The Holy State, Book 4 · Chapter 16
CHAP. 16. The Embassadour.
HE is one that represents his King in a forrein countrey (as a Deputy doth in his own Dominions) under the assurance of the publick faith, authorized by the Law of Nations. He is either Extraordinary for some one affair with time limited, or Ordinary for generall matters during his Princes pleasure, commonly called a Legier.
He is born, Maxime 1made, or at leastwise qualified honourably, both for the honour of the sender, and him to whom he is sent; especially if the solemnity of the action wherein he is employed consisteth in ceremony and magnificence. Lewis the eleventh King of France is sufficiently condemn'd by Posterity for sending Oliver his Barber in an Embassage to a Princesse, who so trimly dispatch'd his businesse, that he left it in the suddes, and had been well wash'd in the river *Comin lib. 5. cap. 14.at Gant for his pains, if his feet had not been the more nimble.
He is of a proper, 2at least passable person. Otherwise if he be of a contemptible presence, he is absent whilest he is present; especially if employed in love-businesses to advance a marriage. Ladyes will dislike the body for a deformed shadow. The jest is well known: When the State of Rome sent *Some say they sent three, and one of them a fool, and that Cato should say they sent an Embassy without head, heart, or feet. See Plutarchs Lives.two Embassadours, the one having scarres on his head, the other lame in his feet, Mittit populus Romanus legationem quae nec caput habet, nec pedes, The people of Rome send an Embassy without head or feet.
He hath a competent estate whereby to maintain his port: for a great poverty is ever suspected;3 and he that hath a breach in his estate lies open to be assaulted with bribes. Wherefore his means ought at least to be sufficient both to defray set and constant charges, as also to make sallies and excursions of expenses on extraordinary occasions, which we may call Supererogations of State. Otherwise if he be indigent and succeed a bountifull Predecessour, he will seem a fallow field after a plentifull crop.
4He is a passable scholar, well travell'd in Countreys and Histories; well studyed in the Pleas of the Crown, I mean not such as are at home, betwixt his Sovereigne and his subjects, but abroad betwixt his and forrein Princes; to this end he is well skill'd in the Emperiall Laws. Common Law it self is outlawed beyond the seas; which though a most true, is too short a measure of right, and reacheth not forrein kingdomes.
5He well understandeth the language of that countrey to which he is sent; and yet he desires rather to seem ignorant of it (if such a simulation which stands neuter betwixt a Truth and a Lie be lawfull) and that for these reasons: first, because though he can speak it never so exactly, his eloquence therein will be but stammering, compar'd to the ordinary talk of the Natives: secondly, hereby he shall in a manner stand invisible, and view others; and as Josephs deafnesse heard all the dialogues betwixt his brethren, so his not owning to understand the language, shall expose their talk the more open unto him: thirdly, he shall have the more advantage to speak and negotiate in his own language, at the least wise, if he cannot make them come over to him, he may meet them in the midway, in the Latine, a speech common to all learned Nations.
He gets his Commission and instructions well ratified and confirm'd before he sets forth. 6Otherwise it is the worst prison to be commission-bound. And seeing he must not jet out the least penthouse beyond his foundation, he had best well survey the extent of his authority.
He furnisheth himself with fit Officers in his family. 7Especially he is carefull in choosing
1 A Secretary, honest and able, carefull to conceal counsels, and not such a one as will let drop out of his mouth whatsoever is poured in at his eare: Yea the head of every Embassadour sleeps on the breast of his Secretary.
2 A Steward, wise and provident, such as can temper magnificence with moderation, judiciously fashioning his ordinary expences with his Masters estate, reserving a spare for all events and accidentall occasions, and making all things to passe with decency, without any rudenesse, noise, or disorder.
