I Write unto your Majesty, ra­ther of your Majesty, I write of your Favourite; it is said that Moses spake with God in the Mount, and yet there are that believe, that he spake with an Angel: sometimes Angels are the figures of God [Page 2] with us, Favourites, the figures of Angels with Princes; Princes, of God with men: that magnanimous Heroe, whose stupendi­ous victories did not violently take away, did give; when he saw the prostrate prisoner Queen at the foot of his chariot, did value himself able to make Alexanders an errour in it self, glorious; which his greatnesse mounted already to so sublime a degree, did manifest.

If amongst Authors of an admired Clas­sis, there hath been any one found that re­puted a Prince praise-worthy, because he had a minister worthy of praise, how much more is your Majesties due, who hath a servant of great condition, one that you have elected and made? What glorious action shall I re­count, wherein thy great Favourite, may not acknowledge you the actour: either be­cause you have concurred with your assist­ance, or because you have given an influence with your grace, or have dictated, nay ani­mated it, by your wisedome and greatnesse. In this subject (great Potentate) I will fi­gure out your image, not the true one, but the likest; God did not disdain to see him­self shaped under the semblance of a man, and worshipped, not because man can be his [Page 3] Image, but because he made him after his Image.

Laborious it is, but it is profitable to Re­gister the egregious performances of men in being: They wound and they heale, and where they heale they also wound: Their resounding doth awaken, reprove, stirre up, and leaves no place for sloathfulnesse, to passe the time idly away, in the laments of the time. If one man of vallue be borne, the fame of that one, produceth a thousand, for if she being fruitfull should not bring forth, the world would be now one only mans, because he being sterill, would not have produced so much as one.

The glory of those that are past, like the King of Bees, hath Majestie, and greatnesse, but hath no sting: It wounds not, it inani­mats not, disanimats, if it be examined, be­cause it hath no soule, it makes humane con­dition lamentable, that glory dispicable, which being neither enjoyed by the soule, nor percei­ved by the carcase, doth first remaine vaine with the body, and then without it vainest of all. It is an accident will accost a substance, and where the substance dies, if it be, it works not.

The Actions of Predecessours that they [Page 4] may be praised, require no more, then to bee flourishingly related; it is with them as with pictures, for it is sufficient, if they be but ma­ster-like painted, no consideration is had, whe­ther the Actions be true, or the Pictures bee like; in as much as the Acts of the Ancients are not knowne, nor the Originalls of the draughts are not seen; but he that writes the deeds, or drawes the picture of one that is alive, let him look for censure, and that from the weakest, since papers have no soules, and cloathes no tongues.

Men are sometimes without eyes; nay, though they have them, they see not colour, be­cause they have them not without colour. Every one judgeth of every one that writes, according to his owne affection; one shewes himself a flatterer, and another malicious. I doe professe (it is true) to be infinitely ob­lig'd to this exalted Heroe, but it shall never be discovered, that I rather sordidly defile, then faithfully satisfie that obligation, which as it is deriv'd from the vertue of magnani­mity, will not be pai'd with the viciousnesse of flattery. I should not much lament to incurre that blemish from such as are his E­mulours, so I might be quit from it in his conceit: For I hold it farre more facile, to [Page 5] make the Duke blush, then to make them look pale, in the relating of his great Acts, I will expect more liberty from envie then from modestie, because there is more vertue in him, then there is defect in others.

Your Majestie then is humbly intreated, to beare with the weaknesse of my writings, too unequall for successes. I grant it to bee more easie to speake then to doe, when that which is spoken is to bee done; but it is peradventure easier to doe then to speak, when a man is to tell what hath been done: The Drammaticke that is represented in Sceanes, is more forcible then the Epick, that is read in Papers, yet is that personated part much inferiour in spirit, to that which is seen, for if it have a soule, yet it hath not that soule.

Let that comendation neverthelesse bee granted to these writtings, which is custo­marily given by him that loves, to the face that is pictured: For if penns be not inferiour to pencills, and words to col­lours, it will be acceptable to your Majestie, to behold expos'd to veiw those Actions drawne, howsoever not to the life, which your Majestie hath thought worthy of your generous affections. I know right [Page 6] well that this Pourtrait should not have been adventured upon, but by an Appelles, and by an Appelles, who drawing from all the favourites, of all Kings and great Prin­ces, all the beauties that did adorne them, being in him united, he should present him to the sight of Your Majestie.

The Lord Iasper Guzman, third Earle of Olivarez; was the sonne of Henry Guz­man, who was the Embassadour for his sa­cred Majestie in Rome, and of the Lady Mary Pimentelli, a Lady of most worthy vallue.

If the Imaginative faculty, be of force to imprint an impression in tender and plaine conceits; and that it hath any part in the re­presenting of shapes to the Formative power, what conceit may wee presume it to forme, or what shape to represent in that Imagina­tion, which approved of no other discourse then of that of the King, nor conceited the forming of other conceits then of his service? I doe not exclude the service of God, because that holy Kings, intent unto Gods honour, cannot be well serv'd, if God be not first serv'd.

If men would seek when they doe seek for wives, to joyne themselves to worth as well as wealth; their rich estates would often­times [Page 7] be more hereditary, as being more secure from mens treachery, and lesse submitted to the insultings of fortune, which although it sometimes doth hinder the working, it takes not from them the being.

He was not borne in Rome, and for twelve yeares space went up and downe with his Father, who was surrounded with troublesome negotiations; sometimes in Si­cely, sometimes in Naples, in both which Provinces he sate in the throne of Vice-Roy.

That is not a mans Country where he was borne; but that under which hee was borne. Man was esteemed by men of old a Tree re­versed, because as the Country of a Tree is the soyle wherein its roots are placed, so the Coun­try of a man is that Heaven to which he is exposed: To stay in ones native Country, to vindicate himself amongst his owne, is to be­come a true Tree, and a reversed man; such as these are for the most part are like to those plants, which being planted in the fatnesse of a fertile soyle, doe grow bulky oftentimes, but unfruitfull: The Oaks, that are set and grow on the barren mountaines, brought up among stormes, winds, tempests, they feare not the impetuous furies, of the blustering Northerne gusts; but if they grow fat in the calmenesse [Page 8] of delightfull plaines, and luxuriantly in­crease, they are but feeble, and endure no stronger gales, then warme refreshing breaths of Zephyrus, or else they are made leaflesse or blowne downe.

He being return'd into Spaine, and hav­ing journied far in vertues, disposed himself to the study of the Lawes; not to defend causes, by cases of Titus and Sempronius, but o [...] defend States with the prudence of the Lawes Expoundors.

The Law is a Book of Politicks, yet few Lawyers now are Politicians: They were that made it, but they are not that learne it; because they only learne that which is done, and not to what end it hath been done: Very few of those that know the Lawes understand them; Hee that seeks Authority without Reason, is reasonlesse. To deprive the Law of reason, is to take the soule from men and from themselves; this comes thus to passe, because that which is Politicall, is in many become Mechanicall: And whereas Law was at first, the legitimate Daughter of Judgement; it is now made the adopted Daughter of Memory, and Legists of Rationalls are become Empe­ricks.

This man was created Rectour of the [Page 9] Vniversity of Salamanca.

Hee that could have Lyncaeus his eyes, would sometime know with little children in the cradle, that the Starrs doe prattle, and shew themselves by the matter, with the souls, if not hindred by it, for surely they are not helped; then are the nfluences more secure though then they be more impotent, and it may be that God would, that they have lesse force in that age, that is to predominate over their power.

The influences of the starres are alwaies the same, but they seem not so, because the men that receive them, are not alwaies the same; the Actions of the Active search for a good disposition of the patient, that their issue may be prosperous. That starre which would make Cyrus great, because it found him among Children made him King of Children: And certainly it was the selfe same starre, which afterwards finding him amidst the Armies, made him the King of the Persians. That Aspect which made the Earle in Salamanca the first Rector of the Vniversity, is the selfe same Constellation, that finding him in the Court of the greatest Monarch, did make him one of the Princes of the Vniverse.

In this time died the Lord Ierosme his elder Brother; so that he who was the [Page 10] second birth was now become the first.

The first borne because it is given by for­tune to be the first. The guifts of fortune are oftentimes likewise given them by men: This custome peradventure is not in use to reward them, but to succour them; they that are begotten last doe sometimes become the valiantest; the seeing them to be borne more unfortunate, is an argument to us of their valour. Who knowes whether men either by a motive of the soule, or by some other instigation have not known this truth, and have repaired thither with presents of gold, where the reparations of vertue were wanting.

It is a greater good fortune to live a while a second and then become a first, then to be borne first; When riches precede vertue they oftentimes hinder it, and when they follow it, they helpe it; he that is borne first, believes he hath roome to preserve the splendor of his Progenitours with the splendor of his gold, as if riches were the leaven of ignorance; whence it is, that those goods which in times past were the rewards of industrie, are oftentimes now become the servants of sluggishnesse; But such as are borne in the second place, to quit them­selves of the outrages of fortune, cast them­selves [Page 11] into the Armes of toyle, so that where they cannot equall in wealth, they exceed in vertue, and make it evident that it is a for­tune to many to be borne unfortunate.

At this time likewise his Father died, whereupon, hee was compelled to make a journey from Contemplation to Action.

Study is an idlenesse, and if it be a businesse, it is a businesse of idlenesse, it would be an un­lawfull appetite, if it were not an act of the un­derstanding, it weakens minds, and wearies bo­dies, but it is a sweet kind of losse because it is insensible; to be alwaies among Books, is a dy­ing amongst the living, and a living among the dead, or indeed it is rather a dying to all, and peradventure not a living to ones self; The Common-wealths of old time, did repute it most pernicious to p [...]ace a reputation, upon any other indeavours, then upon imployments of vallour; for they did know, that to withdraw the understanding from the effeminatenesse of Sciences, it was most necessary, that as they were without fruit, so to make them without glory. All worldly men aspire unto glory, if they be not foolish, and now that glory consists as well in knowing as in doing, and all men are [...]apter to contemplation then to action; most [...]men runne that course to which they are most [Page 12] inclinable, and it may be all men would runne it, if nature which hath made youth unable for operation, did not mak it likewise discrepant from study. He that to avoid the title of stu­pid, entitles it laborious; either I deceive my self, on he deceives himself, or else he will de­ceive. Study is a delight, and when it is not a delight, it is no labour, but is a passion, that doth trouble, but not molest, because it is but little in the matter, and doth not dissolve the continuation.

Hee went to the Court, and thither went he Learned, he went not thither ignorant.

The Court is not a Grammer Schoole, it gives not the first Aliments, nor doth it teach the first Elements: the food of it is not milke, it seldome produceth, it refines; to study, and to serve well are incompatible, but yet to serve well it is necessary to have studied.

Princes are oftentimes in a great dearth of wise men, because they make them not, and many would make themselves so, if study would render them as meritorious, as service, but in regard, that as soone as they begin to serve they merit; and not as soone as they begin to study; Men for the most part dedicate that youth to the Prince, which they should have disposed to Learnings; whereupon it comes to [Page 13] passe, that their merrit is at the last numbred by yeares, and not weighed by actions, and they are sometimes in the number of yeares, out­vied by some piece of Arras, that was there be­fore them.

There was offered him an Embassage to Rome, with an assurance, that he should after­ward obtaine the honour of Grandee, a title merited by his Father, but denyed him by death; but the Earle knowing that to bee a Leiger Embassadour was but an inclosure, would not accept of it, not being able to obtaine that greatnesse, that should have advanced him.

It is not the property of man to stand still, he is under a world, he is alwaies move­able, and he himself is a moveable world; when he goeth not forward, be returnes back­ward, if not to where he was, yet to where his desire was. He is a traveller and journies on to felicity, he seekes it and finds it not, nor can he be quiet till he hath found it, nor can hee find it, till he be dead; motion is so naturall to man, that if he cannot advance, because he can­not stand still he returnes; not that felicities are tedioas to him, but because he hath not found them; and being unable to proceed in their search, he feares he hath out-gone them. [Page 14] The waters which naturally descends, if it meet with a resistance, because it cannot stay, ascends, and hopes that motion will convey it, to its end, for rather then to imbrace a stil­nesse that is out of its nature, it moves against its nature.

Although the Earle gave not an occasion of offence to any, he ranne notwithstanding the danger of death; one time by foure Murtherers that waited, way-led him, at the going into his house; another time, by three of the same disposition, that did fol­low his Coach, when he was in it, all alone; yet was he alwaies fortunately delivered, he not being aware of the perill.

Those men are thinly served that enjoy an immaculate fortune, because those Starrs are very rare, that have an unmix't Ray. The greatest, and most benigne Aspects of the Firmament, are not without their petty vio­lence, whereupon it falls out that such as are most fortunate, have not an unperplexed feli­city. Fortune cannot be sincere, in a world, that hath not an Element which is pure, nor a thing that is not mixt; Though I know not what of molestation, which is never want­ing to the greatest fortunes, is borne of I know not what of Malignity, that is alwaies found [Page 15] in the greatest Starrs.

Occasion was offered to settle a Court for Phillip the fourth the great, in regard of a marriage with France, and then was the Earle nominated for a Gentleman of his Chamber.

He that in those times had the mannage­ing of the Monarchy (with all respect be it spoken) either did not care to eternize the favour he had, or did not know the vallue of the Earle, in closing of him to the Prince; to surround him with contraries was idle, the worth that is accompanied with Pru­dence, can by no contrary be extinguished but by death. It would have been better to have sent him farre off from the Court, placing him in some Government, which is an honourable, and ordinary exile of unfor­tunate worthy men; no inkling of their Actions, although very great, doth ever come to the Prince; for distance thawes them, and if they doe arrive to his eare, they are brought by the Favourites meanes, and so doe seem rather his that brought them, then his that performed them.

