The Modern Statesman, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Of the Cauſes of Prudence, Natural parts, Experience, Learning, Travel, &c.
THe chief cauſes of Prudence may be reduced under three heads, Nature, Vſe, Learning.
Firſt, there muſt be ſome foundation in nature, ſome ground whereon to build, ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius, every block will not make a Mercury, it is in vain to waſh an Aethiopian, and though a fool be brayed in a Morter he will never become wiſe: therefore the Moraliſts generally hold theſe three things requiſite to the acquiring of Prudence, foreign, a cleer judgement, a quick Apprehenſion, and a ſtrong Memory; The two firſt being neceſſary to a right judging, and readily applying apt means for gaining our end. Thus Thucydides in lib. 1. gives us an eminent example in the perſon of Themiſtocles, who without long warning or tedious conſultation, by the very acuteneſs of his underſtanding gave the beſt counſel: in future things he could exactly conjecture what would happen; in preſent affairs he was quick of diſpatch; he was moſt dexterous at diſcovery in unknown, and in obſcure things above all men could foreſee what might be for the better, and what for the worſe: to ſum up all, what by the ſtrength of nature, and help of deliberation, he became ſo exact, as he ſeldome or never miſſed his mark. And Livie in 4. dec. lib. 9. ſhews another in Cato Major, In hoc viro tanta vis animi, ingeniique fuit, ut quocunque loco natus eſſet, fortunam ſibi ipſe facturus fuiſſe videretur: nulla ars neque privatae, neque publicae rei gerendae ei defuit, urbanas, ruſticaſque res pariter callebat: ad ſummos honores alios Scientia juris, alios eloquentia, alios gloria militaris provexit; huic verſatile ingenium ſic pariter ad omnia fuit, ut natum ad id unum diceres, quodcunque ageret. The laſt which is Memorie furniſhes us with examples and preſidents by which we are taught both by other mens loſſes or advantages, what courſe, and how we ſhould ſteer in all our affairs. Thus the Philoſopher in his little book of the Vertues ſtiles Memory the cauſe, and that known verſe, uſus me genuit, mater peperit memoria, makes Vſe the Father, and Memory the Mother of Prudence. Demosthenes ſaith it is required in a prudent man to remember what is paſt, to diſpatch and mind whats preſent, and to provide for what may happen. And Iſocrates gives this rule, That when we deliberate, we ought to conſider of paſt examples, for by calling to mind things that are gone, we ſhall be better enabled to make proviſion for things that are to come. We ſhall ſum up this with that of Strada in his prolus. academ. Qui memoria prae aliis valet, glorietur tanquam excellenti vitae bono, tanquam theſauro, et penu diſciplinarum, germana literaturae, muſarum Parente, altrice ſapientiae, inſigni demum argumento divinitatis; as was obſervably eminent in thoſe prudent men Homer, Ariſtotle, Seneca, and eſpecially Julius Caeſar, who is reported never to have forgotten any thing, but an injury.
The ſecond help is uſe or experience, which furniſh us with an inſight in ſingle actions, which are moſt neceſſary the prudent mans knowledge; natural abilities, and learning do often make men opiniative, and to preſume themſelves knowing and wiſe: but it is experience that brings ſolidity. The greateſt Clerks are not alwaies the wiſeſt men; Therfore Theognis concludes foreign, Opinion to be of evil conſequence, but uſe of the beſt concernment; to which Lipſius aſſents, eſpecially in thoſe that are are to ſit at the helm in a State: indeed this is it which in every art makes a man his Crafts-Maſter; and there is both a civill and Military art requiſite to the well-governing of a State: therefore your experienced Soldier is choſen to command, and men moſt verſed in State affairs held fitteſt for counſel, and government. Suppoſe we were to perform a far voyage, or to enter an unknown and dangerous harbour, would we not chooſe him for a Pilot who had ofteneſt ſteered it, who was beſt acquainted with the paſſage? truly let us conſider and we ſhall find a Common-Wealth may properly enough be likened to a Ship, and the mannagement of affairs to ſteerage; thus Horace Ode 14. O navis, referent in mare te novi fluctus: And the ingenuous and learned Johnſon in his Catiline brings Cato thus ſpeaking to the then choſen Conſul Cicero.
