To the Noble Signor, JOHN VINCENT IMPERIALE.

WHen I had the happiness (No­ble Sir) to see you at Bono­nia, and to enter my selfe in the number of your Servants, I conceived you Triumphant, though you told me you were an Exile: I knew you Innocent, though you cryed Guilty. I had scarce departed out of Bononia, but our Reverend Arch-Deacon Paleotti (I know not whether [Page 2]to comfort me, or undeceive me) did send me a Letter fraught with cleare and irre­fragable Demonstrations of your Innocence.

If I had not cause so much to grieve for your Noblenesse, I should grieve for Him: Let him send his Remon­strances and Apologies to those that never saw you; your very looks and the linea­ments of your Countenance are more convincing argu­ments to mee (than any o­ther) of your good abeare and innocence.

He that hath eyes which can penetrate beyond the Surface and outside, may (by discoursing with a man) finde that speech of the Wiseman true; A man is knowne by the eye, and the face discovers wisedome:Ecclus 19.29. not that we can [Page 3]reade in that Vultus animi janua & tabula. Cic. de pet. Consul. Tablet what a man shall be, but what he is: He speakes not (sure) of the superstitious art of Metopos­copie, he intends (perhaps) Na­turall philosphie. Man is an harmonious organ; the heart tunes and playes it, the tongue sings, & every part & particle in it (though never so little) yeelds a distinct sound, and varies the effect according to the varietie of affections: be­cause all the parts are sustain­ed by the spirits, and all the spirits are the Issue of the heart: Omnis mo­tus animi suum quen­dam à na­tura habet vultum, & sonum & gestum: to­tum (que) cor­pus hominis & ejus om­nis vultus o [...]es (que) vo­ces, ut nervi in fidibus, ita sonant, ut à motu animi sunt pulsae. Cic de Orat. lib. 3 As this is affected with Joy, or Sorrow, love, hatred, or feare; so it doth strike a different note or sound: when the Heart touch­eth one string, and the Tongue sings to another, the Speech and the Countenance doe not make consort; and he that [Page 4]cannot perceive this soloecism, and observe this dissonan­tie, must accuse his senses of much weakenesse, and fly to that unsavoury (though much seasoned) maxime, written for blind men only: That it is necessary to eate a bushell of salt with a man, before you can well understand him. Your Lordship must subscribe to my opinion herein: for having seene ma­ny Provinces of the world; been made knowne to Kings and Princes; and having con­versed with so many Cavaliers of Honour; it will be no small comfort unto you to have left so little need of ju­stifying you by other mens writings, that your very Domi­natur max­ime vultus, hoc amamus, hoc odimus, hoc plurima intelligimus Quintil. Instit. Ora­tor. vi­sage hath already excused and acquited you among all that have seene you.

