Francis I., king of France, and Charles V., emperor, there was such a watch kept that none of the three could win a palm1 of ground, but the other two would straightways' balance it, either by confederation, or, if need were, by a war, and would not in any wise take up peace at interest; and the like was done by that league (which Guicciardine saith was the security of Italy), made between Ferdinando, king of Naples, Lorenzius Medices, and Ludovicus Sforsa, potentates, the one of Florence, the other of Milan. Neither is the opinion of some of the schoolmen to be received, that a war cannot justly be made, but upon a precedent injury or provocation; for there is no question but a just fear of an imminent danger, though there be no blow given, is a lawful cause of war.

For their wives, there are cruel examples of them. Livia is infamed for the poisoning of her husband; Roxolana, Solyman's wife, was the destruction of that renowned prince, Sultan Mustapha, and otherwise troubled his house and succession; Edward II. of England's queen had the principal hand in the deposing and murder of her husband. This kind of danger is then to be feared chiefly when the wives have plots for the raising of their own children, or else that they be advoutresses."

For their children, the tragedies likewise of dangers from them have been many; and generally the entering of the fathers into suspicion of their children hath been ever unfortunate. The destruction of Mustapha (that we named before) was so fatal to Solyman's line, as the succession of the Turks from Solyman until this day is suspected to be untrue, and of strange blood, for that Selymus II. was thought to be supposititious. The destruction of Crispus, a young prince of rare

1 Palm. Hand's breadth. The palm, or hand's breadth, is a twenty-fourth part of the stature.'-Holder.

? Straightways. Immediately.

Like to a ship that having 'scap'd a tempest,

Is straightway claim'd and boarded with a pirate.'-Shakespere.

3 Precedent.

Preceding.

Do it at once,

Or thy precedent services are all

But accidents unpurposed.'-Shakespere.

Infamed. Infamous. Whosoever for any offence be infamed, by their ears hang rings of gold.'-Sir T. More.

5 Advoutress. Adulteress. (So called from breach of the marriage-vow.)

towardness,' by Constantinus the Great, his father, was in like manner fatal to his house, for both Constantinus and Constance, his sons, died violent deaths; and Constantius, his other son, did little better, who died indeed of sickness, but after that Julianus had taken arms against him. The destruction of Demetrius, son to Philip II. of Macedon, turned upon the father, who died of repentance: and many like examples there are, but few or none where the fathers had good by such distrust, except it were where the sons were in open arms against them, as was Selymus I. against Bajazet, and the three sons of Henry II., king of England.

For their prelates, when they are proud and great, there is also danger from them; as it was in the times of Anselmus and Thomas Beckett, archbishops of Canterbury, who, with their crosiers, did almost try it with the king's sword; and yet they had to deal with stout and haughty kings-William Rufus, Henry I., and Henry II. The danger is not from that estate,2 but where it hath a dependence of foreign authority, or where the churchmen come in and are elected, not by the collation of the king, or particular patrons, but by the people.

For their nobles, to keep them at a distance, it is not amiss; but to depress them may make a king more absolute, but less safe, and less able to perform anything that he desires. I have noted it in my history of King Henry VII. of England, who depressed his nobility, whereupon it came to pass, that his times were full of difficulties and troubles; for the nobility, though they continued loyal unto him, yet did they not co-operate with him in his business-so that in effect he was fain3 to do all things himself.

For their second nobles, there is not much danger from them, being a body dispersed: they may sometimes discourse high, but that doth little hurt; besides, they are a counterpoise to the higher nobility, that they grow not too potent; and, lastly, being the most immediate in authority with the common people, they do best temper popular commotions.

'Towardness. Docility. He proved in his youth a personage of great towardness, and such as no small hope of him was conceived.'-Holinshed,

2 Estate. Order of men. 'All the estate of the elders.'-Acts xxii. 5.

3 Fain. Compelled; constrained. Whosoever will hear, he shall find God; whosoever will study to know, shall be also fain to believe.'-Hooker. I was fain to forswear it.'-Shakespere.

For their merchants, they are vena porta,' and if they flourish not, a kingdom may have good limbs, but will have empty veins, and nourish little. Taxes and imposts upon them do seldom good to the king's revenue, for that which he wins in the hundred he loseth in the shire: the particular rates being increased, but the total bulk of trading rather decreased.

For their commons, there is little danger from them, except it be where they have great and potent heads, or where you meddle with the point of religion, or their customs, or means of life.

For their men of war, it is a dangerous state where they live and remain in a Body, and are used to donatives, whereof we see examples in the janizaries and pretorian bands of Rome; but trainings of men, and arming them in several places, and under several commanders, and without donatives, are things of defence, and no danger.