—Each petty hand
Can ſteer a Ship becalm'd: but he that will
Govern, and carry her to her ends, muſt know
His tides, his currents, how to ſhift his ſails;
What ſhe will bear in foul, what in fair weather;
Where her ſprings are, her leaks and how to ſtop them;
What ſands, what ſhelves, what rocks do threaten her,
The forces, and the natures of all winds,
Guſts, ſtorms, and tempeſts. When her Keel ploughs Hell,
And Deck knocks Heaven, then to mannage her
Becomes the name, and office of a Pilot.
Thus the prudent man muſt not onelyonly be well acquainted with his own ſtrengths, the ability of the means he hath choſen as fit to bring him to his propoſed end, but with the vigor and force of whatſoever is likely to oppoſe him: He muſt provide for open aſſaults, and countermine againſt underhand practices, for ſhould he depend onelyonly upon his own power, he will be at loſs upon every oppoſition; he will bowl ſhort of his Mark, unleſs he allow for rubs, which may be in the way. And hence it is that the Moralists generally exclude young men as incapable of Prudence, who by the natural heat and vigor of youth are too fiery, apt to preſume and run headlong into action without any deliberation; whereas grave men, through uſe, and experience are made wary and provident; They will look before they leap, conſider whether they ſhall be able to carry on ſuch or ſuch a deſign, maugre all oppoſition, before they imbark themſelves in it: therefore Homer being to preſent a prudent Counſeller under the perſon of Nestor, makes him 300 years of age; a man of the greateſt experience, who had waded through the employments of three ages.
The third help is Learning; for there being ſo great a variety, ſuch nooks, and corners in action, that light is neceſſary on all ſides to further us in our ſearch, it will be need full for us that would be prudent to fly to Learning for aid, which can afford us noble and copious aſſiſtance.
As firſt History, which is as it were another uſe, but of a more vigorous capacity. Man clog'd with matter can move but ſlowly, and by his birth and outward concernments is commonly circumſcribed within ſome narrow nook or angle of the World, where he is conſtrain'd to ſpend that ſhorttime of life which nature allowes: ſo that let him employ his utmoſt diligence in obſervation, and moſt ſtrictly take notes, his knowledge can arrive but to the half of one ages experience, and that too but of a few Nations actions; whereas Hiſtory layes before us all mankind in all ages acting in whatever as yet hath happened, and providing for▪ and againſt whatever could fall under humane conſideration, ſo that we ſhall not meet with any affair which may not be paralleld, and which we may not find mannaged by others, even to our hands, in the large Volume of History. This is that which can make a young man prudent, and exalt his experience above the oldeſt he that ſhall ſtand on tip to upon his own obſervation: this is that upon whoſe Shoulders a Dwarf in years ſetting his feet, ſhall ſee further than a Nestor, than the talleſt Gyant ſtanding on the ground of his own experience. This is that, which not only enriches the memory with variety and plenty of actions and examples, but alſo enobles the mind with excellent and choiſe precepts, with good and wholſome admonitions; for wiſe and prudent men generally being the Penmen to Hiſtory, have flouriſhed her about, and embroidered the edges of her Garments with rich and precious maxims, coſtly and curious obſervations of their own. We will conclude Hiſtories character with Heinſius, Eſt certiſſima divinae erga Homines benignitatis obſes, veritatis mater, vitae norma, actionum propagatrix vera, Prudentiae (ut quidam apud Graecos loquitur) metropolis. Haec aetatem nostram cum aetate aequat univerſi; haec imaginem, non corporis, ſed vitae, ſed conſiliorum, ſed animi ad posteros transfundit, et expreſſam non in aere, aut ferro, non picturae beneficio aut plasticae, immortali rerum ac verborum copia delineatam omnibus ſpectandam exhibet.
And it is reported of Lucius Lucullus, who conquered two great Kings, Mithridates and Tigranes, that by Hiſtory he was trayned up to that ſkill in Martial affairs, which rendred him both an able and victorious General, one who with 12000 foot, and 3000 horſe, beſieged the great City Tigranocerta, and beat Tigranes comming to relieve it with 20000 darts and ſlings, 150000 foot, and 55000 horſe, 17000 of which were armed cappa…pe.
Secondly, As Hiſtory, ſo Philoſophy, as firſt Moral, confers much help in attaining of Prudence.