I have taken (indeed) my [Page 5]pen in hand with an intent to solace you with a few lines, which discover rather my af­fection than your necessity: to write Letters consolatory unto you were to goe to cure a man in perfect health; though it is true that health­full men (sometimes) have neede of Physick, though not to restore, yet to preserve health. Yet I doe not write to solace you but my selfe: your minde hath no need of cordialls, but my heart hath. I that had a breast of proofe, and could beare my owne di­sasters without perturbation, doe find my heart most re­lenting and tender toward yours. (C) A Stoicall indo­lencie doth not well con­sist with frienship: A friend that undertakes to comfort, is not like a Physician that un­dertakes [Page 6]a cure: A Physician cannot heale others except he be in health himselfe; but a friend is so much the fitter to administer Physick (if I may so speak) by how much the more affected and diseased he is himselfe: I am sensible of your Lordships innocencie and banishment, I cannot en­tertaine any joy, except I shew my selfe impious; and yet I cannot be sorry, except I should wish you culpable: yet I am not grieved for that you are innocent; but I am sorry for that you are banished: and now since you are bani­shed, I am glad you are inno­cent. There be some of such weake mindes that beare their troubles with the more impatience, when they know themselves to be innocent of the crime that is laid to their [Page 7]charge; whereas (indeed) they might beare them the better, because they know themselves such. Vertue is not restrain'd or confin'd, it hath a place or theater to shew it selfe in all fortunes: A man that is condemned, (if he be innocent, and doth not vexe) he doth exercise the vertue of Patience: if he be guilty and doth acknow­ledge himselfe so, he doth co-operate with that of Ju­stice. When a subject com­plaines of some unreasonable pressures and molestations, he is unjust, because he would be so: but when he complains of just and deserved punishment, he is not only unjust, because he is so, but because he grieves; And because he grieves that others are not so too. To complaine of suffe­rings [Page 8]is either to complaine of an occasion given to merit thereby; or (at least) to com­plaine of a punishment in­flicted for having demerited. To grieve for the one, is weaknesse, & not to grieve for the other is perversnesse: such a one hath cause to complain, not of Fortune but of him­selfe; not for what he suffers, but for what he hath com­mitted. (D) There is no evill in the world, but what is committed: that which is in­flicted, rather seems evill than is so, because it comes to passe by the Quic­quid pati­mur morta­le genus, quicquid facimus, ve­nit ex alto. Senec. Herc. Oe­teo. will of God, which is alwayes good, and eithe permits it, or is the Author of it.

Whereas men should stoop and strike saile to Fortune, they revile and blaspheme it: if there were not some cause [Page 9]to beare with their ignorance, there would be just cause to chastise their rashnesse: for we call that (E) Fortune, which happens, or falls out we know not how, nor why; or else quite without, and be­yond our expectation: where­fore to complaine of Fortune, and not to blame our own ignorance, is to complaine of the D [...]vine providence. Such things as happen unto us, and not by us, we should rather adore, than censure; be­cause there Gods wisdome hath a greater stroke & share, where ours hath the lesser. A man should take care to de­serve that which is good, though not to obtaine what he deserves; And yet he hath (in effect) obtained it, when he hath deserved it: For the greatest good that we can [Page 10]have, is Est quidem ve­ra felicitas felicitate dignum vi­deri. Plin. Paneg. ad Trajan. to deserve that greatest good that we can en­joy. He that studies to me­rit that he may enjoy some good, makes merit become interest, and cannot arrive at good which is purely so; be­cause he hath adulterated and tainted the good, when he hath tainted the merit. For­tune hath no share in meri­ting, it hath in obtaining: and he that hath obtained, is not now secure (altogether) because he is not altoge­ther in the condition of me­rit.

It is a high way saying, That we are Faber est unus­quis (que) for­tunae suae Cic. in Catone Maj. Aedeplol Sapiens fin­git fortunā sibi. Terent. Architects of our own Fortune: He that sayd so, said not well, because he meant not well: he that builds Fortune, doth demolish it; it cannot be wrought or fram'd but with the tools of [Page 11]Vertue; and so it becomes a statue of Vertue, which was carvd for the statue of For­tune: yet is it true that though wee be not Authors of its entitie, yet wee are of its quality; it is never that which we make, yet it is alwayes such as we make it; It doth not consist with merit, if it be not a sorry one: merit-doth destroy it where it finds it; but where she doth find me­rit, she doth increase it: if she be good, with moderati­on; if bad and wretched, with patience; she would stand and stay with your Noble Lordship, and therefore returnes to you in your disasters, that she may improve that merit which in your felicity she did im­paire.

An adverse fortune is ra­ther to be wished (in my o­pinion) [Page 12]though we deserve a prosperous one: In this vast Ocean men are oftener ship­wrakt in the haven of tran­quillity, than amidst the surges and billowes of disasters: mi­series doe humble us, and therefore we hold under them, but prosperity swells us with pride, and therefore they Mise­riae toleran­tur, faelici­tate corrū ­pimur. Ver­ba Galbae apud Tacit l. 1. Histor. spoile us. If every man hath his Fortune, and e­very Fortune its wheel, how can we complaine that our wheel descends? since one part of the wheel doth not descend so much one way, but it as­cends another way: those men only complain of Fortune, who have their souls so tackt to their bodies, that when one falls & praecipitates, the other doth so too: but those who possesse one part of the wheel with their soules, and another [Page 13]with their bodies, doe wish al­waies the adverse or contrary part of the wheel; and if they have it not, they make it so: because one part mounts to­wards heaven, when the other hurries down towards hell.

