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

First he moueth the prince to the knowledge of the lawe. Chap. 1.

YOur singuler toward∣nesse, most gracious Prince, maketh me right glad, when I behold how earnestly you do embrace martiall feates: For it is conueniēt for your grace to be thus delited, not on∣ly for that you are a soul∣dier, but much rather for that you shall bee a King. For it is the office & dutie of a King to fight the bat∣tailes of his people, & also rightly to iudge them, as in the viii. chapter of the first book of kings you are plainely taught. Where∣fore I would wish your grace to be with as ernest zeale giuen to the study of the laws, as you are to the knowledge of armes,

because that like as warres by force of chiualrie are ended, euen so iudgemēts by the Lawes are deter∣mined. Which thing Iustinian the Emperour well & wisely & aduisedly pondering, in the begin∣ning of the preface of his book saith thus: It beho∣ueth the imperiall maiestie not only to be garded with armes, but also to bee ar∣med with lawes, to the end that he may be able right∣ly to execute the gouern∣ment of both times aswel of war as of peace. How∣beit for your most earnest endeauour to the studie of the Law, the exhortation of the chiefest lawmaker Moses, sometime cap∣taine of the Synagogue, ought to be of much more force with you, then the

words of Iustinian wher∣as in the xvii. Chapter of the booke of Deutero∣nomie hee doth by the au∣thoritie of God straitly charge the Kings of Isra∣el to be readers of the law all the daies of their life saying thus: When the King shall sitte vpon the princely seate of his king∣dome, hee shall write him out this lawe in a booke, taking the copie thereof of the priests the Leuites: and he shall haue it with him, and hee shall reade it all the daies of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, and to keepe his Commande∣ments and ordinaunces written in this Lawe, And Helynandus expoun∣ding the same saith thus:

A Prince therefore must not be ignorant of the law, neither is it tollerable that he vnder the pretence of warfare should be vnskil∣full in the Lawe. And a little after hee is com∣manded, saith hee, to re∣ceiue the coppy of the law of the priests the Leuites, that is to say, of catholike and learned men, Thus much hee: For the booke of Deuteronomie is the booke of the lawes, wher∣with the kings of Isra∣el were bound to rule and gouerne their subiectes. This booke doth Moyses command kings to read, that they may learne to feare GOD, and keepe his Commaundements, which are written in the Lawe.

Beholde the effect of the law is to feare God, wher∣vnto man cannot attain, vnlesse hee first know the will of God, which is written in the Law. For the principall point of all seruice is to knowe the will and pleasure of the▪ lord or master to whom seruice is due. Howbeit the lawmaker Moyses first in this charge mentioneth the effect of the Law, that is the feare of God, and next he allureth vs to the keeping of the cause ther∣of, that is to say, of Gods commaundements. For in the mind and intent of the exhorter, the effect go∣eth before the cause. But what feare is this, which the Lawes doe propone to the obseruers thereof?

Surely it is not that fear whereof it is written: that perfect charitie or loue expelleth feare. Yet this same feare, though it be bond and seruile, often∣times prouoketh kings to the reading of the lawes: but it proceedeth not out of the law. But that feare wheerof Moses here spea∣keth, which also procee∣deth out of the Lawes, is the selfe same feare, that the prophet speaketh of, saying: The feare of the Lord is holy, and endureth for euer and euer. This is such a louing feare as naturally children bear to their dear parēts, cōmon∣ly tearmed the reuerence of the child towards his parēts. Whereunto there is no punishment due as a thing wrought by loue.

For this feare procéedeth out of the Lawes, which teach to doe the will of God, so that it deserueth no punishment. But the glorie of the Lord is vpon them that feare him, and he doth glorifie them. Yea this feare, is euen that same, feare whereof Iob, after that he had diuersly searched for wisdome, saith thus: Behold the feare of the Lord is perfect wisdome, and to forsake euill is vnderstanding. That the forsaking of euil is the vnderstanding of the feare of God, this doe the Lawes teach, wherby it followeth that the same feare proceedeth out of them.