As 1. in teaching thoſe peculiar rules of life, and Canons, according to which the prudent man governs his counſels▪ and actions; beſides, it is generally held that a man cannot be prudent unleſs he be vertuous, now the readieſt way to become ſo is to know what vertue is, and wherein it conſiſts, which Moral Philoſophy teaches, together with the means to attain it. To ſum up all, prudence it ſelf, with all its precepts, and rules, is here handled; whether then ſhould we go for water but to the Fountain, where it is moſt pleaſant, Dulcius ex ipſo fonte bibuntur aquae, moſt abundant, and moſt eaſie to come by?
Secondly, Speculative Philoſophy is a great help; this confers Sapience, a dear friend, and ſupport to Prudence, upon whoſe precepts Prudence builds, and laies the foundation of its rules; as for example, upon the doctrine of the rational ſoul, the doctrine of the will, and of the affections: neither can any man be prudent, unleſs he be able to diſcern thoſe various circumſtances of perſons, places, and times, all which are diſtinctly handled in Speculative Philoſophy. Thus Ariſtotle affirms Sapience to be marvellouſly profitable for the ſolid underſtanding of humane felicity, (which is the end prudence propoſes) both becauſe the operations of the will have their dependency upon the operations of the underſtanding, for we will after the ſame rate as we underſtand; as alſo becauſe many arguments may be drawn from Speculative Philoſophy which may much conduce to the exerciſe of vertue; as an inſight into the temper of our bodies may perſwade us to Temperance. And Lipſius commends both Moral and Speculative Philoſophy; Duae iſtae partes formant hominis animum, vel ad virtutis amorem, & pretium, vel ad notitiam Caeleſtium, & Terrestrium, è quibus magnitudo animi oritur, & ſimul modestia, collatione utrorumque, becauſe both of them create in the mind of man as well a love and eſteem of vertue, as a knowledge of the nature of Caeleſtial and earthly things, from which ſprings magnanimity, and modeſty too by comparing each with other. To ſum up all with that known ſaying of Divine Plato, Then Commonwealths ſhall become happy, when Philoſophers are made Magiſtrates, or Magistrates addict themſelves to the ſtudy of Philoſophy.
Thirdly, Philology, a ſkill in Languages is of much importance to a prudent man, by which he is made able not onelyonly to converſe with, but to dive into the actions of Foreiners; indeed all commerce, all correſpondences, all leagues are beholding to this, without which nation could not diſcourſe with nation but by ſigns, by mopping and mowing as Monkies do: and it would be as poſſible for us to underſtand the Cats wawling in our gutters, as an Ambaſſadour, or Merchant which could not ſpeak Engliſh.
Laſtly, Both Geometry, and Geography are of no ſmall uſe to advance Prudence; and Ariſtotle is bold to affirm it impoſſible for a young man to be prudent without ſkill in the Mathematikes, 6. Eth. 8. c.
But to theſe three, to wit, Natural parts, Vſe, Learning, we may adde as inſtrumental cauſes both a careful obſervation of examples, and alſo Travail; thus we ſhall find Demosthenes affirming foreign: and Terence, Hoc vero eſt ſapere, in aliorum vitam tanquam in ſpeculum intueri, et ex illis exemplum capere tibi quod ex uſu ſiet. The wiſe man dreſſes himſelf in the glaſs of other mens actions, in which he may diſcover what is comely and fit for him: and Homer gives travail for a chief cauſe of prudence in his Vlyſſes, foreign. And now I ſhall ſum up all with a few examples, which are held by many more prevalent in perſwaſion than advice or inſtruction. And firſt, Solon the Athenian Law-maker was not onelyonly endowed with parts, exerciſed in affairs, improved by travail, but excellently learned, as many of his writings teſtify; yea ſo deſirous was he of knowledge, that upon his death-bed being viſited by ſome friends, he lifted up his head, and liſtned to their diſcourſe, and when aſked for what end he was ſo attentive, returned this anſwer, that knowing this, I may dy more learned. Thus Epimanondas, the glory of Thebes, is reported by Thucydides to have ſtudied much, but foreign, without effeminacy. Thus Philip, thus Alexander, thus Philopomen, Cato the younger, Julius and Auguſtus Caeſar were learned, the latter of which diſcharged a Conſular Legat, as rude, unlearned, and unfit for imployment, becauſe he had writen ixi for ipſi. Thus Marcus Antonius the good Emperor was called the Philoſopher, and that famous Lady Iſabella of Spain, and the incomparable Elizabeth of England were ſtudious and learned.