudence ordained for the common good. There is prudence ſingular, prudence oeconomicall, prudence royall, prudence, politicall,prudence in fiue points. and prudence militarie: By the firſt a man gouerneth himſelfe; by the ſecond, he gouerneth his houſhold: by the third a kingdome: by the fourth, a Cittie: by the fift, he defendeth and maintaineth the common good. And here I hauehave conſidered this ende: that as lawes doe chiefly reſpect the common good: ſo is warfare inſtituted for the defence and maintainance of that common good, either of the kingdome, or Citty. And for this purpoſe I hauehave conſidered from whence diſturbances hauehave come to the common peace, which might hinder that good: whether by the ſedition of Cittizens: or by the oppreſſion of innocentes: or by incurſions or inuaſions of forraigne enemies: and thereupon (by the kinges commaundement and warrant) I hauehave ſuppreſſed th'one and defended th'other. I hauehave thereto made choice of méete and able perſons for my ſouldiers, as namely ſtrong, manly, bolde, nimble, well ſet, and of ſufficient yeares: aboue all, I hauehave regarded ſuch as feare the Lord, & louelove the Kings Maieſtie, and the common-wealth of the Countrey:Iudg. 7.3.4. remembring what the Lord charged to Gedeon for the choice of his Souldiers, of the which ſorte I eſtéeme tenne, before an hundred of all others. Furthermore, to eueryevery one I hauehave cauſed ſuch meete weapons and furniture to be committed, as beſt fitteth their ſtrength, knowledge and conſtitution of body: That now they might know that they ought to bee as Doctors in their facultie. Moreouer their apparrell, their dyet, their pay, and their prouiſion in all partes hauehave alſo (by my carefull proſpection and direction) béene duely proportioned and appointed vntounto them without deniall, diminution, tasking, telling, wringing, polling, delay or any other inconuenience, which might any way hinder or diſcourage them. And I hauehave cauſed mine vnderunder Captaines to do the like. After this I hauehave conſidered of the number, of the daily practiſes, of the conſtitution, of the ſtrength, of the induſtrie, of the virilitie of the enemies: I hauehave alſo conſidered of the armour, the victuals, the places, the times, the aides of either partie. I hauehave weighed, where ſhould be placed the horſemen, where the footemen: How many ſhould be vnderunder the conduct of one Captaine, how many vnderunder another: I hauehave cauſed them to hauehave directions of their wayes in writing, I hauehave placed in the Campes prudent Counſellors for aduiſe and direction to the Captaines, I hauehave aduiſed that they conioyne and holde their forces together, & not to be diſperſed, that they keepe their purpoſes ſecret, eſpecially from the enemie, I hauehave willed them to encounter with the enemy in the name and feare of God (as Gedeon and David and Abraham, and as Barach & Moſes, & Ioſua, and as Iepthe and ſuch other noble Captaines hauehave done) and therin not to feare. And laſtly, hauing ſtroken down or diſperſed the enemie. I hauehave charged them to conſider from whom the victory commeth, as namely, from the Lord of hoſtes, who is the chiefe warriour, mighty and glorious in battaile (as David the king ſaith:) and then not to forget, nor neglect to giuegive and aſcribe vntounto his high Maieſtie the honour, the glory and the prayſe for euer: As Moſes and Barach▪ and David hauehave worthily taught by their holy examples, in the like caſe. Theſe be the thinges (my Lordes) which in my dutie (among others) I hauehave duely regarded to be performed. Beſides this, I hauehave had a care neither to wrong or oppreſſe any man, nor to be reuenged on any mā vnderunder colour of mine authority, as my predeceſſor Ioab hath oftentimes done, to the great affliction of David the kinges father, wherewith being much grieued, he could often complaine and lament with teares: as then, when Ioab had killed the noble Captaine Abner, Davids friend. But ſome peraduenture ſcarcely will belieue this, ſecing they hauehave neither beene companions of my trauelles in thoſe affaires, nor been acquainted with my manner of dealing for the king: howbeit I perſwade that the King knoweth all this to be true which I hauehave ſaid: for he hath beene certified from time to time, not onelyonly by my ſelfe, but by others about me, which accuſtom not to glorie of the truth of al things: If the King knew it not, nor could bee perſwaded to belieue me, yet I am ſure, that the Lord of heauen knoweth it, & with the ſame mine owne pure conſcience teſtifieth in me and for me. Although I hauehave beene a Souldier (my Lords) and now a Captaine, and man of warre appointed ouer the Kings hoſtes: yet I praiſe God for this that I hauehave alwaies feared God, and obſerued a good conſcience, the which whoſoeuer reſpecteth not nor regardeth, may happily be as ſtrong in body as Goliah, but he ſhall neuer preuaile with David: hee may peraduenture goe forth with Gedeon, but he ſhall be as fit for Gedeons warre, as were thoſe doggiſh lappers, and thoſe faint hearted daſtardes, whome hee ſent backe againe. Whatſoeuer ſome ſay, which neyther know the one, nor regard in their dealinges to expreſſe the other. I know it is a fearefull thing to goe forth to the warres without God, and a miſerable thing to want a good conſcience in the warres. This regarded Abraham and Moſes & Ioſuah, & Othoniel & Sampſon & Gedeon, & Iepthe & Dauid, and therefore hauehave been noble warriours and happy in battels. And this I would aduiſe all them that goe forth to the wars to reſpect, as they would tender their owne welfare & proſperity in the ſame: But to be briefe, I eſteeme my ſelfe frée from all offence iuſtly offered to the kings Grace in this caſe. And now (my Lordes) I thinke verily,The cauſe of the k. affliction ſuppoſed not to riſe from any of the Lordes. that wee neede to looke further then into any of our ſelues here aſſembled, if we ſhall find the cauſe of the kings affliction. Neither ought this to be procraſtinated, leſt by our delay the king periſh vnderunder our hands, and all things grow out of order to the griefe of the kinges friendes and dutifull Subiects, and to the glorie of his Enemies: Nor may wee think, but that though the king hauehave many friends which are right glad to heare of his proſperitie: yet he is not quite free from ſuch enemies, as enuie and hate both him and his felicity. Theſe be they which can very hardly be perſwaded to thinke or ſpeake well of his maieſtie: but to doe, and to vtter out that which may anie way hurt or blemiſh his roiall honour, they are alwaies readie and waite for their occaſions. Beſides that, wee may with others perſwade, and be thereof grieued in our heartes, that the king being in this time troubled in minde and diſquietted in his ſoule, cannot well vſe the faculty of reaſon, albeit he be ſo wiſe a man: as neither the eye in the head, nor any member in the humaine bodie is wel able to execute his proper function, when the ſame ſhalbe moleſted or blemiſhed: And therfore it cannot bee that he ſhall well gouerne and iudge his people after the diſcretion and wiſdome of a Prince, except that ſpeedie meanes be found and applyed to withſtand this dangerous inconueniences.