Princes are like to heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times; and which have much veneration, but no rest. All precepts concerning kings are in effect comprehended in those two remembrances: Memento quod es homo,' and 'Memento quod es Deus,' or 'vice Dei'-the one bridleth their power, and the other their will.

PRO.

ANTITHETA ON EMPIRE.

Felicitate frui, magnum bonum est; sed eam et aliis impertiri posse, adhuc majus.

To enjoy happiness is a great good; but to be able to confer it also on others is a greater still.

1 The great vein of the body.'

CONTRA.

'Quam miserum, habere nil fere, quod appetas; infinita, quæ metuas. How wretched is he who has hardly anything to hope, and many things to fear?'

2 Hundred. A division of a county. Lands taken from the enemy were divided into centuries or hundreds, and distributed amongst the soldiers.'Arbuthnot.

3 Remember that thou art man,' and 'Remember that thou art God—or God's vice-gerent.'

ESSAY XX. OF COUNSEL.

THE greatest trust between man and man, is the trust of

giving counsel; for in other confidences men commit the parts of life, their lands, their goods, their children, their credit, some particular affair; but to such as they make their counsellors they commit the whole-by how much the more they are obliged to all faith and integrity. The wisest princes need not think it any diminution to their greatness, or derogation to their sufficiency, to rely upon counsel. God himself is not without, but hath made it one of the great names of the blessed Son, the Counsellor." Solomon hath pronounced that ' in counsel is stability." Things will have their first or second agitation; if they be not tossed upon the arguments of counsel, they will be tossed upon the waves of fortune, and be full of inconstancy, doing and undoing, like the reeling of a drunken man. Solomon's son found the force of counsel, as his father saw the necessity of it: for the beloved kingdom of God was first rent and broken by ill counsel-upon which counsel there are set for our instruction the two marks whereby bad counsel is for ever best discerned, that it was young counsel for the persons, and violent counsel for the matter.

The ancient times do set forth in figure both the incorporation and inseparable conjunction of counsel with Kings, and the wise and politic use of counsel by Kings; the one, in that they say Jupiter did marry Metis, which signifieth counsel, whereby they intend that sovereignty is married to counsel; the other in that which followeth, which was thus :-they say, after Jupiter was married to Metis, she conceived by him and was with child, but Jupiter suffered her not to stay till she brought forth, but ate her up, whereby he became himself with child, and was delivered of Pallas armed out of his head. Which monstrous fable containeth a secret of empire how kings are to make use of their counsel of state that first, they ought to refer matters unto them, which is the first begetting or impregnation: but when they are elaborate, moulded, and shaped in 3 Hesiod. Theog. 886.

1 Isaiah ix. 6.

2 Prov. xx. 18.

the womb of their council, and grow ripe and ready to be brought forth, that then they suffer not their council to go through with the resolution' and direction, as if it depended on them, but take the matter back into their own hands, and make it appear to the world, that the decrees and final directions (which, because they come forth with prudence and power, are resembled to Pallas armed) proceeded from themselves, and not only from their authority, but (the more to add reputation to themselves) from their head and device.

Let us now speak of the inconveniences of counsel, and of the remedies. The inconveniences that have been noted in calling and using counsel, are three-first, the revealing of affairs, whereby they become less secret; secondly, the weakening of the authority of princes, as if they were less of themselves; thirdly, the danger of being unfaithfully counselled, and more for the good of them that counsel, than of him that is counselled-for which inconveniences, the doctrine of Italy, and practice of France, in some kings' times, hath introduced cabinet councils-a remedy worse than the disease.

As to secrecy, princes are not bound to communicate all matters with all counsellors, but may extract and selectneither is it necessary, that he that consulteth what he should do, should declare what he will do; but let princes beware that the unsecreting of their affairs comes not from themselves: and as for cabinet councils, it may be their motto, Plenus rimarum sum." One futile person, that maketh it his glory to tell, will do more hurt than many that know it their duty to conceal. It is true there be some affairs which require extreme secrecy, which will hardly go beyond one or two persons besides the king-neither are those counsels unprosperous,-for, besides the

1 Resolution. Final decision.

'I' the progress of this business,

Ere a determinate resolution,

The bishops did require a respite.'-Shakespere.

* Unsecreting. The disclosing; the divulging. Shakespere has the adjective

'unsecret :'

Why have I blabbéd? Who should be true to us

When we are so unsecret to ourselves?'-Shakespere.

3 Full of chinks am I.'-Ter. Eun. 1. 11, 25.

Futile. Talkative. See page 59.