De laudibus legum Angliæ writen by Sir Iohn Fortescue L. Ch. Iustice, and after L. Chancellor to K. Henry VI. Hereto are ioind the two Summes of Sir Ralph de Hengham L. Ch. Iustice to K. Edward I. commonly calld Hengham magna, and Hengham parua. Neuer before publisht. Notes both on Fortescue and Hengham are added

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Title
De laudibus legum Angliæ writen by Sir Iohn Fortescue L. Ch. Iustice, and after L. Chancellor to K. Henry VI. Hereto are ioind the two Summes of Sir Ralph de Hengham L. Ch. Iustice to K. Edward I. commonly calld Hengham magna, and Hengham parua. Neuer before publisht. Notes both on Fortescue and Hengham are added
Author
Fortescue, John, Sir, 1394?-1476?
Publication
London :: [Printed by Adam Islip?] for the Companie of Stationers,
M.DC.XVI [1616]
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Subject terms
Law -- England -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01083.0001.001
Cite this Item
"De laudibus legum Angliæ writen by Sir Iohn Fortescue L. Ch. Iustice, and after L. Chancellor to K. Henry VI. Hereto are ioind the two Summes of Sir Ralph de Hengham L. Ch. Iustice to K. Edward I. commonly calld Hengham magna, and Hengham parua. Neuer before publisht. Notes both on Fortescue and Hengham are added." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01083.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2024.

Pages

SEd quomodo iu∣stitiam diligere poteris, si non pri∣mó legum scienti∣am, quib{us} ipsa cog∣noscatur, vtcunque apprehēderis? Dicit namque Philoso∣phus, quod nihil a∣matum nisi cogni∣tum. Quare Fabius Orator ait, Quod fe∣lices essent artes, si de illis soli artifices iudicarent. Igno∣tum vero non so∣lum non amari, sed & sperni solet. Quo poeta quidam sic ait.

Omnia quae nes∣cit, dicit spernenda colonus.

Page 15

Etnon coloni solum vox haec est, sed & doctorū peritissimo rum quo{que} virorū. Nam si ad Philoso∣phum naturalē qui in Mathemat. nun∣quam studit, meta∣phisicus dicat, qd sciētia sua cōsiderat res separatas ab om∣ni materia & motu secundum esse et se∣cundū rationē: Vel Mathematic{us} dicat, {quod} sua scientia consi∣derat res cōiunctas materiae, & motui, secundū esse, sed se∣paratas secūdū rati∣onē: ābos hos, licet philosophos, philo∣sophus ille naturalis qui nunquam noui res aliquas separatas a materia & motu,

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essentia vel ratione, spernet, eorumque scientias, licet sua scientia nobiliores, ipse deridebit, non alia ductus causa, nisi quia eorum sci∣entias ipse penitus ignorat. Sic & tu, Princeps, legis An∣gliae peritum mira∣beris, si dicat, quod frater fratri sibi ne∣quaquam vterino, non succedet in hae∣reditate paterna, sed potius haereditas il∣la, sorori integri san∣guinis sui descen∣det, aut capitali dn̄o feodi accidet vt es∣caeta sua: Cum cau∣sam legis hui{us} tu ig∣nores, in lege tamen Angliae doctū, hui{us} casus difficultas nul∣latenus

Page 16

perturbat. Quare & vulgari∣ter dicitur: quod ars non habet ini∣micum nisi ignoran∣ten.

Sed absit a te, fi∣li Regis, vt inimi∣ceris legibus Reg∣ni, quo tu suc∣cessurus es, vel vt eas spernas, quum iustitiam dilige∣re, praedicta sapi∣entiae lectio te eru∣diat. Iterum igi∣tur atque iterum, Princeps inclitissi∣me, te adiuro, vt leges Regni pa∣tris tui, cui succes∣surus es, addiscas. Ne dum vt in∣conuenientias has tu euites: Sed quia mens huma∣na,

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quae naturali∣ter bonum appetit, & nihil potest ap∣petere, nisi sub ra∣tione boni, mox vt per doctrinam bonum apprehen∣derit, gaudet & il∣lud amat, ac quan∣to deinceps illud plus recordatur, tanto amplius de∣lectatur in eodem, quo doceris, quod si leges praedictas quas iam ignoras, intellexeris per do∣ctrinam, cum op∣timae illae sint, a∣mabis eos. Et quan∣to plus easdem mente pertractaue∣ris, delectabilius tu frueris.

Nam omne, quod amatur, vsu tra∣hit

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amatorem su∣um in naturam e∣ius. Vnde, vt di∣eit Philosophus, vsus altera fit na∣tura: sic ramuncu∣lus pyri, stipiti po∣mi insertus, post∣quam coaluerit, ita pomum trahit in naturam pyri, vt ambae dein∣ceps, merito pyrus appellentur, fruc∣tusque producant pyri, Sic & vsita∣ta virtus habitum generat, vt vtens ea deinde a vir∣tute illa deno∣minetur, quo mo∣destia praeditus, vsu modestus no∣minatur, continen∣tiae continens, & sapientiae sapiens.

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Quare & tu prin∣ceps, postquam iu∣stitia delectabili∣ter functus fueris, habitumque legis indutus fueris, me∣rito denominabe∣ris iustus, cuius gratia tibi dicetur, Dilexisti iustitiam, quo & odisti ini∣quitatem, propte∣rea vnxit te domi∣nus Deus tuus o∣leo letitiae prae consor∣tibus tuis regibus terrae.

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