A wise man beares his head above the Talis est sapientis animus qualis mun­di status supra lunaā, semper illic serenum est. Sen. Ep. 59. clouds: tem­pests cannot reach him, he is not shaken with winds nor battered with thunder: Prin­ces and States may well be Lords of our bodies, but can­not of our Servi­tus non ca­dit in tot [...] ̄ hominem: pars melior ejus excepta est. Sen. de benefi [...] l. 3. c. 20. souls; or if they be of any soules, it is of such soules as were (before) made by their owners, slaves of their bodies. He that is im­merst (both soule and body) in this puntilio or narrow point, such as the Globe of the Earth is, doth live alwaies in the center of this point, [Page 14]both soule and body: when he doth (by his better part) raise himselfe to higher spe­culations, he lives happily with the body, wherever his mind enjoyes any feli­city.

If all the circumference of the earth be but Punctū est in quo navigatis, in quo bellatis, in quo reg­na disponi­tis, &c. Sen. Nat. quaest. l. 1. Praefat. a point of the Universe; If all times that were, or shall be, are com­priz'd under one instant of E­ternity: what thing is man, who is but one point of that circumference? And what is his life. but one moment of that eternity? Shall then your Lordship complaine that you are secluded Genoa, which (though of a good bignesse) is but a little little point of a little point? and that you are secluded for a certaine day? which is but a short in­stant of that time which can­not [Page 15]be termed (wel) an instants?

Your Lordship is sent out of your Country, not cashierd; by the Fathers and Senators of it, not by the Judges; and that to reward, not to banish-you: Malefactors are used to be banished Nescis exilium sce­lerum esse poenā? Cic. Parad.; so that banish­ment must lose its name where it finds innocence. A man is born with an obli­gation to serve his countrey, he is borne a slave; and the more slave, by how much his countrey is the more free: but to manumise a slave is a reward, not a punishment; it doth testifie how well he hath merited by his service, when it makes him a freeman.

Time hath beene, That in Republiques, banishment hath been (in a manner) their chiefest guerdon: it was of­ten bestowed upon (F) the [Page 16]best deserving: if the Citizens be slaves, the Republiques could not free any of them from their slaverie, but they must fall (themselves) unto it: But when they found a subject of (G) great worth, beign a sha­mend to see him a slave, and not willing to make him a servant, they cashierd him; being content to see him a free man, though not to make him a (H) Master. He that said that he would be either an Exile our of his Countrey, or a Consul in it,Aut Consul aut Exul, Some read it. did believe (perhaps) that a person of worth, could not conteine himselfe in a Republique, if he did not obteine to be a Consul in it, or did not banish himselfe out of it. You have taken paines (Noble Sir) a long time, that others might take their rest: and you could [Page 17]not betake your selfe to your rest, without losing all the glory that you have acquired by motion. He that hath per­form'd brave exploites, and then retreats voluntarily, seems to have performed them out of heat and fury, not love; to have serv'd his owne am­bition, not his countrey. It is not the part of a valiant man to take pains that he may take rest, as it is not the part of a stout man to fight that he may live: Even plebeian Spi­rits will rashly hazard their lifes, that they may not lose it. To bestow upon thy Coun­trey the prime of thy youth, and to denie it the fruit of thy age, is to sacrifice the armes and denie the braynes: Those that are weake of body are exempted from the wars, and they that are weake of [Page 18]understanding from the Se­nate: The danger of short­ning our life by cumbring old age with businesses will not serve for an excuse, no more than the danger of blowes will excuse a souldier from fighting: He that (being young) did expose himselfe to danger by serving his Countrey by his armes, why should not he (being old) ex­pose himself to the like danger, by the service & labour of his Nullis annis vaca­tionem da­mus cani­tiem galeâ premimus. Sen. de vi­tâ beatâ cap. 28. braines? wherefore ba­nishment (Noble Sir) is a great reward bestowed upon you: Quietnesse, which is e­ver desired by all, when it is the period of glorious moti­ons or actions; and is not al­waies laudable, when it is voluntary, cannot be repre­hended in you, when it is be­come necessary. It is a great [Page 19]felicity (no doubt) to be now at leasure to recount with your selfe the honourable memorialls of former ex­ploits, the applause you have received, and the honours you have deserved: This is like Gods owne joy, to rejoice within ones selfe, and of him­selfe: High and noble actions that have been performed, are dainties kept in store, and companions prepared for to solace and Con­scientia vi­tae benè actae multe­rum (que) be­nefactorum recordatio jucundissi­ma est. Cic. Cast. Maj. sweeten old age, and make retirednesse a blessing.