Worth is a Ray that cannot be hid, if it be not extinguished, nay rather it is a Sunne, which alwaies shines where it is; Though [Page 16] some black cloudes oppose it, it gives light, for such oppositions have not so much obscuri­ty, as that hath splendor; either the breath of the Prince doth disperse them, or his Ray con­sumes them, that it may clearely appeare; but when the Sunne is farre off, when it is out of our Hemisphere, it shines not, or if it shine a little, that Ray is not known for his, which strikes not in a strait line, but reflects.

The Earle being entred into the service of the Prince, did find himself among a world of contraries, that did stirre up his Lord a­gainst him.

The life of man is a warfare, so that hee which fights not, or stands not ready to fight, either lives not or lives ill. Contraries that surround us, if they be not stifled, they en­crease, and they are not stifled, if they be not met with in the cradle. The heat that is little to maintain it self, stands in need of the like to maintaine it, but great heate doth in­crease most, when the contrary doth most struggle with it. That power of Antiperista­sis, which is granted to the Elements, is not to be denied to men.

Amongst other disgraces the Prince did one day tell the Earle, that he was reputed a greevance; and he did humbly beseech him, [Page 17] that when he could destroy him, he would not doe it, in the presence of his enemies.

Agesilaus, being taken by an Embassadour, riding upon a stick in the midst of his boyes, intreated him not to tell it to any that had no Children, left of a tender, he should be reputed a weake Father.

The Earle is mortified by the Prince, and intreats him not to tell it to any he doth not love, for they would have believed, that af­fectionate patience stupid, and that loving soule servile.

He doth noc labour to know the occasion, nor doth he perswade his Master with rea­son, because it is not the braine that loves but the heart; his Arguments are affection, his affection love; nor is the disgust likewise of not being belov'd, without the thirst of the lovers: If we take pleasure to be beloved, when we are most beloved, wee take most pleasure; nay when we are hated, if we love, we love most. It may be too that the pre­sent is not beloved, or that at the least there is hope in the future: And that not being beloved which makes him hope, makes him likewise merit: He that loves, hath the gaine of love for his end, and love for his meanes; so that, he then that hath loved [Page 18] most deserves most to be beloved.

When I speake of love, I speake of a ver­tuous not a venereall love: But yet to speak truth, they are but a little unlike; for both of them have their radication in the soule: If the lascivious be transmitted into the bo­dy, it is by accident; and like the Sunne, which defuseth its light where his Globe is not, otherwise violences would pacifie lovers.

The Earle did know that the words of the Prince were dictated, not said, and that howso're the voice did fell him, the eye did raise him; so that hee did not remaine without consolation, nor did the Prince leave him without love. The Favourites of that time were then aware they had erred, they did seek to amend their amisse, by endeavou­ring to bring in the Earle, into the service of the King; but he would not leave the ri­sing Sunne, for the setting.

It is a great good fortune to find a Prince disingaged; to take away a place from one that hath used it with vertue is hard, with wisedome is blame worthy, and is generally reputed malicious, but he that comes into a vacancie, doth easily get in: No machinati­on could bat [...] downe this wall; they make [Page 19] the Prince try his patience, and he by suffer­ing augments his merits: They tempt him with honours, and he by refusing justifies his affection. Finally, when they perceive, that they are not able to trample upon the ruines of this great man, they endeavour to surmount his heights, and to top them they lay hold upon the ladder of his affection, but all in vaine, for that wall was built too high, to serve for a Basis.

The Earle did remaine in this instability, untill there fell a division amongst the Fa­vourites of those times.

There is a Politician that affirmes, that power and concord can hardly be found in the same place; and he saies it in a time, when he pretends to have found it. He did not observe peradventure, that such as did appear most powerfull were not so, except it were they that were nearest allied, and the nearest of bloud of the veines, not of the Ar­teries. The self same Author, did likewise another time in the processe of his writings, light upon two, that were equally, power­full and concordant; and this did not pro­ceed from the morality of that one, because he that could not moderate the base affecti­ons of riches, it is not to be believed, that he [Page 20] could temper the urgent provocations of domination, and it was lesse occasioned by the diversity of their professions, the one be­ing wholly intent to policy, and the other to warre. If a Favourite will not exercise Warre in his owne person, he may make it be exercised, and hath roome enough to di­vide charges, without dividing his owne Fa­vour. I beare within reason, the being Fa­vourites of a Tyrant, for when peradventure he did not love them, he did reverence them; there can be no discourse, that can set downe a secure manner of carrying ones self with such men, who although they have, doe not use it, but to become worse then other men. These did feare falling, now one, and now another trembled, that he that stood fast, upheld his staggering companion, and hardly did the one fall, that he drew not the other to the precipice: A spotlesse Favourite ad­mits of no companion, but he makes him his enemy; he that desires one, seemes to desire aid against he barbarousnesse of the Prince, and seemes to accuse him for a Tyrant. It is true that the inability of a man, in the mannaging of great undertakings, would re­quire company, but ambition will not brook [...] it, he hath recourse to the dependencies [...] [Page 21] Feare indeed admits it, because he hath not the grace of the Prince, may be releeved in the burdens, but not in the dangers.

Phillip the third went into Portugall, and the Prince with him, the Earle took this occasion to attend the affaires of his owne family, but long he stayed not, for he neces­sarily was to returne to the Court.

Tyberius did judge it so dangerous an hazard to be farre away from the Prince, that hee conceiv'd it well done, when hee could not waite upon the body to waite up­on the carcasse; he would have them bee neer then likewise when the Prince was not: But the Earle fear'd no distance of place; The love that the Prince bare him was be­come nature. They that say, habit is like nature are deceive'd, it is not a Coppy, it is an Originall, it is called another nature, not because it is not nature, but because it was not, it is borne with us, if not with us, in us: The Art that is believ'd to imitate nature, doth imitate it, and after likewise doth of­ten times produce it, and often times surpasse it. That love which is in Habits, receives no Detriment by a little distance, but it rather excites it to operation; because that habit which is necessarily produced by actions [Page 22] doth not necessarily produce actions. The subject whose abilities are of great impor­tance to his Prince, cannot be absent for a small time, but it redounds to his great pro­fit. ‘A rest that is interposed in the com­position of Musick, if it be alone, doth in­crease the delight, but if it hath company destroyes it;’ the eare is in expectation of the following harmony, and when it comes quickly, embraceth it, but if it stay long, it dis­likes it; the expectation that is short, in­flames the desire, and desire, love; but that which is long doth weary the desire, and makes love be laid downe, and he that once laies downe his love, takes it not up againe; love is a kind of slavery, that is sweet, when it is not knowne, and it is not knowne when it is not free: It is good to make the losse of a presence to appeare, but it is not good to be so long absent, as that it be provided for; For in such a case, though a man may retaine the reputation of profitable, yet may he loose the opinion of necessary: ‘He that would have it believed, that nothing can be done without him, must not give time, that it may be done.’

Phillip the third, being sick to death; the precedent day to the day of his death; the [Page 23] Earle in this sort spake to the Prince.

With bended knee I beg of Your High­nesse, to grant me the liberty to goe to Sivill, and for so much time at the least, to leave the Court, untill Your Highnesse enter into possession, both of Your Kingdome and Officers, which at this time governe.

To whom the Prince answered. My Fa­thers sicknesse is at height enough, and if it please God to punish me with his death, I cannot trust any, more then you, in the new and troublesome Government; because I am confident of your affection and abilities. The King dyed, the Prince succeeded in the Kingdome, and the Earle held the possession of his favour.

There was a Prince and peradventure the wisest of any, who comming to the suc­cession of the Empire, made a shew of not desiring it, and the Earle who without per­adventure is the wisest of Favourites that ever was borne, doth make a shew to refuse the favour that was presented him; ‘the one had a purpose to sift the mind of the Se­nate, the other to find out the heart of his King.’

This was the greatest testimony of tem­per and moderation, that it was possible for [Page 24] the Earle to manifest; not in that he had the heart to refuse a Kingly favour, but be­cause he had the braine to discourse it.

How is it possible, that any man, that is not this man, seeing himself arrived to one of the greatest fortunes of the world, could be able to struggle himself, out of the hands of joy, to cast himself into the pawes of dis­course. ‘Discourse requires, quiet, order'd, and restreined spirits, whereas joy, like the wind breaths in the center of a man, and sends forth spirits to the circumference, dilating, troubling, and confounding them.’

The first of the counsells that the Earl [...] gave his Majestie, was to call out of Exile many of his subjects, of approved worth, of which was Doctor Pietro of Toledo, Mar­quesse of Villa-Franca, and one of the Coun­cell of State.

To repeale from banishment, such as are men of worth, is an act of so worthy fame, that Agrippina the wise, being scarce entred into the power of ruling, did think shee did abolish a multitude of faults, by her calling home Seneca out of banishment.

If worthy men demerit, the qualities merit: It is ill, when for the mans sake ver­tues [Page 25] are banished; but it is worse, when for his vertues sake the man is exil'd. In punishing there is something of pardoning to be consi­dered for worth; for justice should be inju­stice, should her ballances equal a pound of gold to a pound of durt, for having equall weight. The people have worth in great esteem, and it is true too, that they have punish'd it, but it was only when they fear'd it. In Monarchy, where they doe not feare it, they applaud it; and when they see a man of worth is puni­shed, they grieve as if his worth, and not his errors suffer'd. In jealous Common-wealths, and unsecured Principalities, he deserves great punishment when he doth ill, who did de­serve a great reward when he did well, be­cause they cannot run a greater hazard, then when the best becomes worst. A Tyrannous government, hates and fears worthy men: A popular arrives not to so much corruption as to hate them, it only feares them, but neither the one, nor the other doth enjoy them; in as much, as envy neither ascends, nor descends. It is only an Aristocracy, that envies, feares, and hates them: And sometimes when they doe not feare them, they make as if they did: It would defend it self with the [...]ckler of weaknesse, from the blemish of [...]alice. Worth is in the most happie Estate, [Page 26] under firme, and confirm'd Principalities: If, where the Princes are not Tyrants, there should not oftentimes be Favourites; they doe not feare the losse of their governments, but Favourites feare the losse of their favour; They cannot be Tyrants over others, if they be not first so over their Princes. Whereupon it comes to passe, that Princes oftentimes, of an upright intention, have without tyra­nizing, tyranized, because they were tyrani­zed upon.

He devided the Kingdome in two parts, bestowing upon Don Baltazar of Zuniga his Vncle, the charge of the Consultations, and businesse of State, and reserved to him­self, the charge of the house, and the care of the Kings person.

The He, that is greatest in Councell, is not therfore the greatest in favour. Favour is not the Daughter of the Interest of State, but of the affection of the mind; the one makes a man respected, the other makes him beloved: To arrive to the one instructions may be laid downe, but none can come to the other, that is not borne to it; this con­fused distinction Tacitus did see, but he did not understand it, or I understand not him. He makes a question whether the favour of [Page 27] a Prince come by destiny of birth, or indeed by the Counsells of our Prudence; I say it comes from both: The one hath all the part in that favour which makes us be loved, the other hath a great part in that which makes us deare. When a Favourite doth every thing it brings forth hatred, when nothing is done without him, it brings forth the same effect; Though that hatred be remo­ved; the one is impossible, the other is ne­cessary: The first mover, moves only it self, and all the other Heavens doe follow it; when they doe not follow it, nor move with it, they move by it. I undoubtedly hold that thereis not any motion in Heaven, howsoever con­trary to the primum mobile, that doth not depend upon that first motion, and that if that should stand still, all the rest would be at a stay; nor let any man tell me, that the [...]rimum mobile, cannot occasion a contrary motion, in as much as we see, that man with all other creatures, by that power, which they have from the first mover, doe oftentimes move, against the first mover. Who hath be­ [...]eved, that the motion from the West, to [...]he East, is the proper motion of the Sunne? [...]nd that therefore Ioshuah spake not pro­ [...]enly, (if I understand) but hath spoken im­ [...]operly.

[Page 28]Where the interest of his King is in de­bate, and the right of justice, he hath no pa­rents, nor he knowes no friends, because the King is his cheifest Parent, and his greatest friend; and therefore although he were able by that way of his power, to have succoured Don Pietro of Giron, Duke of Ossuna, his Kinsman, yet did he leave him in the hands of justice, where he died in prison. And al­though he could have set at liberty Don Roderigo of Calderon yet he did it not, but did only manifest his friendship, to his posterity.

The Prince like the Sunne, is the Father of all his subjects, if not univocall, equivocall, if not as a particular man, as an universall; but he cannot be a Father if his subjects be not sonnes, and love him not more then a Father. The paternity of a man hath bloud for the foundation, the paternity of a Prince, love; this is to be greatest when it is most necessary, and it is most necessary where it constitutes, where it followes, and doth not alwaies follow. Hee that loves not the Prince, more then he loves others, because he renounceth his sonship, he desires that pater­nity be denyed unto him, and that the King of a Father doe become a Lord, that he of [...] [Page 29] sonne may become a servant. He that could constitute a Principality like this, wherein the subjects should be more zealous for their Princes good then their owne; it would bee needlesse for him to prohibit a proprium. Mine and thine, which forme the particular, destroy the publike, if the particular be not turn'd into the publike. A wise man knew that necessaty well, and therefore in his Common-wealth, he took away all kindred of bloud, and knowledge of goods; hee did not then offend in knowing the errour, but in the correcting it, he took all the occasions of vertue away, putting man into the hands of necessity, and whereas he ought to have had recourse for a remedy, to establish the civill Lawes; he hasted to destroy the naturall, and would rather desire a not desiderable, then seek for that which he thought impossible. In the correcting of great errours, there are alwaies as it were great ones committed, yea, and sometimes greater, but they doe not oftentimes seem so, because they are believed necessary, and sometimes they are not, be­cause they are profitable; extreame mischeifes; call for extreame remedies, yet extreames are never good, but in comparison of worse.

He did not place his kindred, but such [Page 30] as were worthy in the service of the King; nay rather he took away the Lievtenancy of Castile, from a good subject, who for the names sake of his mariage, would have been to him most faithfull, and gave it to an excel­lent man, that had no kind of relation to him; and one who did undergoe a kinde of reluctation to accept it, being unwilling to relinquish that sweetnesse of repose, to which he had retired himself.

