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

¶ Heere the Chauncellour briefely repeateth the effect of all his perswasion. Cap. 6.

NOw, most gratious Prince, is not all this inough to mooue your Highnesse to the studie of the Law? Séeing that thereby you shall indue your selfe with Iustice, which shall yeeld vnto you the name of a iust man, And shall also es∣chewe the infamie of ig∣noraunce in the Lawe, And further by the Lawe you enioying felicitie, shal be blessed in this life, And finally being furni∣shed with a louing feare, which is the wisedome of God, you shall obtaine and possesse Charitie, which is a stedfast loue to God-warde, and by the meane thereof cleauing to God, you shall by the Apostles saying, Be made one Spirit with him.

But forasmuch as the Law without grace can∣not accomplish these things, it is necessary and requisite, that aboue all things you make earnest intercession for it: and al∣so that you becom a studi∣ous sercher of Gods law, and of the holy scripture. For Scripture saith, that all men are vaine, in whom is not the knowledge of God, in the xiij. chapter of the booke of Wisdome. Wherefore, most noble Prince, while you are yet young, & while your soule is as it were a smooth blanke table, write in it these things, least hereaf∣ter you happen to take pleasure in writing lessōs of lesse profit therein.

For as a certaine wise man saith:

Whereof the vessell new, did first receiue the tast, Therein, when it is old, the sent will euer last.

What handicraftes man doth so negligētly regard the profit of his childe, whom whiles he is yong, he will not see brought vp in such an occupation, as therby he may afterward obtaine to leade a merrie life? So y^e Carpenter tea∣cheth his son to cut with an axe: the smith to strike with an hammer: & whom hee entendeth to make a spiritual minister, him he procureth to bee trained vp in learning: So like∣wise is it conuenient, that a Kings son, which shall gouerne the people after his father, be in his youth instructed in the lawes.

Which order if the Ru∣lers of the world would obserue, then the world should be gouerned with much more▪ Iustice then now it is, Unto whom, if you will follow mine ex∣hortation, you shall mini∣ster no small example▪

NOnne tunc, Princeps sere∣nissime, haec te sa∣tis concitant ad le∣gis rudimenta? cum per ea iustitiam in∣duere valeas: quo & appellaberis iu∣stus, ignorantiae quoque legis eui∣tare poteris igno∣miniam: ac per le∣gem foelicitate fru∣ens, beatus esse po∣teris in hac vita, & demum filiali timo∣re indutus, qui Dei sapientia est, chari∣tatem, quae amor in deum est imper∣turbatus, conseque∣ris, qua Deo adhae∣rens, per Apostoli sententiam, Fies v∣nus spiritus cum eo.

Sed quia ista, sine gratia lex operari nequit, tibi illam super omnia implo∣rare necesse est, le∣gis quoque diuinae & sanctarum scrip∣turarum indagare scientiam.

Cum dicat scriptu∣ra sacra, quod vani sunt omnes, in qui∣bus non subest scien∣tia Dei, Sapientiae cap. xiij.

His igitur, Princeps, dum adolescens es, & animatua velut tabula rasa, de∣pinge eam, ne in futurum ipsa figu∣ris minoris frugi delectabilius de∣pingatur.

Quia etiam (vt Sa∣piens quidam ait)

Quod noua testa capit, Inueterata sapit.

Quis Artifex tam negligens profe∣ctus suae prolis est, vt non eam, dum pubescit, artibus in∣struat, quibus post∣ea vitae solatia nan∣sciscatur? Sic ligna∣rius faber secare do∣labro, ferrarius feri∣re malleo, filium instruit: & quem in spiritualibus mi∣nistrare cupit, lite∣ris imbui facit: Sic & principi, filium suum, qui post eum populum regula∣bit, legibus instrui, dum minor est con∣uenit.

Qualiter si fecerint Rectores orbis, mūdus iste amplio∣ri, quam iam est, in∣stitia regeretur, qui∣bus, si tu, vt iam hortor, facias, exem∣plum nō minimum ministrabis.