But what doe I talke of ba­nishment out of ones Coun­trey? it is true that your Lordship is exiled out of Ge­noa, but not form your Coun­trey: I must not contract the bounds of that; it hath not so small a circumference as Genoa: Every place pretends [Page 20]to be your Countrey, and e­very Countrey is ambitious to be that place: But it was the Countrey that you were borne in, you may say: if that place be your Countrey where you were borne, it is but a small plot of ground: if it be a City where this plot of ground is, why not rather the My City and Countrey as I am Autoninus is Rome, as a man, the whole world. Anton, de vita sua l. 6 Civitatis nostrae ter­minos cum sole meti­mur. Sen. de vita be­atâ, c. 31. world which containes this City? You will say againe that it is your Countrey be­cause your Ancesters have there inhabited; if your An­cestors either had not beene banished or had not banished themselvs from their first habi­tation where they were born, Genoa had not now been your Countrey: wherefore banish­ment doth not make you lose your Countrey but gaine it rather: It is your Countrey (you will say) be­cause [Page 21]there lies your estate and your goods; alas! those you meane are not your (I) goods: you have found them, and you must againe leave them: The goods of a man are his understanding, yea his Countrey is his understanding.

That man is not banished, who being excluded one City, can live in any Exili­um illis terribile, quibus qua­si circum­scrip­tus est ha­bitandi Locus; non iis qui om­nem terra­rum orbem unam urbē esse ducunt. Cic. parad other cli­mate of the habitable world: But he that cannot live in any other portion of the world, but in the circle of such a Citty: to expell the other out of such a Citty is not ba­nishment but an enfranchise­ment: But how many men doth an ambition of great­nesse, and a desire of lucre de­taine there as Exiles, who never complaine, and yet live in a harder condition than the other? you live under a good [Page 22]common-wealth, to which by nature you ought, and by choice you doe render obe­dience. But those men doe live under two Tyrants, Ava­rice Libido honoris, im­perii, pro­vinciarum, quam dura est domina, quam impe­riosa? Cic. parad. and Ambition, which by nature they ought to com­mand and not to obey. Your Lordship is transplanted from the Countrey of your Fathers into your Mother Countrey: For how can you be any other then the sonne of this Citty, if this Citty be the mother of studies and arts? surely you are her sonne, and a pregnant one too, the many births and conceptions of your braine doe approve you so: send forth those that are not yet published, bring them (I pray) not to the light, but to be a light to the learned world, let them come abroad both to so­lace Quid jucundius est Senectu­te stipatâ studiis ju­ventutis? Cic. Cat. Ma. your selfe and others.