It is a thing blame worthy in Princes, to suffer worth to be retired, for it is a signe, that either they doe not know it, or that they hate it. If they send them not into exile, yet there they leave them, and to leave them there, and to send them thither, is all one. When cattle come home to their hovells before night, it is a signe of a tempest. Men doe it, not that they may doe ill, (for vertue is a beame of divinity that doth no ill) but because they are deprived of that good, that hinders the doing of ill: It is not only to be blamed in Princes, that they suffer worthy men to bee retired, but it is likewise a fault in the men that they are willing to be so. Hee that serves not his Prince, and knowes how to serve him, is worthy of a severer punishment, then he that serves him ill, not knowing how to [Page 31] serve. A negative occasion concurres as well to losse as a positive, when it is oblig'd to hinder it; nay the obligation hath a pow­er to make the negative become positive: Retiring is only granted as a reward to such as have wrought: He that retires himself and hath done nothing, will have his reward, before his merit; but he is mightily deceiv'd, in as much as this, which is reputed a plentifull recompence to men that have done enough; is certainly an excessive punishment to such as have been idle. The quiet which followes motion is the Rest of the moveable, that which preceeds motion is the wearinesse of the mo­ver. He that is alwaies in motion is without a body, he that is never in motion is without a soule. There is a strife in man between the soule and the body, the body is of its owne nature immoveable, and would not stirre; the soule which is the beginning of motion, would move the body, that it might per­swade it to motion, it doth promise it felici­ty, it is sometimes perswaded and consents, but after that the soule with the body is con­ducted, to whither it is able to be conduct­ed, without lighting upon felicity; hopelesse now to find it in motion, is likewise perad­venture perswaded by the body, to find it in [Page 32] rest, and so deceived, suffers it self to bee brought to rest, whether it voluntary goes either desperate or undeceived. It is a great deceit to believe to be able to be quiet and live; it is not true that rest is a reward, but it is alwaies a most insupportable paine to him that hath laboured most, the world affords not quiet, he makes a journey to fol­ly, that goes about to seek it, and he is come to his journeyes end, that believes hee hath found it. A man may indeed rest, and yet not be at quiet, nay for the most part, he is most unquiet when he is most at rest.

The Lord Duke found the service of the King, puddled by his servants, and not being able to resist what was past, he made good orders to provide for what was to come, a­mong the which the example of his owne cleare proceeding was not the least, which was confest and admir'd by all, yea by such as could not abide him.

Gold doth blunt the edge of the sword, and weighs downe the ballance of justice; He that sells justice, sells his Prince, when he can find a Chapman. The gold that holds not out at the test, was false and did deceive; the man that holds not out against gold, doth cozen.

[Page 33]Some Princes have given money enough to their seruants, that they should not sell themselves, nor sell them; but that hunger which is not naturall, but sickly, admits not of satiety: That hunger is not in the man, it is in the gold, so that who so increaseth that body, increaseth its hunger; there is no cure for it, but to make them loose the love of it, and that cannot be made to be lost, if the Favourite be not the first that looseth it: The power of example is greater then that of the Law, because it hath no power; the Law works with violence, example operates with love; the one raiseth desire and produceth af­fection; the other without raising the desire, produceth feare; if the Favourite be not to be sold, then is he above all price, but the most part of them that bagg up money, heap it up to buy the Favourite.

The Lord Duke hath not a Favourite, nor knowes he what friendship is, or Paren­tage, when the businesse of the King is in agi­tation: His servants have no power with him, they intrude not into businesse, they falter not; There may be a Symon like him that Lucian speaks of, that may have served a long time, as a helper to Audiences, but did never advance so farre, as that Symon did, [Page 34] to raise a family of the Symoniades, but ra­ther when he came to know, that one of his servants had recommended a businesse to one of his Officers, he put away the recommen­der, and took away the love recommended from him that had it.

That Prince which loves his subject, gives him Principality, that subject that returnes love to his Lord, gives it him againe; but the subject, that loves another, takes it from him, is rebellious, making him, whom hee loves, Prince, if not of others, yet of himself, and is ungratefull, though profitable, though faithfull, though he love him.

These are the obligations of a subject, but it is the obligation of a Favourite, that is more beloved then others, to be carefull that he love more then others, and more then he loves any other.

It would be an easie matter for Favou­rites to reforme the Pallace of a King, if it were not a hard thing to order his owne house; for the first is not reformed, if this be not first put in order. All the lines of a Favourite, yea those that reach from his owne house, are to have, but one only centre, and that is, the Pallace of the Prince; He that rais­eth to greatnesse, to Offices, to Honours, his [Page 35] servants, kindred, or friends, doth make his owne house the Centre, and the Kings house the Circumference. It is a rule among Fa­vourites, to advance seruants, kindred and friends, that they may have many supports to uphold them; but it may be, that that is no good rule, and without all question it is no good signe, that favour hath no good foundation, that is not fixt upon its owne worth; a wall that hath a firme bottome, hath no need of a Buttresse, if ruine doe not threat it, and then assistants of that necessity, doe rather thrust downe, then uphold favour, in as much as, they never leane to it, but they crow'd it. The Hunter should vainely toyle himself, to overthrow the Elephant, if hee would not leane against something; but hee doth leane to uphold himself, and often falls, because he leaned: Even so the Favou­rites of a Favourite, serve him as little for a support; but indeed it is he, that is of use to them for an upholder, and they doe some­time beare so much upon him, that they lay him along. The Favourite is vigilant not to offend the Prince, because he hath none neare to defend him; but his Favourites are bold, feareles of loosing the favour they have not; and hope to be protected by the favour they [Page 36] have; whereupon it comes to passe, that the Prince oftentimes molested, is compel'd to punish them, and then finding his Favourite in the crow'd, in the overthrow of them he is destroyed.

The Lord Duke, having made a discove­ry, that Riot, was the ruine of Spaine; hee gave life to the Law by practise, but he most of all quickned it by the example of the King, and of the Court, a course in admirable reputation, in the times of Vespasian, and so celebrated by Authors of venerable Au­thority.

The practicall law was shewen to Tybe­rius, but he would none of it; wherein, if he did not dissemble, hee shew'd great weak­nesse, to conceale great wisdome; he made it believ'd that hee conceiv'd it odious, and it was in a Prince peradventure that was repu­ted a Tyrant; who knowes whether indeed he did not think it hurtfull, and that he did serve his turne with the defects of impossi­ble, to hide those of his will.

The lawes of Tyrants, are suspected snares to punish, not advertisements for correction. The ends of Tyrants are to impoverish, and they are accustomed to propound occa­sions, for consuming of Patrimonies, then to [Page 37] give instructions, for the procuring of wealth. It may be Tacitus rellished not my reason, because he thought it not a good one, and to speak truth it is not a good one. Store of money can procure particular friends, by the mediation of guifts: The purses of Fa­vourites cannot raise Armies, but that which is spent can purchase a generall applause. The common people love to [...]ee magnificence, for they know by nature, that the vertue of magnanimity, consists in glorious actions; though they winke, they are not blind, though they see not the Sunne as it is, yet they see where it is. Princes doe more often de­ceive themselves in applauding riches, then the people doe; For Princes doe sometimes honour them most, that have most, the people them only that employ most; they hate co­vet ousnesse, and extoll bounty, because they hope to have some benefit by that which is spent, but dreame not of getting that which is hoarded: The people that are the dreggs of the Commons, are not so ignorant as ma­ny would make them; they alwaies have an eye upon vertue, and though they be not so foreseeing as Princes, and lesse understand­ing then the Nobility, yet have they lesse feares of the one, and lesse envy of the other; [Page 38] they draw not their swords upon vertue▪ nor doe they pollute it with malice; alwaies when it is great they know it, and alwaies when they know it, they extoll it, and reve­rence it: And therefore a Tyrant hath more reason to feare money that is spent, then many baggs that are lockt up, because it is an easier possibillity for Citizens to depose a Prince by applause, then by Armies.

Don Baltazar of Zuniga died, and be­cause the Lord Duke would not take upon him the whole weight of businesse, he procu­red the King to appoint as assistance, three men of excellent abilities, who were Don Agostina Missia, the Marquesse of Monti­clare, and Don Ferdinando of Giron, who were to propound all businesses, to the end that his Majestie might bee able to elect what he pleased, when he heard them nomi­nated, and so proceed to practise; to which he did perswade him with a disin­teressed ingenuity (that which became his afforded favour) full of Learning, eloquence and love, representing to his Majestie the du­ty of the best of Kings.

This and many such like discourses, which for their exquisite politenesse would enable my Relation, and make the infinite worth of [Page 39] the Duke more famous, are not by me re­counted in this present worke, because that I having written it (I call God to witnesse) without his consent, I reputed it not conve­nient to publish them to view, without au­thority from him that performed them, but it doth me good neverthelesse to believe that he will one day be pleased that some more eminent pen then mine, shall divulge them to the world, not to defraud him of the glo­ry, of being the first to informe Favourites, how to serve their Prince, and Princes how to governe their people.

He that shall write as the Duke did, will discover a knowledge of the great good inclination in his Master, and declare himself to be a faithfull Favourite.

To with hold Princes from businesse, may be a laudable effect, but alwaies of a blame­worthy occasion; if prudence produce it, it is an ill signe for the Prince, if sagaeity, it it is worse for the Favourite, because it al­waies intimates the one wicked, the other unable.

There have been some that have deem'd it, an irrevocable maxime for Favourites to estrange Princes from all manner of busi­nesse, but it may be that they peradventure [Page 40] have thought it ought to be so, because they have found it done so; they would have one draught serve to one species in a world, wherein nature hath not made any thing originall that is not different; to give ex­cellent precepts to one that never was excel­lent, and hath too too much strayed from the right, is a sure destroying of him Hee is not at the first capable of more then of an indifferent good; he must be first healed and then perfected; there is no doubt, but that a Favourite who feares not his Prince as he ought, doth utterly ruine himself, if he suffer his manner of proceeding to be corrected, or if he let his Prince come into action. The good old man of Chio, said, that when a Physitian met with a contagious distem­per, he was not on the sudden to reduce it to what it should be, but to what it was at the first, because to that then it ought to come. Nature which does help to expell a worse distemper then its owne, doth resist to bring in a better. It might peradventure be credible, that that Master would have in­ferred this, who did desire a Tyrant indiffe­rently good, not that he should stay there, but because he imagined, that he could not at the first be reduced to a superlative, with­out his ruine.

[Page 41]The examples of this most wise Favou­rite, would bee of no use to the vigilant. Sound mens food is most dangerous for the sicke.

Necessity of state importuning Taxes, and the Duke knowing how much it grieved the people, to see their contributions given away; he writ a Discourse to his Majestie, wherein he discovered the great errour, that Princes ran into that proceeding, and that there was not wanting to his Majestie, Ha­bits, Orders, Honours, Offices, Degrees, and Greatnesse, to satisfie the merits of the Wor­thy, without either distasting the subject, or impoverishing the Exchequer: This counsell was the occasion, that the King began ro re­munerate his deserving subjects, or the de­servings of his subjects, with honours and dignities.

Riches are not the pay of worth, they are the wages of labour; he that buyes it vilifies himself, he that sells it, is vile already: The operation of worth produceth its reward, for it produceth honours, and he that hath it, can pretend nothing more, then some markes that he hath it: Of this condition are Greatnesse, Titles, Orders, Habits, and of this nature were the City Crownes, the [Page 42] Collars, and the Triumphs of the Ancients. Such rewards if they grow common, give no honours, nay rather they loose that they have, when they are bestowed on such as have it not. There was a time when reward­ing did not emptie the Kings Coffers, and it was a time fertile in worthy men; they were most rewarded, who were least rewarded. Honour was then a very great price, and the price of vertue only; But when that which was a price, began to be at a price, it lost value, and made men loose their courages, so that ho­nour and worth became both mercenary, and men lusted rather after the wealths, that bought them, then after the qualities that got them. The originall of so much errour and confusion, was derived from such Princes, that were needy and poore, and thereupon gave more honour to the wealthy, then the worthy; but these would not have had need of riches, if they had not made them necessa­ry, with taking away the reputatiou [...] of worth. The Spartans were a while with­out gold, and the first Romanes if they had it, did not adore it: States have many times encreased with money, but never without valour. It may be it did not concerne Kings to keep it in credit, such are not the most [Page 43] valarous but the richest, they have given re­putation, to what they alwaies have, to assure them of that, which sometimes they have not.

The Prince of Wales went into Spaine, to get the Infanta Maria to wife, and for some other respects of the Palatine his Bro­ther in law. When the Lord Duke stood firme upon this resolution, that when the King of England should in his Kingdome, grant all that in favour of the Catholike Re­ligion, without which there was no proba­bility of a match; that then the Catholike Nation should accord to all that, that the conveniency of State required, nor would he [...]ver depart from this Catholike vow, al­though he well enough understood, (that if the King of England, would not consent to this proposition, as he did manifestly de­clare he would not) the issue, that he insisted upon with a potent King to the enemies of the house of Austria, and that he did fore­see Warrs, which would more load the Fa­vourite, then any man else; because they take from him the commodity of enjoying the degree that he doth possesse, and oppresse him with turmoyles, cares, and necessities, that attend them.

This Counsell was the counsell of the [Page 44] Duke, and the counsell and the Duke are worthy of the highest praise, hath no need of my pen. I doe here lye downe, with all reverence and humility, at the feet of Pope Vrban, our Lord, and as I have been confi­dent to be able securely to goe on in the way of commendations of the Duke, en­lightned by his great splendour, which in ma­ny things cannot erre, and in those he can, he will not. So likewise have I been willing to participate the Ray of it to others, to strengthen their sight that see, and to illumi­nate them that see not, and confound them that will not see. Then did his holinesse write a Letter to the Lord Duke, the con­tents whereof translated into Italian, sounds, as you here may heare.

