A learned commendation of the politique lawes of Englande vvherin by moste pitthy reasons & euident demonstrations they are plainelye proued farre to excell aswell the ciuile lawes of the Empiere, as also all other lawes of the world, with a large discourse of the difference betwene the. ii. gouernements of kingdomes: whereof the one is onely regall, and the other consisteth of regall and polityque administration conioyned. written in latine aboue an hundred yeares past, by the learned and right honorable maister Fortescue knight ... And newly translated into Englishe by Robert Mulcaster.

To the right woorshipfull Ihon VValshe, Esquier, one of the Queene her learned Iusticers of her highnes Court of Commen plees. Robert Mulcaster wisheth long lyfe and health.

IT happened mee of late, (right woorship∣full syr) to light vpon this little Treatise, whiche I incontinent desired to renne ouer, because yt semed to dis¦course vpon some po∣yntes of the lawes of our Countrye, wherof I my selfe then was & nowe am a Student. When I had ouer ronne it, my desire to read it, became nothing counteruailable with the gladnes that I hadde reade it, for my desire to reade it came vpon hope, to fynd some pro¦fitable lessons for my study, but my gladnes after reading sprang of y^e excellency of thar∣gumēt, wheron I did not dreame, neither to fynd so riche a Treasure in so simple an ha∣bite. And because I wished all menne to haue parte of my delight, me thought it good to translate it into Englishe forth of Lat∣tine, in whiche toung it was fyrste written.

The aucthour of the book was one maister Fortescue knight Seriaunt at the law, and for his Skill and vertues preferred by kinge Henry the .vi. to be Chauncellour of this re∣alme. The entrie of the booke it selfe she∣weth where, and vppon what occasion it was written. It was written in Berry in Fraunce, where Prince Edwarde sonne to Henry the vi. afterward slaine at Tewkes∣bury by Edward the .iiii. dyd then remayne with his mother Queene Margaret in the house of Renate her father duke of Angeow and king of Cicile, during the tyme that Ed∣ward the fourth reigned in this Realme and Henry the .vi. was fledd into Scotland. The occasyon was this: The Chauncellour beīg fledde into Fraunce with the yong Prince & perceiuing his delight to be all bent to Chy∣ualrye as a thing of greatest neede consyde∣ring he ment by force the restituciō of his fa∣ther, and thereby his own, to the kingdome of England, tooke occasion (for that his hope was to see the Prince reigne heare) to moue him to a diuision of his affaires, & as he ar∣med him selfe against y^e enemy, so to adourne him selfe againste his being kinge with skill

of lawes, whiche doe preserue eche state so in peace that it maye if neede be, warre, and so garde it in warre, that it may haue peace in eie. Thargument is this, that the skill of the Countrie lawes is neadefull for the Prince, althoughe not so deepe as the purposed pro∣fessours, yet so full as to their honour may & ought to fall in Princes. And for that the Prince should think y^e thing to be a Princely knowledge, he taketh occasiō by comparing the gouernement of this Realme w^t others, and the lawes of this lande with the Ciuill, with whome it is of all men lightly compa∣red and the betternesse of poyntes wherein they bothe trauayle, and prouisions by the one wiselyer foreseene then by the other, to proue the singularitie of this state whiche it behoued the Prince to learne seyng hee was lyke to succeade hys father, and to vnderstād the lawes, whiche maketh the state to bee so singuler. The particularies I referre to the booke, wherof thus much I doe and no lesse coulde well saye. Why I dyd choose your woorship to be protectour of my laboures, I shall not neede tedyously to touche, it shalbe suffycient to saye that in choise of manye, I

pycked you alone, not doubting your lyking in allowynge seeing myne eleccion in dedy∣catynge and so commyttinge to thal∣mightye the good preseruacion of your worship I humblye take my leaue, this xii. of October

Robert Mulcaster.