He seasonably presents his Embassage, 8and demands audience. Such is the fresh nature of some Embassages, if not spent presently, they sent ill. Thus it is ridiculous to condole griefs almost forgotten, for (besides that with a cruell courtesie it makes their sorrows bleed afresh) it foolishly seems to teach one to take that, which he hath formerly digested. When some Trojane Embassadours came to comfort Tiberius Cesar for the losse of his sonne,Suetonius in Tiberio. dead well nigh a twelvemoneth before; And I (said the Emperour) am very sorry for your grief for the death of your Hector, slain by Achilles a thousand years since.
Coming to have audience, 9he applyeth himself onelyonly to the Prince to whom he is sent. When Chancellour Morvill, Embassadour from the French King, delivering his message to Philip Duke of Burgundy was interrupted by Charles the Dukes *Comin. lib. 1.sonne, I am sent (said he) not to treat with you, but with your father. And our M• Wade is highly commended that being sent by Queen Elizabeth to Philip King of Spain, he would not be turned *Cambd. Eliz. in Anno 1584. pag. 380.over to the Spanish Privy Counsel (whose greatest Grandees were dwarfs in honour to his Queen) but would either have audience from the King himself, or would return without it. And yet afterwards our Embassadour knows (if desirous that his businesse should take effect) how, and when to make his secret and underhand addresses to such potent Favourites as strike the stroke in the State; it often hapning in Commonwealths, that the Masters mate steers the ship thereof, more then the Master himself.
10In delivering his message he complies with the garb and guise of the countrey; either longer, briefer, more plain, or more flourishing, as it is most acceptable to such to whom he directs his speech. The Italians (whose countrey is called the countrey of good words) love the circuits of courtesie, that an Embassadour should not as a sparrow-hawk flie outright to his prey, and meddle presently with the matter in hand, but with the noble falcon mount in language, soar high, fetch compasses of complement, and then in due time stoop to game, and seise on the businesse propounded. Clean contrary the Switzers (who sent word to the King of France, not to send them an Embassadour with store of words, but a Treasurer with plenty of money) count all words quite out, which are not straight on, have an antipathy against eloquent language; the flowers of Rhetorick being as offensive to them, as sweet perfumes to such as are troubled with the Mother. Yea generally great souldiers have their stomachs sharp set to feed on the matter, lothing long speeches, as wherein they conceive themselves to lose time, in which they could conquer half a countrey, and, counting bluntnesse their best eloquence, love to be accosted in their own kind.
He commands himself not to admire any thing presented unto him. 11He looks, but not gazeth, on forrein magnificence (as countrey clowns on a city) beholding them with a familiar eye, as challenging old acquaintance having known them long before. If he be surprised with a sudden wonder, he so orders it, that though his soul within feels an admiration, none can perceive it without in his countenance. For
1 It is inconsistent with the steddinesse of his gravity to be startled with a wonder.
2 Admiration is the daughter of ignorance: whereas he ought to be so read in the world as to be posed with no rarity.
3 It is a tacit confession (if he wonders at State, Strength, or Wealth) that herein his own Masters kingdome is farre surpass'd. And yet he will not slight and neglect such worthy sights as he beholds, which would savour to much of sullennesse and self-addiction, things ill beseeming his noble spirit.
He is zealous of the least puntillo's of his Masters honour. 12Herein 'tis most true, the Law of honour servanda in apicibus: Yea a toy may be reall, and a point may be essentiall to the sense of some sentences, and worse to be spared then some whole letter. Great Kings wrestle together by the strength and nimblenesse of their Embassadours; wherefore Embassadours are carefull to afford no advantages to the adverse party: and mutually no more hold is given, then what is gotten, lest the fault of the Embassadour be drawn into president to the prejudice of his Master. He that abroad will lose an hair of his Kings honour deserves to lose his own head when he comes home.
He appears not violent in desiring any thing he would effect;13 but with a seeming carelesnesse most carefully advanceth his Masters businesse. If employed to conclude a Peace, he represents his Master as indifferent therein for his own part, but that desiring to spare Christian bloud, preponderates him for Peace, whose conscience, not purse or arms are weary of the warre: He entreats not, but treats for an accord, for their mutuall good. But if the Embassadour declareth himself zealous for it, perchance he may be forced to buy those conditions, which otherwise would be given him.