The Prince of Wales being but ill satisfi­ed and returned into England, joyn'd him­self with other of the Emulours, and enemies of the King, in the League of Avignion, the Articles whereof were, that the Hollanders should set upon Brasile, that the Army of France, with the assistance of the Duke of Savoy, should fall upon the State of Genoa, and that the King of England, should goe with a Fleet for a designe upon Cales; that [Page 47] the King of Denmark with Protestant As­sociats, should infest the Empire, that the Venetians should furnish the Duke of Savoy with money, and the Grizons with money and munition, to make an inrode upon the Valteline; that a peace should be procured between the Turks, and the Persian, that the Turke might enter by the way of Hungary, and Bethlem Gabor by Transilvania; that the Hollanders should send Cannons and Cannoniers; to the Moores of Affricke, that they might beseige Mamora and Lara­chy. All these stormes were dispers'd, first by the breath of God, then by the pru­dence of the Catholike King, and by the counsell and providence of the Lord Duke; there was a Fleet supplied in Brasile, which recovered the Sconce, whereof the Hollan­ders were Masters, in the Bay of All Saints; two Armies relieved Genoa and the Valte­line, the one set at large that which was at the last gaspe, the other did maintaine in the Valteline the Catholike Religion.

The Englishmen were expected with so furnished a preparation, that after they of Cales had killed some five thousand of them, the rest returned home, wearie and afflicted. The Hollanders did loose Breda. The King [Page 48] of Denmarke was beaten in a battle, and betook himself to his trenches. The Affri­cans were repulsed from Mamora, and Ca­rachy, with a great losse. After which successes, there was a peace made, whereby the Church obtain'd great authority, the Catholike King great applause, and the Lord Duke no small reputation.

When Leagues thrive, Iealousie breakes them, when they doe not thrive, feare breakes them, but they seldome overcome, if they doe it not in an instant; they have large forces, but not long, in regard that they are for the most part composed of ordinary powers, and Warrs do quickly consume their treasures; but it is not so with Monarchs.

A League is a body of a facile corruption, it often resolves into the first matter, and that abandoned, it remaines but an empty power.

Many Sciences, and Arts, have one and the same object, but never considered after one and the same manner, and howsoever they ac­cord to move toward it; yet they agree not in the operation. The Tailor goes to the same body that the Philosopher doth, but when hee hath cloth'd it, he leaves it, because it is not ever to be cloath'd. The Physitian goes like­wise [Page 49] to the same body, and when he hath heal­ed it, he goes his way, because it is not alwaies to be cured: The Philosopher alwaies stands fast there, because it is alwaies moveable. So in Leagues, all have power for the object, but by a diverse manner, some because they receive hurt by it, some because they feare it, some because they envie it: The first being quit from hurt, they goe away because it is not alwaies hurtfull; the second secured from feare, they goe away, because it is not alwaies fearefull; so that at the last, there remaines none but the last, which doe alwaies envie it, because it is alwaies to be envied.

The King would have given the Lord Duke a great Donative, and would likewise have authoriz'd him to have transported from new Spaine into China, a ship laden with marchandize; an advantage, which would have been of great commodity to him, but of an answerable damage to the in­habitants of Spaine: The Duke did ac­cept of neither, because he would not trans­gresse his established rule.

I conceive this so necessary an action, and so concerning his reputation, that I should not commend it, if the ignorance of many, that have not so known it, did not pro­claime [Page 50] it admirable; The act is so profita­table, that he who is not perswaded to it by prudence, is to suffer himself to be brought to it by prevision. To accept of what ac­cepted, incurres blame, and what refused, merits glory, is a testimony either of base­nesse or foolishnesse. Worldly men that are not of this Alloy, walke to the Temple of glory, but the passage is so steep, that they have need of a Waggon: Some have re­course the Chariot of worth, and some to the Cart of riches; whereupon it comes to passe, that as they are to be borne withall, who seek them, to make themselves glorious, so are they to be reprehended, who hunt after them, to make themselves be blamed.

The Lord Duke forbeares not to take the stipends belonging to his Offices, which he personally performes, not applauding, that drynesse of the conceites of those mor­rall men, that blame riches.

Vertue (I speak now of morall vertue) doth not consist in being poor, but in making ones self poor. He doth not adore but despi­seth money that spends it; he that would not be rich, is an un profitable poor man, and a cruell fool. He that casts riches into the sea, is a poor vaine man, and an envious fool; He [Page 51] that possesseth wealth, and spends it commen­dably, is a rich, magnanimous, and a wise libe­rall man. I confesse that the despising of riches is a great vertue, but it is a greater in him, who having them distributes them, then in him, who having them, throwes them a­way, or not having them avoides them: These men doe not despise them, but they ei­ther feare them or envy them; in the one, appears the greatnesse of a gallant mind, in the other basenesse and vanity. Hee that cancells riches out of a wise mans heart, doth cancell out of the Catalogue of vertues, part of magnanimity, and all liberallity; to flie the meanes that make vertue, is to fly vertue. That morall Philosopher, that did so much blame riches, had so much as made him blame-worthy; and whereas at other times, he was wont to contradict his sayings with his sayings, in this particular he did it with his doings; and gave us to understand, that he did despise them, because he had them not; and that then they are only to be de­spis'd, when they may be fear'd.

The Lord Duke, perceiving a delay in the promotions of Counsells in the Tribu­nalls for a long time, occasioned about dis­putes of precedency, hee did cull one out of [Page 52] every bench, forming thereby a Councell, by whom there might be a provision made a­gainst all the difficulties that did arise; which proceeding of his brought an incre­dible commodity to the affaires of the King.

The Generalls did take out some one souldier, out of every Company in the Ar­mies, to make a squadron, calling it by the name of the squadron volant, as active, upon and in all occasions.

Nature (if I be not deceived) hath given spirits to all the parts of man, that they may worke; but then taking out some one from every one, makes a Globe, which must speedi­ly relieve in businesse, and interpose them­selves likewise in the offices of the other parts.

These are the spirits that runne to the heart in feare, that flie into the face in shame, that helpe the vitall, and succour the animall spi­rits, and that they are taken out from the seve­rall parts will clearly appear, when we shall observe, that in the vehement operations of the spirits, in one place, the other spirits doe re­maine feeble and weakned.

He that is dexterous in businesse, merits great praise, and he lengthens our life, that [Page 53] shortens it. Man finds a kind of lust in it; the luxury of it are the ceremonies, the strifes of precedencies, and many other like acci­dents; which to his discommodity sur­round it. It would be more needsull to make a law against the dispatch of businesse, then against sumptuousnesse, feasting and ap­parrell; For the time that is lost, is more preci­ous then the money that is consum'd. It grieves a man that his life is short, and yet he doth his businesse, as if it were of many ages: He complaines of idlenesse, and makes his busi­nesse so. Life is consum'd in idlensse, and it is over-plus of life, they call it short, and it is long, for that which advanceth, is more then that which operates. Man hath a rule to mourne by nature, so soon as he is borne, he should give thanks, and as soon as hee is borne he mournes,; being arrived to the use of reason, he bewailes his life as calamitous, come to years forgetting that he cal'd it mi­serable, he is sorrie it is so short: It is indeed too long, for it is a way that reacheth from the Earth to Heaven; he that desir'd to be dis­solved, and to be with Christ, desired it should be shorter. They are to suppose it short, that by missing their way, goe the right way to hell.

[Page 54]He is a great intercessour to the King for good Officers; if any of them come to old age, and so cannot serve, he procures them rewards as if they did serve, as he did to Don Francisco of Contreras, President of Castile, and many others.

Such servants as serve for respects, deserve to be rewarded with their respects, and that their reward may end, when that service is ended, because the profit of the one, doth terminate with the work of the other: But no time should abridge the reward of a ser­vant that serves for love, for though to serve, he ceaseth not to love. There is no remuneration more fertile, nor of lesse bulk, then that which is bestowed upon the de­crepidnesse of a servant: It fills the Court with servants, and empties no Exchequers; few arrive to it, few hold out to it, and all aspire to it, because, as feare makes us doubt, that all that may come to passe which is not impossible, so desire makes us hope.

The Lord Duke had one only Daughter, and because he had no more, he conceived it necessary to marry her into his stock, and or this purpose he propounded to the King, foure Subjects, that his Majestie might make choice of one of them; the prudent answer [Page 55] of the King, worthy of the eminences of his understanding was, whatsoever shall be con­venient for you, shall be acceptable to me: Be it your care to chuse, and it shall be mine to enrich him as your Sonne in Law.

Astrology is in all parts fals, but false est of all in matters of marriages, because men are not married, nor doe they marrie according to their inclinations, but for some ends, and that is the cause of the change of tempers in fami­lies, because some by-respect hath its share in marriages. It is true, they are voluntary, otherwise they were of no value, but that will, was not that which was made with us, but that which we did make. Inclinations that belong unto manners, are not alwaies to be followed, for the temper is surely exqui­site, and if it be not good, they are not good; but inclinations to generation, may be prosecuted with more security, because, the constitution ordinarily desires, either the like that conserves it, or the contrary that corrects it,

The Lord Duke would not have restrai­ned his Election (nay certainly he ought not to have done it) to his own Family, if he had not found such a man in it, as he could not peradventure have found the like, in the [Page 56] whole Kingdome, and it was the Marquesse of Torall.

If it were lawfull for me to Print some few leaves, concerning the precepts, which the Duke gave to the Marquesse his sonne in Law, when he did elect him, I am confi­dent, and it is a truth, that the great subjects of Princes would learne more by those ad­vertisements how to regulate and governe themselves, then by all the Books, that I have written. His Daughter was married to this Marquesse, with a generall joy of all; but that cheerfulnesse was soon turn'd into sadnesse, for when she had brought forth a dead daughter, she was a dead Mother.

Philosophers do make a generation a na­turall instinct; for say they, in regard that man cannot eternize himself in the indivi­duall, he seeks to eternize himself in the spe­cies by children, but they are deceived, for that is not perpetuated, is so perpetuated, but it may be, man doth rather desire them for his consolation and love. Nature to eternall us, hath not been willing that wee should seek for childeen, from any where else, then from the soule that she hath made eter­nall; or if they be desired to be loved; then are they not desiderable by the Duke, who [Page 57] hath so great a King to love, and so eminent an understanding to eternize him.

The Duke remained hopelesse of successi­on in his bloud, being without sonnes.

The desire of generation, which for the benefit of the world is to be only of the good, if it were not likewise among the bad, Cities would not be so great, and perdaven­ture would be better. I could be amaz'd that the Heathen Law-makers, who had no regard to Relgion, would be carelesse in this point, if there were not an impossibillity of resisting, such an inconvenience, without running into greater; It is a weaknesse to believe that they forbeare it, for the increase of the number of Cities; Since it is the quality and not the quantity of subjects, that makes Common-wealths to be great. The condition of the world is lamentable, for nature as if shee were covetous, or envious, makes those plants most fruitfull, which are most unprofitable, and is rather a Mother in law, then a Mother; to such as are necessary, we should have reason to complaine us of her, had not she had it first, to complaine her of us. For sinne, that did infest the generation of man, did likewise infest the generation of the Earth.

[Page 58]The death of his Daughter, made the Duke abandon all intention of advancing his Fa­mily, if he ever had had such a purpose, and wholy betook himself to the service of God and the King.

The Lord Duke (with pardon let me speake it) did not arrive to the true Idea of a Favourite, when his Daughter died. He that hath Children loves them, thinks how to make them great; and he that intends the greatnesse of his Family, is one that love his owne respects, and doth not satisfie, the obliga­tion of a perfect Favourite. The love, that is the due of a Prince, consists altogether of good affections; it is alone splendor, and infinite lights do forme it; to it hath re­course the affections of tendernesse, which is toward children, and the reverence due to a Father, the cordiallnesse, wherewith we love a friend, the naturallnesse wherewith we love our selves; and he that hath another Friend, another Sonne, another Father, and who indeed is not himself transform'd into his Lord, is not worthy to have his heart. That the Duke was such an one, was well discover'd, in the sicknesse that the King had, upon the first of August, in the year 1627. for he did all that was possible for a servant [Page 59] to do that his Lord might live, and so farre as was permitted to a Christian, to dye if he dyed. And when he was advi­sed by his friends at that time, to have some regard to the maintenance of his own health, he thrust them from him, with a furi­ous choller.

If the King dye not, his privacy cannot dye, and indeed he cannot desire it life, if he live not; if he could have been deprived of that affection wherewith he was bound to his Prince, whom he lov'd so much, and lov'd him so much, either he was not a true Private, or would not have been: For a Fa­vourite is call'd a Private, because he is to be Private to his will, to all his affections, to all his passions, and transformed only into the service of God and of his Lord. They that sitt musing upon what may happen, love not their Prince, but themselves, either they have not the service of their Lord for their end, or they thinke of beyond the end, when they thinke of something after the end. I do be­lieve, that if the King had dyed, the Duke had dyed with him, and if not dyed in the world, yet to the world.

The Duke perceiving, that God would forme in him a servant, without affection, [Page 60] onely destinated to the service of his King, did embrace it with all his soule, and all his body, digesting in his brain the Chaos of the whole Monarchy, wherein he spent sixteen houres of the day, reserving to himselfe, but only eight, for his sleep, his nourishment and his own businesse.

The body of man consists of many parts, the body of a Monarchy, of many affaires; both which are divers; I was about to say contrary, but in the whole man, and the whole monar­chy, there is one and the same consent & con­spiracy: A thousand Artificers concurre to the building of an house. A house as I may say doth consist of Wood, of Iron, of thornes, of lyme, of Sand, but it is not enough, that all the ma­terials be together that build it, to make it a house, nay that every piece by it selfe, were in its due order, yet would this gathering together be nothing more then a confusion; but here is required an Architect, who uniting them in his understanding, doth concoct, and regenerate them, who raising the forme from the parts, may produce that from the mixture, that it may not be stone alone, nor lyme alone, or onely Wood or onely Iron, nor all these things toge­ther, but an house, which doth consist in a cer­taine harmony, that is the soule of these things, [Page 61] that have no soule, even so (as I take it) is the Chaos of a Monarchy, in the forming and upholding whereof, there is a concurrence of in­finite Officers, and howsoever each of them might operate well enough, in his peculiar of­fice, yet would it for all that be but a confusi­on, if there were not, one onely Architect, by whose direction should be ordered and disposed; All the particulars, which otherwise would loose the proper forme, and onely have part of the All.