[Page 23]Though wise men reside a­mong the vulgar in this ele­mentary world, yet they have another within them ful of va­rious images and noble Ideas, springing from the purer spi­rits of the heart, and inhabi­ted by the noblest parts of the Intellect. It were a great un­happinesse and disparagement to mankind, if those men should dwell in the same Common-wealth, that have not the same braines. Igno­rance is a veile that hinders us to know this truth: he that should have the happinesse to remove this veile, but for a moment, would be astonished to see a strange Metamorpho­sis, he should see a new hea­ven, and a new world: but since ignorance is dispell'd but by degrees, that which is cleare in it selfe, doth not pre­sently [Page 24]appeare so cleare. From this Countrey your Lordship can never be bani­shed, in this, you can endure no trouble.

The Philosopher hath left it recorded, That stones doe not make a City but bones, not walls but men: Pompey could say, that Rome Me ex­ulem putas cùm omnes meo disces­su exulasse Remp. pu­ [...]ent? Cic. de seipso. Parad. 1 Veios babi­tante Ca­millo illic Roma fuit. went along with him when the better part of the Citizens went. Your Lordship hath carried away a great part of your Countrey with you, when you carried away your selfe: I may say that you carried a­way all of it, not all the walls, but all the hearts therein: Who can say, that he is an ex­ile that is so great a part of the admirable frame and building of his owne Coun­trey? you are not gone to banishment, but have left your [Page 25]Countrey in banishment: be­cause all those remaine Exiles that have made you one. It cannot be believed that Caesar did chase Pompey from Rome, but rather that Pompey did chase Caesar out of it, if he car­ried with him the City, when he was exiled. The Inhabitants of seven caelestiall spheares, which convey their influence by motion and light into this nether world: which in the number of the second causes are the first, or certainely next to the first, are never fixt in their own Countrey, but are er­ratick, & itinerant: they have their proper houses (it it true) but where thy have their house, they have not their ha­bitation; onely Mercury the God of wisedome hath his Termes of judici­ary Astro­logie. House, his exaltation & his triumph in one and the same [Page 26]signe: neverthelesse he hath the greater force and efficacy in his unfortunate house, than in his owne: To shew that wisdome doth then shew her vertues and power most, when she is most unfortu­nate.

Let no man wonder that I make here a Panegyrick of banishment, I am not a little obliged unto it, it hath crea­ted me your friend, servant, slave, it is enough that I have said Friend, since he is not a friend who is not a servant, yea a slave; though there be those that are servants and slaves, that be not friends: for there are some in this age that name themselves by no other style than slaves, who notwithstanding know no o­ther friendship than that of profit and interest.

[Page 27]I would farther expatiate in commendation of this your banishment from your Coun­trey, if (by being not allowed stay at this time in my own) I were not banished out of your Lordships sight: otherwise I do so farre like and wish your banishment, that if I had your worth and innocence, (if this were not to wish my master guilty) I would wish my selfe banished. But since I live un­der a Prince, who crownes merit with reward, and never punisheth the innocent, since I cannot be an Exile, I would make my selfe one; and I doe not know whether I doe not make my selfe one at this pre­sent, or am not made so, but I am innocent, and therefore I doe make my selfe: I should glory rather to be made one, because it would be a glory [Page 28]to be made like to your Lord­ship.

When worthynesse doth not advance a man higher, he gaines the more favour, if it casts him lower, than if it mo­ved him not at all: if he be not gracious with a man, or if he be out of his favour, there is no better way to make him gracious than to be Quos injuriae in­visos faci­unt, gratio­so, miseriae reddunt. Val. Max. lib. 5. c. 3. disfa­voured. Mens tongues run in his commendations, and their hearts melt in compassion of him: great worth is not with­out reward, even in this world: for it is found somtimes a­mong men, who alwaies pro­mise that it shall be rewarded: if those men do not reward it, who are the principle debtors, those men will that have any share in the benefit. Payments do cancell the obligation, but he that is not payd is still a [Page 29]creditor, and feeles the debt still to grow, because the merit still increaseth: So that re­wards are then most ample, when they are never received.