14He is constantly and certainly inform'd of all passages in his own Countrey. What a shame is it for him to be a stranger to his native affairs? Besides, if gulls and rumours from his Countrey be raised on purpose to amuse our Embassadour, he rather smiles then starts at these false vizards, who by private instructions from home knows the true face of his Countrey-estate. And lest his Masters Secretary should fail him herein, he counts it thrift to cast away some pounds yearly to some private friend in the Court to send him true information of all home-remarkables.
15He carefully returns good intelligence to his Master that employeth him.
1. Speedy. Not being such a sluggard as to write for news at noon, That the Sunne is risen.
2. True; so farre forth as may be: else he stamps it with a mark of uncertainty or suspicion.
3. Full: not filling the paper, but informing those to whom it is written.
4. Materiall: not grinding his advises too small, to frivolous particulars of love-toyes, and private brawls, as *Lipsiu… in the end of his Politicks, in his censure of Historians.one layeth it to the charge of Francis Guicciardines Historie, Minutissima quaeque narrat, parum ex lege aut dignitate Historiae. And yet such particulars which are too mean to be served up to the Counsel-Table, may make a feast for Ladies, or other his friends; and therefore to such our Embassadour relates them by his private letters.
5. Methodicall: not running on all in a continued strain, but stopping at the stages of different businesses to breath himself and the Reader, and to take and begin a new sentence.
6. Well-penned, clear and plain, not hunting after language, but teaching words their distance to wait on his matter, intermingling sententious speeches sparingly, lest seeming affected. And if constrained twice to write the same matter, still he varieth his words, lest he may seem to write like Notaries by presidents.
He will not have his house serve as a retreating-place for people suspected and odious, 16in that State wherein he is employed. Much lesse shall his house be a Sanctuary for Offenders, seeing the very horns of Gods Altar did push away from them such notorious Malefactours as did flie unto them for protection.
He is cautious not to practice any treacherous act against the Prince under whom he lives:17 lest the Shield of his Embassy prove too small to defend him from the Sword of Justice, seeing that for such an offense an Embassadour is resolved into a private man, and may worthily be punished, as in the cases of Bernardinus Mendoza and the Bishop of *Set his case largely discussed in Cambd. Elizab. by the best Civilians, Anno 1571.Rosse. Yea he will not so much as break forth publickly into any discourse which he knows will be distastfull in that Countrey wherein he is employed. Learned Bodin, who some seventy years since waited on Monsieur into England, was here, though highly admired for his learning, condemned much for his indiscretion, if his *Fran…isc. Hottoman in his Treatise of an Embass. fol. 42.corrivals pen may be credited. For being feasted at an English Lords table, he fell into the odious discourse, That a Princesse, meaning Mary Queen of Scots, was after Queen Elizabeth the presumptive Inheritrix of the English Crown, notwithstanding an English Law seemed to exclude those which are born out of the land; And yet, said he, I know not where this Law is, for all the diligence that I have used to find it out: To whom it was suddenly replyed by the Lord that entertain'd him, You shall find it written on the backside of your Salick Law: a judicious and biting rebound.
18He is carefull of suspicious complying with that Prince to whom he is sent: as to receive from him any extraordinary gifts, much lesse pensions, which carry with them more then an appearance of evil. Sr *Idem. fol. 23, 24.Amias Paulet was so scrupulous herein, that being Embassadour in France in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth he would not at his departure receive from the French King the chain of gold (wich is given of course) till he was half a league out of the city of Paris.
19If he hath any libera mandata, unlimited instructions, herein his discretion is most admirable.
But what go I about to do? hereof enough already, if not too much: it better complying with my profession to practice S. Pauls precept to mine own parishioners, *2. Cor. 5.20.Now then we are Embassadours for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead, be reconciled to God.