Man consists of soule and body, but the soule and the body do not make a man, but it is necessary, that there be an Vnion, which though it seeme nothing, is a reall Entitye: It seems as it were a prejudice to a Monarchy, which intimates one, that the first influences of it are received in more; as it, that it did pro­duce, that more before the one, whereas it should produce, first the One, because from that One, and from him which are more, the more is produced.

Who so will know, the sincerity and good­nesse of the Duke, let him consider how he did advance the Cardinall of Tresco to be Pre­sident of Castile, although his friends per­swaded the contrary, conceiving that he would run into some danger, by the Electi­on, [Page 62] the Cardinall being the Creature of the Duke of Lerma, and of the Marquesse of the Seven Churches, the one being falne from being a Favourite, & the other put to death, in the time of the Duke; his well-willers did insist upon it, that there being no want of persons for so principall a place, it was law­full for him to have respect to his own fafe­ty, when he might do it, without dammage to the Kings service.

The grosse matter that makes the bow of policy, doth not bend sometimes, and the thin doth sometimes breake; the way of the one is broader, but is longer, it seemes more secure, because if it precipitate, it doth it lei­surely, if it arrive, it arrives likewise slowly; the other is shorter but it is slippery, and sometimes precipitates speedily, and so like­wise, comes sometimes to the end, this can­not be learned in bookes, it requires many circumstances, and who so wants one of them, wants a foot, if he slip, he falls: He that will performe it, must necessarily know, how to produce it of himselfe, because it re­quires a great power of the understanding, and a great strength of knowledge, of how much, is to be done, and when it is to be done. There is a rule in policy, that men [Page 63] cannot be brought into (howsoever other­wise very able) if they be not dependants; it is a grosse kind of policy, which avoids present danger; but not blame, and that puts the future into a peradventure, if it happen, that a businesse shipwrack, which hath been taken out of the hand of some able man, to give it to a dependant, although fortune have all the share in it, yet is it given to Election, and the losse of credit & sometimes of favour is the consequent.

There is another rule, which able men may come to, though they be not dependants, or friends, and this is a subtile policy, which assures against dangers, and produceth praise, but it requires a great eye to see it, and a greater to manage it.

When he is not our friend, that is friend to another, that is not our friend, his not lo­ving us is not to be hated, for where he loves not, he loves not because he loves; his not being a friend is accessory in him, he follow­eth the nature of the Principal; So soon as the one ceaseth to be, the other gives over loving, but where there is enmity, & enmity proceeds from a bad nature, it ought not to be bene­fitted with losse, and it may be given over without shame, because the malignity which [Page 64] would put the benefit in danger doth secure from blame, it is very odious to all, it brings not forth worth but destroyes it, it would be likewise avoided of all, if it were not that many seeke rather to beate downe then to build.

Spaine which did enrich other Provinces with gold and silver, was grown so meanely poore, by the disorderly value of brasse mo­ney, that trading was now in part given o­ver among the Provincials, and wholly left of by strangers; which was occasioned, not by the moneys coyn'd by the King, but by a masse of false money brought in by Enemies; when the Duke resolutely (though resisted with great obstinacy, by the most part of the Officers) did councell the King, to cry it down, to halfe the worth, which put in pra­ctice to the benefit of the people made them hasten to erect a statue, to the providence of their most loving Soveraigne, not without honourable mention of the Lord Duke.

The profit of the Prince in such an errour, holds no proportion with the losse of the subject, it hinders traffick with strangers, and difficults it among his home merchants, where the profit is great, there will not be wanting some, that will adventure to falsify [Page 65] coyne, whence it is, that afterward in the computation of the money he doth find, the losse greater then that which he hath made; there was a Common-wealth, that liv'd a long time with leather money, but their lawes did admit of no strangers, so that here they de­stroy'd no traffique; they did tolerate no ex­cesse, and by these two they did hinder falsifica­tion of money. A State that could have no necessity of trading with strangers, and a Prince that could find means to assure him­selfe from coyners, either in regard of some speciall materiall, or that he could find an in­discoverable, or inimitable forme from o­thers, he might be able without detriment to his subjects, either to that matter, or that forme, or likewise to some other matter, that is far more vile then gold, give the va­lue of gold; but because stamps are easily imi­tated, it is necessary to have recourse to such a materiall as is not easily found, and that which is every where dispersed, not to hin­der commerce, and to be secured from coun­terfeiters.

It is by accident, that gold is of such va­lue, rare it is, because it is rare; Christall is likewise beautifull, cleare and transparent; if Gold be like the Sun, Christall is like the [Page 66] Skye, the brittlenesse of it doth not villify the worth, nor take away the beauty, but rather increaseth the respect; the Pearle which is more brittle then gold, and for its originall, is not more noble, being the daughter of the Moone and Water is more precious then gold; but if that Gold be like the Sun, and that the Sun be the principall Agent here below, and that the Agent endeavours alwaies to make that, which it makes like it selfe, why doth it make the mettall so seldome? why doth it not produce more gold then lead? It may be the Sunne is not so powerfull an Agent as man thinkes it is, it is hindred by the obscure mat­ter in which it works, it is resisted by the grave­nesse, and coldnesse of the earth, against which it workes; for if one of these Agents were al­waies superiour to the other, the Heaven [...] would either have become by this time wholly Earth, or the Earth wholly Heaven, or if they should be alwayes, and in every place of equall strength, there would be no generation. It is therefore no wonder if gold be so scarce in the world, because it is not produced without a great victory, and that is not obtain'd with­out great resistance, because the Earth takes great care, that the Characters of her enemy may not be produced out of her bosome.

[Page 67] Phillip the fourth found his revenues at [...]awne, and yet though he had greater wars, and greater expences then his father, and his grandfather; the cleare proceeding and or­der of the Duke, hath in such sort managed the businesse of his demeanes, that the Maje­sty of this great King, hath been able to op­presse the Enemies of God, defend his E­states & reputation without greater impaw­ning.

I cannot in this place dissemble the know­ing of what they say, that are ill affected, whilest they accuse the prudence of the most wise Catholique King, and the Counsels of his Favourite, because some Forts are lost in Flanders, because they have had so many wars with Italy and Germany, as if wisedome could overcome Envy, and the occasion of jealousie be separated from greatnesse.

If Phillip the second, to hinder France only from being hereticall, may, as it were affirme that he lost Flanders: Why is Phillip the fourth to be blamed, if he did leave the Armies in Flanders weak, to de­fend the Religion, and likewise the estates of the Princes of his bloud, and that there are not rather some glorious Encomions published in his commendation, that may [Page 68] call him the disinteressed Defender of th [...] Faith, the Sanctuary of the unjustly persecu [...]ted, Tutor of of the Common-wealths, and Princes, the alwaies magnanimous, and eve [...] glorious Oppressour of Hereticks? How much treasure hath he spent, how many Ar [...]mies consum'd in the service of God and o [...] men? How many Forts hath hee take [...] and most liberally restored them all again from whom they were most unlawfull [...] compell'd, or from whom he himself ha [...] justly taken them? What warre hath he en [...]terpriz'd that hath not been, either to de­fend Religion from such as wounded it, o [...] to relieve justice when it was opprest, or t [...] maintain his credit against such, as despise [...] him.

But that, which is lost in Flanders, is not lost by the Kings fault, or the Favourites, i [...] as much as ther wanted no provision of men▪ or money: But it was lost, by other suffici­ently known accidents: And in this is th [...] Government, of the most glorious Phillip the fourth, more worthy of praise, then that of his Grand-Father; whereas the one, has made Warr in other Provinces, without cal­ling his Armies out of Flanders, and the o­ther could not succour, the Catholike Faith [Page 69] [...]n France, without abandoning Flanders.

As little likewise is the Duke to be blam­ed, for the Warrs that have in these times [...]eld the Austrian Monarchy in a tottering co [...]dition, but rather such, as having been se­ [...]itious have moued them. It is not very [...]ikely that a Favourite of a quiet braine, the [...]irth of the favourable beames of Iupiter [...]nd Venus, doth meditate the topsy-turvy, [...]urning of the world. If he be as wise as a [...]ove, he brings an olive branch, and not a de­ [...]ance of Warr: For he cannot order it, with­ [...]ut leaving his privacy, and he can hardly [...]ake that be ordered without loosing it. Victories make a too much rumour to be con­ [...]ealed, they are in the view of all the world; [...]o hinder them is [...]ith the danger of the Prince, to let them runne on, is peradventure with the danger of the Favourite; he is an [...]ble man, who in the time of Warr, looseth not is privacy, or makes not the Kingdome be [...]st.

I say not, but that Favourites may be found desirous of Warrs; who like Crowes [...]re alwaies flocking to dead bodies, but those [...]re ordinarily, the troublesome parts of the Rayes of Mars and Saturne, they wriggle [...]hemselves into favour, by pernicious, but [Page 70] specious Counsells, whence it is, that they af­terwards send forth those sooty humors, tha [...] they have within them, and they do puddl [...] the waters, that they may not be a prey t [...] such as fish for the truth. Woe to the worl [...] when such a Favourite is borne (and let u [...] thank God, that we are none of them in ou [...] times) for he confounds it, layes it along▪ overturnes it, ruines it, and is ruin'd trouble­some. Whithersoeuer they goe, it seems tha [...] they encrease the waters, but diminish th [...] Channell, because they encrease the mud; no [...] goe they much thither, for they goe not thither. These Phaetons when they come to touch that fire of Heaven, are for the most part thunder strook by Jove. It is very con­siderable, that howsoever, Prudence, be that, which is necessary to the maintenance of privacy, yet is not alwaies the true practised, but for the most part the false. There is a Prudence that hath reall good for its end, ano­ther that which seems so; the one is pure, the other puddle, both cry men up, and both greatly exult; the one with the greater se­curity, because it is much more benigne, the other with much more mirrour, because it hath more eagernesse. The braines of a wit­ty man is as a waving sea, alwaies unquiet, it [Page 71] neither hath rest, nor gives rest, it destroies, or will build, or will maintain: The foundations of its height, are the ruines of others; it pro­cures a feare in the Prince to make it self ne­cessary; it will make him a Tyrant, and some­times makes it self so; it is an Art which imitates Prudence, like the Artist that imi­tates Nature; it takes no pleasure if it doe not deceive, and is most pleased when it de­ceives most, leaving to be, when it leaves to cozen; it stands upon the very brink of a precipice, and because it cannot alwaies de­ceive, there is one time when it headlong falls. The braine of the Prudent man is placide and and loving, breathing nothing but sweetnesse, nothing but quiet, it builds up what others ruine; and if it sometimes doth destroy, it de­stroyes not to raise its owne house, but to up­hold it: It makes the King good, by shewing him what is profitable; it makes him love, to make him be beloved. A prudent man falls not from favour, if the Prince falls not into tyranny; and if some casuall ac­cident doth thrust him from the Mountain of Grace, hee goes but downe, hee tumbles not. Greatnesse of the Prudent, are influences from benevolent Starrs; and because they are en­creased by little and little, like high Towers, [Page 72] they are continued high, upon their owne foun­dations. Witty men goe high, but they grow not high, they are like balls of earth, which vi­olently compel'd, by some compulsion, doe swiftly passe through all buildings, and when they are at the highest heights, they fall, and fall not but they break. If Tacitus had ascrib­ed the fall from privacy, as well to sagacity, as he did to satiety, I would have borne with his other part of speech, where he shewes it rarely sempiternall, because it is rare for men to have prudence, and such men are most rare, which placed on high, maintain it; and he that did attribute so much to the power of domination and inchantment of obsequiousnesse, might well think all con­stancy fraile, all prudence fleeting.

He hath made some Rivers in Spaine to be made Navigable; he made some veines of gold to be found, not for covetousnesse of gaine, but to be able to diminish the grive­ances of the subject, without being wanting to the businesse of the Monarchy.

Gold is profitable to conserve and necessa­ry to encrease States. Some Politicians have made it inferiour to reputation, when in­deed reputation hath no other price, but the reward which gold gives it; they are de­ceiv'd [Page 73] in this, because, they sometimes see men forsake a rich Prince, to goe serve a Prince of reputation, this experience hath been true, but it came not so to passe, because reputation en­ticeth more then gold, but because the worth of one in reputation, gives more hope of gold, then the Exchequer of a rich man gives gold; those Souldiers are ill apaid, that are alwaies paid; and they are well pleas'd that are ill paid: the ordinary price of their lives hardly keepes them alive; Sackings, Inroades, Ra­pines, Victories, are the advantages that enrich the Souldiers, and they expect them most fre­quent, from such as they know most repu­ted.

The Favourite that encreaseth the Revenues of his master doth likewise encrease the Estates of the people, one of whose great felicities is, to have the Prince rich, for when he takes not away, he gives, and when he gives he takes a­way, a holding Prince is more desiderable then a bountifull; Donatives enrich but few, but they empty the store, that must be restored by the impoverishnesse of all.

The most Christian King of France had besieged Rochell, and suspecting that it would have been relieved by the King of England, he did, by the means of the Marquesse Ram­boulle, [Page 74] his Ambassadour Extraordinary, de­mand a Navy from Phillip the fourth, where­to the Councell of the Duke advising, it was consented him; and was an Act of great ho­nour, by delivering France from so long an oppression, with so much commodity to the Catholike Faith.