There is nothing that man [...]. Xenoph. affects more than praise, and there is nothing hinders it more than envie, nor doth increase it more than pittie: he that desires the one with­out the other, let him make himselfe deserving, and let him wish himselfe unfortu­nate: merit in distresse doth produce the greater compas­sion, by how much in felicity it produceth the greater envie: we are mov'd with compassi­on, because we love the worth of him who is our inferiour, and because we feare the like chance, by his example, who was our equall.Ego Pompeii ca­sum deploro & meam fortunam metuo: The words of Caesar when Pom­pey's head was brought unto him. Suet.

Your Lordship hath with [Page 30]your resolutenesse of mind a­midst adversity, united two things, which were not wont to be at great ods and distance before, to wit Envie and Com­passion; and hath brought mis­fortunes into credit, and hath rendred them even desirable, whilst in the midst of them, you have rendred your vertues even to envie glorious. It was the saying of Si vis me flere, do­lendum est primum ipsi tibi. Hor. de arte poet. a Poet, that he that would draw teares from others, must shew his owne: I know not whether he spake well, because I know not whether affection moves the greater compassion: this I know, that behaviour moves a better: whatever circum­stances are used to bewaile the chance, are turned to the admiration of the person. Some Authors believe and teach (though perhaps amisse) [Page 31]that the carriage and courage of a man do take away com­passion, because they take a­way the appearance and like­lyhood of misfortunes, as though men cannot believe a disaster, if they doe not see teares; this appearance of fortitude (drawing all to the admiration of the person) makes the acerbity of the di­saster to be forgotten: it doth not make it not to be truly believed, but not to be well considered: but admiration is not without delight, nor compassion without griefe: weeping proceeding (most commonly) from a mixture of sorrow and delight, and behaviour uniting these pas­sions together, will make us (perhaps) to thaw into many teares; whereas affection will rather make us to nauseate than to weep.

[Page 32]The recompence of those troubles which your Lord­ship hath sustained for the Republique is to be troubled by it, but I believe that the Republique is troubled more for you than by you: a few men can never make a body, they can marre it, and often doe: and I believe also that your noble Lordship is more troubled of the Republique than by it.

(K) I have heard you speak so honourably and respectful­ly of that Senate which hath banished you, and so affectio­natly of your Countrey, that you would desire (in a maner) to be reputed culpable, that she might not be thought un­just: But noble Signor, he defends his Countrey, who defends his owne innocence: It is easier to demonstrate [Page 33]that they have not once con­sented to banish your Lord­ship, than to goe about to make men believe that they have beene so often overseene in advancing you: as if their prudence did neither let them foresee and know the vices of his younger years, nor direct them how to curbe those of his riper age: But had so of­ten entrusted the helme of their vessell to the valour and prudence of a young man, who in the maturitie of his age must be cashierd, as un­worthy of those favours.

Republiques do often give way to calumny that they might not take away the trade of Informers: they had rather banish an innocent man, than suffer dammage by not punishing a guilty man. I say not that the Common-wealth [Page 34]of Genoa is unjust, such thoughts are farre from me: I am not so uncivill nor so disrespectfull. I honour it much: and I would be as good to serve it, as I am ready to respect it; and if I would not respect it for any other rea­son; I would for this, that it is your Lordships Countrey: otherwise in lieu of obtaining your love and favour, I should purchase your hatred: I should not comfort you but exaspe­rate you rather, since you that are innocent, will needs be in­nocent, only because you are condemned & judged to be so.

It is no contradiction to be justly condemned and to be innocent: How many of­fenders are acquitted by ju­stice without injustice? If that saying of Seneca be true, that thunder-bolts are never more [Page 35]just than when they are ado­red by him that is thunder­struck; This most just Com­mon-wealth was never more just than when it fulminated your banishment, who doth so much commend it, and with such expressions of ho­nour discourseth of it. Thrice happy Common-wealth! were all the Cittizens like you, she could never commit an er­rour: banishment should ne­ver be thought unjust, nor the banished innocent: if at any time, she were not just, such men would make her so, when they affirme and teach that the will of their Fathers or Senators is their Law: In Ty­rannical Governments the will holds the place of Justice; But in a Republique where Opti­macy beares sway & rule, she may well enough stand with Justice.