GAudeo verò, serenissime prī¦ceps, super nobilissi∣ma indole tua: vi∣dens quanta auidi∣tate militares tu am∣plecteris act{us}, con∣uenit nam{que} tibi ta∣liter delectari, ne∣dum quia miles es, sed amplius quia Rex futurus es. Re∣gis nempe officium pugnare est bella populi sui, & eos rectissime iudicare, vt primo regum ca∣pitul .cviij. clarissimè tu doceris. Quare vt armorum, vti∣nam & legū studi∣is, simili zelo te de∣ditum contēplarer,

cum vt armis bella, ita legibus iudicia peragantur. Quod Iustinianus Augu∣stus, aequissima li∣brans mente, in initio prohem••j li∣bri sui institutio∣num, ait: Impe∣ratoriam Maiesta∣tem non solum ar∣mis decoratam, sed & legibus opor∣tet esse armatam, vt vtrumque tem∣pus bellorum & pacis recte possit gubernare. Ta∣men vt ad legum studia feruide tu anheles, maximus legislator ille Moy∣ses, olim Synago∣gae dux, multo for∣tius Caesare te in∣uitat, dum regibus

Israel diuina aucto∣ritate ipse praecipi∣at, eorum leges le∣gere omnibus die∣bus vitae suae, sic di∣cens: Postquam se∣derit Rex in solio regni sui describet sibi Deuteronomij Leges in volumine, accipiens exemplar à sacerdotibus Le∣uiticae tribus & ha∣bebit secum, leget▪ que illud omnibus diebus vitae suae, vt discat timere Domi∣num Deum suum, & custodire verba & ceremonias eius quae in lege scrip∣ta sunt, Deuteron. capit. decimo sep∣timo, qd exponens Helynandus dicit:

Princeps ergo non debet iuris igna∣rus esse, nec prae∣textu militiae legem permittitur ignora∣re. Et post pauca, a sacerdotibus Le∣uiticae tribus assu∣mere iubetur ex∣emplar legis, id est a viris Catholicis & literatis, Haec ille: Liber quippe Deu∣teron. est liber le∣gum, quibus Re∣ges Israel subditum sibi populum rege∣re tenebātur. Hunc librum. legere, iu∣bet Moyses Re∣ges, vt discant ti∣mere Deum, & cu∣stodire mandata e∣ius, quae lege scrip∣ta sunt.

Ecce timere Deum effectus est legis, quem non conse∣qui valet homo, nisi prius sciat volunta∣tem Dei, quae in le∣ge scripta est. Nam principium omnis famulatus, est scire voluntatem domini cui seruitur. Legis tamen lator Moy∣ses, primo in hoc e∣dicto effectū legis videlicet timorem Dei commemorat: deinde ad custodi∣am causae eius, vi∣delicet, mandato∣rum dei ipse inuitar. Nam effectus prior est quā causa, in ani mo exhortātis. Sed quis est timor iste, quē {pro}mittūt leges obseruatorib{us} suis?

Veré non est ti∣mor ille, de quo scribitur: Quod perfecta charitas foras mittit timo∣rem. Timor ta∣men ille, licet ser∣u••lis, saepe ad le∣gendum leges, re∣ges concitat. sed non est ipse pro∣les legis. Timor vero, de quo hic loquitur Moyses, quem & pariunt leges, est ille de quo dicit prophe∣ta: Timor Do∣mini sanctus▪ per∣manet in secu∣lum seculi. Hic filialis est & non nouit paenam, vt ille qui per chari∣tatem expellitur.

Nam iste à legibus proficiscitur, quae docent facere vo∣luntatem Dei, quo ipse paenā non me∣retur. Sed gloria do mini est super me∣tuentes eū, quos & ipse glorificat. Ti∣mor autem iste, ti∣mor ille est, de quo Iob, postquam mul tifarie sapientiā in∣uestigat, sic ait: Ecce timor domini, ipsa est sapiētia, & recedere a malo intelligentia. Iob ca. 28. Recede∣re à malo, qd intel∣ligentia timoris dei est, leges docent, quo & timorē hanc ipsae parturiunt.