It was thought that the Duke erred in rea­son of state, in preferring the service of God, to that of the King, but he cannot erre in the service of the Catholike King, that erres not in the service of God; if any impious man hath in his Instructions, seperated the reason of State from that of God, yet are they so conjoyn'd in the concernings of this King, that no distinction of any understanding can disjoyn them. God who hath manifested unto us his Election of this Family, for the defence of his Religion, hath not left a place, that it may be taken away by the quicknesse of spirit; so that if some Officer, of small or no Religion, should by chance spring up, he could do no hurt but to himself with his wic­ked intention, finding himselfe thrust on, by a nimblenesse of spirit to those actions, which cloathed with the zeale of God, would be laudable parts of prudence; but in the exa­mination of reason of State, I conclude it [Page 75] to be necessarily that of the Devill, when it is seperated from that of the Lord. I believe that Lucifer had no intention to raise himself to such a height, as to be above God, for then he would not have had an intention to dis­solve the Vnity, but to betterit, which he by the naturall gift only of science, did know to be impossible: He then had a thought to exalt himself, by withdrawing himself aside, and so going from one, to make the number of two, upon which afterward as upon a Center, he did designe his Circumference diverse from that of God, nor could he go from the one, but that he must be bad, because all that is good is One. God drawing a line from his Circumference, did to make the number of three, create man: the Devill likewise thrust out a line from his circumference, to make the number of foure, and did seduce him. God who would not leave man in the hands of the Devill, came to redeem him, and made the number of five, and although he did not take away from him the excitement that seduceth him towards the number of two, yet he gave him the grace that reduced him towards the One, whereupon man remained free (not being able to designe a Circumfe­rence upon himselfe, because there is no other [Page 76] Circumference to be given, then of the One, and of the Two, nothing els being found but good or evil to determine it; Operating well upon the Centre of the one, and operating ill upon the Centre of the Two. As there are two Circumferences, so are there two rea­sons of State; the one of God the other of the Devill, that of God, is to come neare to God, to be great; that of the Devill is to go far from God to make himselfe great, what discourse then of a religious understan­ding shall ever deterre us from the spoiling the nest of the Heretiques, if we be able to do it? He that can do it, and doth it not, doth sin, and doth inlarge (as much as in him lies) the Circumference of the Devill. He that can do it, and doth it, doth enlarge (by what is in his power,) the circumference of God. Have sins power to defend States, and mer­rits power to destroy them? Oh King! oh Grandee! oh Catholique! what thing think you, can defend your Kingdomes, not your treasures, not the Armies, it is God defends them, because you have defended him, be­cause you do defend him; and that you may defend him.

Don Emanuell of Merveses, Generall of the Fleet of Lisbone, wanting sufficient means to maintain him at Court, & to defend him [Page 77] from some oppositions, advertis'd about the discharge of his trust, was resolv'd to be gone, & leave a Deputy; which the Duke perceiving by him, when he went to get leave of him did not consent that he should depart with dammage to his reputation, and yet being unwilling to hinder the course of justice, did offer himselfe to his assistance, as he did in effect to his purse, so did this magnanimous Fauourite, reserve the rewards that were bestowed upon him to helpe deserving men upon their occasions.

It is a more blessed thing to give then to re­ceive, and peradventure the reason is, because he that hath the commodity of giving; is more happy, then he that hath the necessity of recei­ving, most happy then is he that gives and not receives. He that receives and gives, is not the man that gives, but he that gave it him; such as are inflexible in receiving, are so likewise in giving: the selfe-same severity that they use against themselves, makes them little charitable towards others: the Lord Duke was able to have relieved an Officer of so great merit, with that, which was his, of whom he had well deserved, but he desired to do it with his own, because he was a well deserver of the King. A Favourite is to e­steem [Page 78] the service done to his Prince, as done to him, and to repute himselfe obliged to whom the King is, if he gives to him that hath served well, he merits for those works, that he hath not done, but rewarded; he should prize his goods more then his life, more then his understanding, more then him­selfe, that would wast himselfe, and not his Estate in the Kings service; the part of gi­ving is as hard as part of receiving; he that receives every thing is too covetous, he that takes nothing is too severe; he that gives al­waies, is too prodigall, and he that never gives is too miserable.

The Rhetorician that thought it a difficult thing, to perswade a Judge to give what was his own, and to be no hard matter to winne him to give what was another mans, would have been upon a false ground with the Duke; Oh the gallant and true magnanimity of a Favourite, who helpes by liberality where he cannot by justice; and will rather be a loo­ser himselfe, that he may winne who is to loose, then that justice should lose, who is alwaies to overcome; the Subjects that have worth in them, may contend with certainty of reward, when they serve a Monarch, whose Favourite is such an one, that if he do not in­tercede [Page 79] to the King for them, he gives like a King to them; who will believe that a man will not be liberall of another mans purse, when he is franke of his own when he is to be so; I was about to say, when he needs not be so, I will say when he cannot be.

Never was there a Favourite so courteous in Audiences, so loving to Councell, to assist, to comfort, and to hearken, I would set down multitudes of glorious examples, but because they are many, I will let them all alone, because I would carry away the gar­land for brevity.

There is nothing more desired or more deare to the people then audience, and there is no Officer, that can give it more, or ought to give it more, then he that is most just. Some there are, the which I know not whe­ther through zeale of justice, or ruggednesse of nature, do heare with little patience, and answer with little love, such as they will not listen unto; whereas indeed they should have been harkned unto patienly, and sweet­ly comforted; it is necessary to shew love to all, being merry with them that have what they would have; compassionating others that want of their riches; to the end that the gainers may ascribe the obligation of [Page 80] their gaining to their favours, and the loos­ers may lay it only on necessity: They are no competent givers of audience, that do not do that which is just, for when they are assailed by the powerfull reasons of such as are concern'd, they are compel'd to dismisse them with an, I will have it so: Whereup­on afterwards the offended subjects call them, and by good reason call them, the Willers of wrong, because they will, in as much as because they would, they wronged them.

But the Lord Duke, who doth hold in his hand the ballances of Astraea, as well in matters of favour as of justice, doth easily pacifie such as he accepts against, making them to know that they are either overcome by merit, or by law.

I know not what to say of the Prince, I might happily say that of him, that I say of the Favourite, that he hath not only an up­rightnesse in the administration of justice, but that he hath no lesse in the granting of courtesies. Man is of himself a reasonable creature, but when he deprives himself of ju­stice, he layes aside his reason, and is but only a creature. The friends of the Favourite are to be such as merit, and such to be most [Page 81] his friends, that merit most; the friendship that is grounded without reason, may be said not to be without unlawfull appetite, and because it is not without passion, it is not without reason; man hath not so much li­berty to have as he thinks he hath. If we should not love God above all things, wee should sinne, and if we love such as merit little, we may erre; it is a great matter cer­tainly, that charges are unjustly given, to such sometimes that are to administer ju­stice. I will not call this a liberty to do fa­vours, but a licenciousnesse and an abuse, which makes a great confusion in the world; the greatest honour doth of justice belong to him which is of greatest worth, as the grea­test punishment is his due by justice that is the greatest offendour, and questionlesse if there could be found ballances which should weigh merits, as there are some to weigh transgressions, I should wonder why justice should be painted onely with the sword in her right hand, and not likewise with Cities, King­domes, and Monarchies, that she may as it were weigh them, not to the end, to reward merits, but to the end to punish offen­ces.

If all Kingdomes could have such a Fa­vourite [Page 82] as this, which would as diligently weigh deserts, as failings, and that he would take away that false liberty of granting fa­vours, which doth so much harme, and pro­cures so much hatred to the Prince, how would they be without confusion, without laments, and alwaies full of worthy men and happy; but it may be this is not in use, be­cause Princes would not be known to be ne­cessitated, either to be of more value then others, or to hold the Principallity unjustly, or els to lay it down.

The Lord Duke is so easie to pardon inju­ries, and so much an enemy to revenge him­selfe, that many have thought it reason of state to be his Enemies; there was a princi­pall man, who upon no occasion of his, nor for any just reason, had a pistoll prepared to kill him, and having confest this with many other faults deserving death, the Lord Duke did make his punishment to be chang'd into a long imprisonment, from thence he got means to get free, yet left he not the wicked­nesse of his heart, but being discovered he was forc't to hast him out of Spaine to get into another Kingdome, where he was im­prisoned.

The Lord Duke having notice of it, he [Page 83] dispatched a post, to the Officers of the King to let him remain there, for if he were re­manded into Spaine, he could not be able to save him from death.

I do relate this, but (by the Dukes leave) I do not commend it; for he that hates with­out occasion, hates without reason, he hates by nature, nay rather against nature; he takes not away such a mans hatred, that takes not away his life, to pardon such whose natures are Enemies to nature, may be magnanimity, but not to punish them is injustice, it is the will of God, that man pardon man here in this world, but not so as he doth in heaven, if the offended pardon the offence, his purpose is, that the Judge should punish it; whereas if God pardon it in heaven, he cannot punish it; because he himselfe is the Iudge and the party offended, but in the world, although man may pardon, yet will he that the Judge punisheth, because He for his part is not the selfe-same He, that punisheth in the world, that is offended in Heaven, and to the end that the same man in the behalfe of man, may not be lesse, that is offended then he that pu­nisheth, he calls the Iudge [...]y the name of God, to the end peradventure to make us know, that he doth not punish as man, but as God.

[Page 84]To returne evill for good is a notable er­rour, yet that is not it, which ruines the world; for it is very seldome done, it is too great injustice, it is odious, it is ingratitude, it is blamed of all, because the example of it, is prejudiciall to all, it is reason of State, to hinder it, and to hate it. They that ex­pect benefits (and all expect them) would loose the hope of receiving any, if by fre­quent ingratitudes the minds of such as do favours, should be abused.

To render evill for evill, which seems [...] lesse errour, is oftentimes praised, is alwaies as it were borne withall, and is that which hath brought in revenge, and revenge is that which ruines the world.

The Judge cannot render Evill for Evill, when he cuts of a limbe. or takes away life; he doth justice for injustice, he doth good for ill; Man sinneth in doing, either because he doth it, when he ought not, or because he doth it not as he ought, or that he doth more then he ought; Plants are not unta­med, a savage; they are the beasts that are so, & they are so because they have a sensi­tive soule, men are more savage, because be­cause besides the sensitive, they have a reaso­nable soule; Wild Beaits destroy, led on by [Page 85] their senses, but men do it guided indeed by their senses, & likewise by reason ill directed by the sense; amongst such things as are under the Circle of the Moone, they alwaies become the worst, that were the most perfect.

In the distribution of offices and dignities, the Lord Duke, came seldome to the Coun­cell, and oftentimes jumped with the people; in knowing who was to be elected, when he is to be elected; And this course doth not he only, but the King likewise strictly observes in Ecclesiasticall offices, laying that burden upon the shoulders of his Confessours to choose such as are propounded by the Coun­cell, though there be every moneth such a quantity of them provided, that it amounts to a hundred thousand crownes revennue.

All states, yea Tyrannies, are govern'd by an Aristocracy, for if the Magistrates doe it not, the Officers doe, and they for Masse are a Common-wealth. The Favourite is the Dictatour, if he doe nothing, he becomes no­thing, if he do every thing, he savours of a Ty­rant. What matter is it, or of what conse­quence, for him to choose Offices for all; it serves well enough that such as choose, have chosen, for then is he assured, that such shall be elected, as he himself would have chosen: He is quitted from the hatred of [Page 86] such as are left out, and looseth not the obli­gation of those that are elected, for they are sufficiently oblig'd to him, in that they were not hindered by him; and that which is best of all, he is safe from the danger, of not hav­ing well elected. It is very hard to know the ability of persons, thereby to rest confi­dent in election. Experience deceives us, and reason cannot teach it. Every Science to be well learned, and every office to be well discharged requires a particular quali­ty of the braine, and so as one mans being eminent in a Science, is rather a certain signe of weaknesse, then of ability in others; so the managing of one employment with pru­dence, doth not conclude the same fidelity in others, that are not the same. Nature when she makes one only thing, she makes it for one only end; she is not (as the Philosopher said) like the Delphick Smith, whose knife did cut, and saw, and bore. Either a witty Tyrant knew this, or a subtle Politician made him say it, when he left it written; That, many who are sent into commands appeare di­verse, from what was hoped, or feared; some of them are [...]eightned by the great­nesse of employment, and others disgraced; which doth not only proceed by a glancing [Page 87] quality of the braine, but likewise sometimes through the inequality of the businesse. A man of great abilities thrust upon an inferi­our businesse, despiseth it, regards it not, is carelesse of it; and that man brought to great affaires, makes it appear, he was lesse then the least, because he was greater. O­thers of a small Alloy, being employ'd in poore affaires, and therein wholy intent, come out with much applause, but advanced to greater, they do fall to ruine, and mani­fest that the felicity which they had in the small matters, was not the greatnesse of their parts, but the sutable equality to their capa­cities: That Tyrant did desire this part in his Officers, and that Polititian knew it for excellent when he did command a subject, not for his being superiour, but because he was equall to businesse.

The Lord Duke, to the end that the Counsellours should alwaies be wary and dilligent in the well performing of their du­ties, made a little window, to be made in all the places of Councells, where though the King, could not sometimes be present, yet that they might alwaies doubt he might be there.

A Prince hath a similitude to God, [Page 88] though infinitely inferiour, and yet man makes him as it were superiour, whilst he is carefull not to transgresse, because it may be the Prince may be there, but takes no care at all, though the Lord is there, as if he did doubt of that which is certain, and were cer­tain of that which he doubteth. He that durst not offend in the presence of Cato, did audaciously offend in the presence of God. I give not this as a signe of an annihilated faith, but an asswaged faith; it is a point that should be taught children, before they know sinne, to the end they should not sin, because they should know they did it in the sight of God; it may be the having sinned without shame, would not take away the shame of sinne. It is a great matter to con­sider that the quantity of offences, encreaset [...] the confidence of offending, whereas [...] should encrease the feare, because it encrea­seth the offences. But all our Errours pro­ceed from our ignorance: Man cannot see God alive; man knowes that God is, what he is, but he knowes not that, which he is, be­cause in this world he doth not see him, as he is. I doe not therefore wonder that the Prophet called his sinnes, by the name of ig­norances.

[Page 89]He did intreat his King, upon his knees, that he would encrease his Talent, not only by his experience, which by his continuall pra­ctice in businesse he had gained, but by his rea­ding of the stories of his predecessours; the King followed his counsell, and one day as he was reading, he fell into a large commen­dation of one King in especiall, to whom the Duke replied, that he would have been much more worthy of praise, had he not suf­fered himselfe to be so much governed by his Favourite.

It was given as an excellent counsell to Ne­ro, to the end he might suppresse Seneca, to shew him who was his Master, that his prede­cessours were most powerfull Doctours to in­struct him; the Lord Duke likewise, to the end that none should give the counsell against him, did blame that King to his Majesty, be­cause he suffered himselfe to be led by his Fa­vourite, as by a Master, making it appeare to him, that his fore-Fathers are fit to in­struct him, and therefore intreates him to read the story of his Family.

Nicholas Machiavell, he would have men have recourse to Ancient rather then Modern Writers; he said, that if we make use of the learnings of the Antient, for Phy­sick, [Page 90] if of their Lawes for judgme [...]t, if of their Statutes for imitation, why should we not serve our turnes likewise with them by imitation of their Actions, which is not a thing impossible to be done, in as much, as neither the Heavens, the Elements, nor men, have changed their motion, order or man­ners.

I for my part (and I desire pardon) am of a contrary opinion, yet do not I say that men are changed, I rather say they are not chan­ged in Specie, or the Individualls, yet are the actions changed which are not of the Species, but of the Individualls; the quality and quantity of meats, being now in our times altered and changed, have made them excusable, who have written Aphorismes that once were true, but now are false; and this alteration hath had great power in the change of the Temperature, which being chan­ged, hath in part changed the manners.

I do not say, that the heavens are not the same, and that their motions are varied; The motions are not the givers of influence, but the Stars, nor the Stars neither without an Aspect; The selfe-same Heavens then, the self same Stars, the self-same motions do still remain; but not the self-same Aspects, nor [Page 91] never shall, and then if the self-same Aspects shall never be, no more (in as much as be­longs to them) shall the same effects be. In­feriour things hath a connexion with the supe­riour: He that would consider, that there is not one Constellation like another in the Hea­vens, would not mervaile, that there is not one man like another on the Earth, and that one action is not like another; but as in Astro­logie that observation that is nearest, is least false, so in policy is that example, that is most moderne.

If Physitians goe not from the reasons of the Antients, yet doe they in a great part, goe from their Medicines; The thin and spare dyets, that are appointed and taught by Hip­pocrates, which are to give nothing, except the disease be resolved on, when the judgment is made on the fourth day, if all those times they helpe, all other times they hurt; some barly corns weight, that did serve them of old for a competent food, would sterve us now. The Hellebores which then did worke a pur­ging Medicines, would now extinguish Pati­ents, new diseases are now sprung up, new Medicines are now invented, and the old cor­rected and changed.

The Lawes of times past, do serve these [Page 92] times, but they are such as judge between Ti­tus and Sempronius, but not those that have respect to the countenance of States: Nay rather a great part belonging to manners are changed; Our Religion hath established a Canonicall Law diverse from the Civill Law: Lawes of marriage are varied, those of di­vorce are taken away; nor is there any thing now spoken, of bond or free-man.

The Agrarian and the Iulian Law, be­sides a multitude of others, are muffled up in oblivion, nor there is the least City that is built, that hath not built peculiar Statutes.

In Sculpture we imitate the Ancients to make a man, which is alwaies the same, but not to make this man which is alwaies di­vers, and as the Sculpture should be ridiculous that being desirous to make a strong man, should shape him out by the Statue of Alexander, so likewise that polititian should be foolish, that would endeavour to teach the maintenance of our moderne Common-wealths, with the rules and manners of the Romanes.

He that believes that after he hath read a laudable example of our Predecessours, that he is able by and by, to put it in practice, is deceived; he should have need first to change all the world: The world consists of [Page 93] order and harmony, and it is an Instrument of many strings, alter any one, of them never so little, and all are a great deale out of tune.

Machiavell was likewise deceived in belie­ving, that the helpe of history did consist in the making use of example; and from this errour, as from the Root, come all his fai­lings in policy; As Empericks are to be con­demn'd in Physick, so are Exemplaries to be abandoned in policy.

We ought not, not only, not to make use of the Examples of the Antients, but like­wise not of the modern; for they require too great circumstances to come to be them­selves, and will aske a great many to make a rule; Many of them are very dangerous, in as much as they are not alwaies the sonnes of prudence, but many times of fortune, and fortune is not to be presupposed in businesse, but to be desired. I blame not by this the reading of history, for I commend it, and resemble it to meats, because as meates, except they do more then stay in the stomacke onely, they doe not nourish the body' so if history stay onely in the memory, it doth not forme the judgement, they are changed, digested, and animated: If all men had eminency of understanding, they would have no need to read histories, to be­come [Page 94] Phisitians, or trouble themselves to stu­dy Statues (I now insist against Machiavels argument) to be Sculptoures: but because in few, and a few times this eminency is to be found, Polititians dispose themselves to read Histories, and Sculptours to imitate statues; and as Statues are of no use to Sculptours, but for good, delineation, it being no com­mendation to copy the very same, but to make some varied with the manner dedu­ced from them: So Histories are little help­full to Polititians, but only for the setling of a good judgement. For they are not to ope­rate according to the examples, but according to the judgement that they have raised upon the reading of the examples.

Machiavell is to be borne withall, if he be an Emprick in policy, because he is like­wise an Emperick in physick, whilst he doth say, that it is an experience made by the An­cients, whereupon the Phisitians of now a dayes, doe ground their judgements; whereas he should have said, that it is a Science of wholsomenesse, unwholsomensse and Neu­ters.

I fall to my Centre, and commend the Duke, that commended the reading of Hi­stories to the King, on purpose that from [Page 95] them he might frame his judgement, and that he should consider those of his fore-Fa­thers, that he might serve his turne with ex­ample, and with lesse danger.

If Libells and Satyrs be only against him, he never punisheth, because he despiseth them; but if they be against the King, or a­ny other Officer, he makes the Delinquent smart for it.

A man that was a great Artist, said, that a subject ought not to satyrize against one that commands, but is to praise him that is past, to follow him that is present, and is to desire good Princes, but to reverence them whatsoever they are.

Tyberius began the law of high treason, for his beginnings were very good; he did not follow it, because they became bad.

It was not Art, it was Nature; and ri­gour was not encreased in that, till goodnesse was diminished in him, himself he altred, and it he altered, and because he ingraved it in the tree of malice, as that encreased, it en­creased. They that punish Satyrs approve of them, if they be false, they move to laughter; if they be true, they excite to choller.

To be blamed with a lye doth comfort, for it intimates, a not being able to be blam'd with [Page 96] a truth. That which is, is not neglected to be said, when that which is not is said; but those Princes, that find themselves galled by truth, fall into fury, because they perceive that known, which they did not believe to be known, and it may be they did not know it themselves, being flattered by others, some­times likewise flatterers of themselves, and since that they cannot hinder understanding, but that they understand them, they will re­straine pens that they may not write, tongues that they may not speak, that if it be not lost in the memory of those that are, yet that no­thing may come into the knowledge of those that shall be, and truly Princes would have a power in them to forme forgetfulnesse, if it were in their power, as it is in ours to stop pens, and stay tongues.

I do not consent to the coneeit of the Commons that Libels are good instructions of Princes, I hate them as unprofitable, I blame them as pernicious, I speak not to have them approved of, but I say, that they are not alwaies to be punished, without any mea­ning, but that they should be sometimes cor­rected, Liberty of speech and writing against a Prince without danger, makes him loose his respect, and respect once lost produceth rebel­lion, [Page 97] to what few the advices and counsels of such, as not managing the businesse of state are never informd, upon what pin they turn? A Prince in my opinion should erre in his affaires if he take not the opinion of many; I was about to say of all, if it could be had without the communicating of his interests to all. He that blames him and knowes not his secrets, must remember, that so the God of Heaven, might sometimes be blamed by the rashnesse of men; if he that did know his secrets had not stopped his tongue, with the bridle of ignorance.

The Lord Duke gives no audience to wo­men, because he will not that married wo­men shame their husbands, as if that they were the more able; and as for widdowoes and maides, he hath assured them, that a Let­ter under their hand, shall have more power to prevaile, then the sight of their persons. He saith that the Seremonies which are to be considered about women, take up too much time, and that humane weaknesse perswades him timorously to avoid dangers, rather then too confidently to encounter them.

Beauty if it doth move to love, it incites to compassion, and the Iudge that hath compassi­on, is in passion, and not right: He falls from [Page 98] himself, and alwaies declines that is compa­ssionate, or loves; and for the most part hee that takes pittie, loves. Compassion is some­times formed from the quality of the busi­nesse, sometimes from the quality of the per­son; the one is produced from feare, the o­ther from love, the one hath the future for object which is feared, the other the present, which is loved; and albeit feare is more active, yet doth the person move more com­passion then the case, because that which is; doth move with more vigour, then that, that may be.

They that believe that woman was not made against the intention of nature, that she is not an Errour or a Monster, must con­fesse she is made for generation, and if she be made for this end, as indeed she is, it is ne­cessary that she be endued with parts that move unto the end; for hence it comes to passe, that so soon as she is represented unto us, if there be not first a habit form'd, or that at the very instant, there be not some great resistance made, man doth by nature hasten to contemplate her, for the end to which she was made by nature. Distance is a bet­ter Fort then Habit, and more secure then re­sistance. Man may alwaies resist, but he [Page 99] doth not alwaies resist; and extraordinary occasions which are rare, produce not those habits, which things that haunt us acquire, nay, rather the formes doth not admit them, because this is an inseparable naturall, from a pep [...]aved nature, a man may over­come it, but not separate it.

It was told the Duke, that a great Offi­cer of the greatest Potentate, found fault with him; I cannot believe it, I will not believe it, replyed the Duke; for it is not to be surmised of a man of so great worth. Though the Duke had reason to blame him, and to conceit but meanly of him, principal­ly, if he compar'd him to himself, who is an Officer of so worthy fame, and worthy of so high renowne.

To blame Competitours, is either a signe of great good, or of great weaknesse; for the most part, when it doth not proceed from zeale, it pro [...]eeds from envy, and envy in re­gard of its essence, is called inferiority. Hee that knowes himself superiour to others, prai­seth his Corrivalls, to make them great to en­greate [...] himself, for their deserving much, makes him merit more.

He is not great, that is not so over inferiours; but he is great, that is greater then the grea­test: [Page 100] The worst comparison doth diminish blame, but doth not forme a praise, the best encraseth it. The Tyrant that did never de­sire other thing then to make his subject vile and base, was ashamed when he knew them base, because he knew that it made him base. Such as will learne an Art or a Science, the first object that they set before them, is not immediately that of the Art, or that of the Science; but an Artist, or a Scientiate, and that not the greatest neither, but the nea­rest. (Our desires are short sighted, they see but a little way off, and doubtlesse it is a great matter, that the very same man, that hath a mind so swolne, as not to be content with the greatest things in the world, can yet have it so little, as to believe he is to be content with small things: The one pro­ceeds pradventure from the businesse of the matter, the other from the eminency of the forme.) And afterward when the Artist or Scientiate hath arriv'd to the first object, he thrusts himself forward to another, never ceasing to have some one man for his object, till he hath passed all men; then is it in his na­ture, never to look back upon such as he hath out gon, and as one that is altogether intent, not to arrive to an eminency among Pro­fessours, [Page 101] but of the profession; He reflects no more upon the quality of the Artificers, but onely considers the greatnesse of the Art, whence it comes to passe, that when he speaks not of others, and when he considers not o­thers, he manifests to have exceeded them, and if by chance some speak to him of any Artificer, he praiseth him, because he chose the Art that he did chuse; he blames him not, because he considers him, not as an ob­ject not arrived unto, but as a companion to that object, to which he himselfe is not arrived,

The Duke is not an obstinate defendour of his opinions, but if he doth meet with a better, which rarely falls out, he embraceth it.

Some stand firme and setled in their opini­ons, because it is good, and then it is constancy, and some because they know not a better, and then it is weakenesse, some because they will not know another, and then it is obstinacy. It seems to be a very secure course for the Favou­rite, to be turn'd to the opinion that seems to him the best, for if it happen well, it is so where he accepts it, if it was not his, he shall avoid inexplicable dangers, that hath a pur­pose to make himselfe the head of a party, if [Page 102] after he hath spoken his opinion he doth not stand obstinately to maintain it. All opinions that seem best are not so, because a man doth not alwaies negotiate with the best, irreso­lution is reputed weaknesse, and perhaps it is the noblenesse of the understanding: the ob­ject of it is that which cannot be false, if it be quieted with that which may be, and may not be, it is deceived; the man that is the chiefe of the Counsellours, is not for all that, found to be chiefest in Counsels, he that hath got a strong Fort, is not to adventure it up­on the uncertainty of one issve; for the dan­ger, and the gain are not equall in him; he ought alwaies to propound businesse by way of doubt, without hearing a case beyond di­stinction, or knot to be untied, or evasion to be propounded, to that end that an opi­nion may not be held, that may not be fra­med by Arguments, and defended by the so­lutions which he hath propounded in his un­derstanding, and in this case if they fall out well, he shall have the honour of it, because they were taken for the reasons that he had adopted, if they prove ill, he shall not be asha­med, for he shall meet with those difficulties, which he foresaw, and if by chance he hath ometimes a desire to apply them, more to [Page 103] one resolution then to another, he must pro­vide to make some confident of his, the pre­sident of the businesse.

True it is, that a subject of great worth, that is not known, and moves not in a large Spheere, after having exquisitely pondered the reasons, may for once be the leader of an opinion, because it is doubtfull whether the losse or the gain may be greater to him. It is necessary for a man to make himselfe famous in the opinion of him, to whom he should ap­pear so, and to adventure himselfe to him that will make him famous.

The first day that Do [...] Francisco of Con­treras entred into his office, the Duke spake to him after this manner:

Many are the years that I have lived in Court, and in those years I have seen many Lords and Knights consume their Estates, been sent to prison and be banished, for ha­ving had brawles with representers of justice, as Notaries, Provost Marshals, Sergeants and such like; and yet I never saw any of those hang'd; though it be impossible that such kind of people, which are of inferiour condi­tion should alwaies have reason for what they do; and therefore it is to be believed, that these being such as hale men to prison, [Page 104] and such as forme processes, do find meanes to unburthen themselves, to burthen o­thers.

Your Excellency then, shall do a great ser­vice to his Majestie, and a great good to the Common-wealth, if you will ridd the Court of this abuse; yet doe I not meane that of­fendours of any condition should escape un­punished, (for that would diminish the re­spect that is due to justice) but that you should cause such Officers that abuse their Authority to be hang'd. This advertisement that manifested the upright intention of the Duke, did likewise notably comfort all the Nobility.

Monarchies, which are the great Colosses of the world, are kept up by two of the ba­sest pillars that can be, that is by Executio­ners and Serjeants; but what of that? Hath not likewise every garden that is full of sweet­est hearbs, rich in choicest flowers, fruitfull in every plant, the basest excrements of bruite beasts for its foundation?

If Monarchies were not degenerated in­to Tyrannies, if zeale for God would alwaies administer justice, then would there be Sa­muels found, that would put Agags to death; Eliahs that would rip up the bellies [Page 105] of the false Prophets; But that zeale is lost, and insteed of it we find, that subjects of great bloud are ashamed to be Officers for such imployments? So that it was necessa­ry to have recourse, to the vilest of the vile people; and because the base fellowes which undertake that charge, if they find it not vile, do make it so: Princes were as it were compel'd, yea, the very wisest of them, to de­fend and uphold such kind of instruments: For should they likewise have had them in a base esteem, that weaknesse of the foundati­on would have drawn with it the ruine of Dominion into consequence; but it may be too, that it is a cunning in Princes, to put these charges into the hands of people of a vile condition, for such offices have in them something of terrible; so that if they should have joyn'd reputation to such terriblenesse, I am not certain whether instead of making the subjects only stand in feare, they would not likewise have terrified Princes, whereas now they cannot offend with that reputati­on which the Prince giveth them, because he defends them; they thinke it an errour to punish them, by whom they punish, they be­lieve, that the Domination which relieth up­on them in generall, relyeth upon every In­dividuall, [Page 106] as if that the neck of a rascall were the neck of the Monarchie; but it is a too too ordinary a course, to make justice be­come impudent, that they may keep their government untouch't.

The Duke of Ascot of Flanders went in­to Spaine, sent thither by the she, that is beyond all praise, the Infanta Elizabeth, who as she did assure the Catholique King of the integrity of that Duke, in the insurrection propounded by Count Henry, and some o­ther Rebels, so likewise she writ to him, that by him he might be able to discover all the persons of the Confederacy, and all the de­signes that they had; Now in regard that the effects of it were begun to be felt in Flan­ders, the King question'd the Duke of As­ [...]ot about it, whose answer was, that he knew no more of any thing, then what he had re­vealed to the most renowned Infanta; such a Negation in so dangerous a businesse, loo­ked, as if it deserved an imprisonment, but the Lord Duke, who knew, that it did not proceed from any ill mind in the Duke of Ascot, but from a certai [...] nicenesse of laying them open which had trusted him, taking up­on himselfe, the assurance of his not flying a­way, did intreat his Majestie to question him once again.

[Page 107]Many there are, that believe that they are not bound to discover what they know; so that they do not, what they ought not, but they do that, they should not, when they tell not, that they know.

It is the most capitall offence in conspiracy to conceale the conspiracy, for if they be knowne they are hindred, he that doth not run himselfe into a rebellion, yet knowes of it, and holds his peace shewes more feare then love.

I confidently believe, that the character of nobility of mind in the Duke of Ascot, which made him loyall to his Prince, was the very same thing that made him faithfull to his friends; but what faith is to be observ'd with such an one, as keeps not his faith? with one that would make him unfaithfull, (I was about to say, that had made him when he tempted him? what kind of friend call you him, that perswades his friend unto treason? he is doubtlesse an enemy, that toucheth a mans reputation, and i [...]rites him to infamy, this is not a conceit, but a truth that I write, and yet are men oftentimes deceived with it, running to what is false, under the appea­rance of what is good: Tyrants have been the occasion of that great errour, who by means of their wickednesse, have made the [Page 108] revealing of conspiracies an infamy, the plot­ting of them a glory. It may too, that Prin­ces have co-operated in the work, by suffe­ring them to come abroad imbroydered with Encomions, therein publishing that Conspi­racies are good, if Princes be bad; how much better had it been, to have made it utterly detestable, then to leave it in the breast of the passions of men, to judge first of the Prince, and then of the conspiracies; our re­ligion hath in part provided for it, such as have impugned the Authority of the Pope, being unwilling to have it in his hands to de­clare who are friends, either have a desire to be, or would have a power to be, or else are already Tyrants, they know not certainly what the reason of State is, which (though Religion move them not, that ought to move them) should not only have a power to make them believe this infallible truth, but that they should likewise makeit be believed by the Subjects. to the end, that whereas there are now so many Tribunals of Subjects that judge of the Prince, and so answerable to that judgment, legitimate, or illegitimate conspiracy, it might be brought to one only just Tribunall, which is the Tribunall, of the Vicar of God.

[Page 109]The King examined the Duke of Ascot twice more, rather like a Brother then a So­veraigne; and he still holding himselfe to his first tale, the Lord Duke was desirous to talk with him himselfe once again, in the presence of the Duke of Atra, and the President of Castile, to whom the Duke of Ascot answe­ring, that he had told what he knew, and what the Infanta would have testified for a truth, had she beene now alive; the Duke that he might convince him, shew'd him the letter of the Infanta, at which he was asto­nished, not being able to recover himselfe, the King hereupon was inforced to commit him into hold, with all the commodities that were possible; when the Duke of Ascot re­flecting upon the Letter of the Infanta, and knowing the bounds of necessity, writ a let­ter to the Duke, as to the man whom he had alwaies known well affected towards him, wherein he did unfold as much as was desired to be known: the Duke carried it to the King without opening it, and then upon his knees did humbly beseech him to excuse the error of the Duke of Ascot, as a thing that procee­ded from a false opinion, & not from any ill will, and in the mean time he took the leave, to make his sword be restored him, that it [Page 100] might appeare he was not restrain'd for his own fault, and he gave order that there should be an Edict of pardon published in Flanders for all such, as had not made them­selves guilty by discovering themselves.

The Scruples of honour, whereby Subjects doe sometimes distast Princes, are rather worthy of compassion then chastisement, what ill will be feared from an honourable man? the subject can do no harme to his Prince if he be not infamous, then ought the Prince as a Physitian to use the sick party roughly, not to kill him, but to heale him; when a man doth any thing for the honour of zeale only, he works not by his own will, lesse against his will, but out of his will, for that that per­swades him, is not in him, but without him. To set upon which necessity, is not to do vio­lence, but to remove it: Honour should be one of the most substantiall foundations, that should uphold nature, if it were as well re­gulated by good Lawes, as it is worm-eaten with wicked opinions; but it cannot be or­dered by good Lawes, if the opinion of swaggering be not first taken away, and this cannot be abolished, because it is a too ne­cessary quality in Subjects, if Princes will ei­ther defend or inlarge their territories, the [Page 111] advantages that men get by stoutnesse, and the disadvantages that they receive by co­wardlinesse, makes this be dispised and that applauded; so that many have valued swag­gerers, for men of greatest spirits, as if they had greater soules.

The Lord Duke was likewise to be prai­sed for the happy progresse in Germany. He was the man that counselled the King to send, and did make the provision, that the Cardinall Infanta might go thither, a Prince of great Spirit and magnanimous, of a gene­rous mind & undaunted heart, whose beams were scarcely discover'd Orientall, but that they consumed the vapours, disperst the clouds, and cleared the skye, It is question­lesse a great matter, but now adayes not new, nay rather most usuall, that three Princes, and they young ones, as the King of Hunga­ria, the Cardinall Infanta, and Duke Charles of Lorraine, have terrified and supprest, the wisedome experience and fortune, of Cap­tains of great reputation, bred up in the waies and knowledge of warres.

All that are, and have been in the world, have ordinarily periods, which are the Be­ginnings, Encrease, Stay, Declination, and End. He that painted Fortune upon a wheel, [Page 112] if that wheel were not Heaven, if that For­tune were not the Starrs, he was in an horrible errour to picture only one thing in this world upon a wheel, where every thing hath its seve­rall wheel. It is true that Fortune often­times growes grey-headed with a man; but that which did at one time raise him, is not that which dejected him, because it may turne. One hath a fortune, doth encrease, another that throwes down, and declines. I never wonder that foraigne Princes to move Cities under Dominion to rebellion, but I am amaz'd to think, that Cities will be moved to it; for if they overcome they cannot do it, but they must first behold, their Countries destroied, their countrymen spoi­led, and their Exchequours consumed; so that when they have wone, they have lost; they do not take away Authority, they do but change it; and the very same hatred they had towards their old Governours, they will place upon the new. It is not a­gainst the man, it is against Dominion, which never dyes, for the Princes be mortall, Princi­palities are immortall. They too much flat­ter themselves with hopes of melioration in mutation; if they trust in friendship, they are vaine. The love of interest, which is a [Page 113] Giant, doth easily overcome all other loves, which are but Children.

It may be peradventure believed, that there will be lesse desire of dominion in a new Lord, who is not a new Lord, but by too much covetous desire of rule, nay rather it is to be feared as most undoubted, that he will stop up the way by which he entred in himself, that other may not be brought by it. I will not particularize the mischiefs that their losses would bring forth, they see them that produce them, yet produce they not so many as their victories would; they are too too quickly falne under the gentle­nesse of so courteous Princes.

If our Lord God would have been plea­sed to shew in a glasse, to the Princes, and Cities, that have moved commotions in Ger­many, upon future condition, that, which such an Insurrection would have brought forth, this so horrible a Tragedy, had not now been to be seen; but he forbeare not doubtlesse to present it to such eyes, as were willing to see it. What understanding could be so blockish as not to know it, did it but discourse it; What memory so slippery, that could not as it were lively represent the fu­ture successe, which it had observed in the [Page 114] forepassed Warrs that which hath been, is that which shall be, particularly when that which was, is that which is.

The space of an hundred years, is the breadth of the Channell, that the River of for­getfulnesse hath, those men are now dead, who did know Rebellions to be unfruitfull, vaine, not without great danger, and ex­treame great los [...]e; there is now no Re­liques to be disovered of burnt downe Townes, Trees burnt to ashes; Lands become barren; Cities laid defart, destroyed and de­mollished; the losse is not believed, or if it be not valued, because it is knowne reparable, and is seen to be repair [...].

How ought it to be desiderable by ma­ny, to have no walls about their Cities. The Romanes certainly were not more courteous to the Grecians in any one thing, then in beating downe their walls; and that Law-maker, that would not have the Citizens repaire them, had not only an opinion peradventure to make them more Vertuous, but had a conceit likewise to make them lesse rash. The good complexion of men is oftentimes their death, because they being confident of it, fall into dis­orders that kill them.

Power that is great in name, and not great [Page 115] in Authority, or at the least greater in for­ces, should not adventure (without security) to be beaten down by them, whose losses it may increase; because sometimes Princes are not moved to great purchases, either because they think them not necessary to be gotten, and so content themselves, or because they feare to loose, and so endanger not them­selves, but if by chance some violence spurre them on to take Arms, they begin to believe, that for to maintain their [...]reputation of not being afraid, it is necessary to take them up, and then they lay them not down, till they have inlarged their Dominions, or increased their Authority, but it is very true, that wars come again to sprout out, because Conquerours either know not how, or will not know, or in­deed are not able to make an end of their victo­ries; sometimes being full of glory they are Satiate, sometimes afflicted by the charges, affrighted by the many slaughters, and desi­rous of quiet, they enjoy the present, recom­mending the future into the hands of Time and Fortune, and the valour of their succes­sours; he deserves sufficiently in this world that can put danger a great way from him, because great ones may be defer'd, but not taken away; so many wars would not doubt­lesse [Page 116] be, if a meanes could be found, that great­nesse amongst equalls, should not bring forth Envy, and that they could take away jealousie from Inferiours.

I certainly hold that Princes (I speak of such as are past, after that they were come the Monarchs) had a regard only to the pre­servation of their states, and I believe like­wise that they were oftentimes informed, they could not be able to keep them, with­out the taking in of some places, that might threaten a disturbance; and then, assoon as that was gain'd, they would begin to find out another that might be prejudiciall to the last that was got, and so indeed go infinitely on, from whence peradventure it comes, that by this insensible deceit, they have made it be believed, that the desire to keep what they have, hath beene a covetuousnesse to get large Do­minions.

That Emperour alwaies Augustus, that in his time saw the world in a calme; to keep it in that tranquility which might have been disturbed by envy and feare, more then by any other thing whatsoever, had a purpose not to dilate, but to restrain, and likewise peradventure to fortify the Confines of the Empire, thereby to be able the better to keep, [Page 17] and more quietly to enjoy it, by his making it knowne that the desire of domination was not infinite, being terminated in a Prince that had bounded the Imperiall Confines: He that was the first that made faith violable, was the He that did ruine the world, for had not men been deceived by breach of faith, there would never have been jealousie, and without jealousie envy would have been of small account, because it would have beene alone.