Salomons diuine arts, of 1. Ethickes, 2. Politickes, 3. Oeconomicks that is; the gouernment of 1. Behauiour, 2. Common-vvealth, 3. Familie. Drawne into method, out of his Prouerbs & Ecclesiastes. With an open and plaine paraphrase, vpon the Song of songs. By Ioseph Hall.

And, first, HIS KING.

§. 1. Degrees

• must be and are
  • subordinate,
  • hyest
    • not many,
    • but one.
• and those from God.

IN all well ordered gouer∣ments there are degrees, An hyer then the hyest,* 1.1 and yet an hyer then they: and these, of Gods appoint∣ment; not onely in the inferiour rankes, The rich & poore meet,* 1.2

and the Lord is the Maker of them all:* 1.3 but in the supreame: By me Kings raigne (saith Wisdom) and Princes decree Iustice: and not they only,* 1.4 but the Nobles & all the Iudges of the earth; so, it is a iust wonder, that The gras∣hoppers haue no King;* 1.5 yet they goe forth by bands. And as no King is a iudgement; so, many: for Because of the Transgression of the land,* 1.6 there are many Princes, many, not only in frequent succes∣sion, but in societie of regiment.

§. 2. In a King are described

• Quality of his person
  • Naturall,
  • Morall.
• Actions.

A King must be hie; as in place, so in bloud:* 1.7 Blessed art thou

O Land, vvhen thy King is the sonne of Nobles; not of any ser∣uile condition; for, nothing can bee more vncomely,* 1.8 then for a seruant to haue rule ouer Prin∣ces: and it is a monster in State, to see seruants ride on horses,* 1.9 and Princes (of blood) to walke as seruants on the ground; nei∣ther more monstrous, then intole∣rable.* 1.10 There are three things for vvhich the earth is mooued, yea foure which it cānot sustein:* 1.11 whereof one is, A seruant when he reigneth.

§. 3. Morall qualities

• Negatiue; what one he may not be:
  • Not lasciuious,
  • Not riotous,
  • Not hollow and dissembling,
  • Not childish,
  • Not imprudent,
  • Not oppressing.
• Affirmatiue.

ANd as his bloud is heroicall, so his disposition; not lasci∣uious.* 1.12 What, O son of my de∣sires, giue not thy strength to women,* 1.13 nor thy wayes: But why should he withhold from his eies whatsoeuer they can desire, and withdrawe his heart from anie ioy?* 1.14 why may he not haue all the delights of the sonnes of men: as women take captiue; as Queens and Concubines,* 1.15 and Damosels without number? This is to de∣stroy Kings; He shall finde more

bitter then death the vvoman whose hart is as nets and snares.* 1.16 Not riotously excessiue; whether in wine:* 1.17 for It is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for Princes strōg drinke: What, not at all? To him alone is it not saide,* 1.18 Goe eat thy bread with ioy, and drinke thy wine with a cheerefull heart? who should eat or drink,* 1.19 or hast to outwarde things more then hee? Not immoderately:* 1.20 so as he should drinke and forget the de∣cree, and change the iudgement of all the Children of affliction:* 1.21 Or in meat; for, Woe be to thee ô Land, when thy Princes eate in the morning:* 1.22 and if he be not the master of his appetite,* 1.23 his daintie meates will prooue de∣ceiueable.

Not hollow, not double in speeches,* 1.24 in profession: The lip of excellencie becomes not a foole; much lesse, lying talke a Prince: Not childish; Wo to thee, O Land,* 1.25 whose King is a child: not so much in age, which hath sometimes proued succesfull; but in condition: Not imprudent, not op∣pressing;* 1.26 two vices conioined: A Prince destitute of vnderstan∣ding is also a great oppressour; And to conclude, in all or any of these, not wilfully inflexible: A poore and wise childe is better then an old & foolish king,* 1.27 that will no more be admonished.

§. 4 Affirmatiue; what one he must be:

• To others
  • Iust,
  • Mercifull,
  • slow to anger,
  • Bountifull.
• In himselfe
  • Temperate,
  • Wise,
  • Valiant,
  • Secret.

COntrarily, he must be Tempe∣rate. Blessed art thou,* 1.28 O Land, vvhen thy Princes eate in time, for strength and not for drunkennesse: Iust and righteous;* 1.29 for false balances (especially in the hand of gouernment) are an abo∣minatiō to the Lord: but a perfit weight pleaseth him; A vertue beneficial,* 1.30 both ¹ to himself (for the throne is established by Iustice) & ² to the State.* 1.31 Iustice exalteth a Nation; then which, nothing doth

more binde and cheare the hearts of the people:* 1.32 for, When the righ∣teous are in authority the peo∣ple reioice, but when the wicked beares rule the people sigh: and with truth & iustice, must mercy be ioined inseparably;* 1.33 for Mercy and truth preserue the King: and his Throne shall be established, also, by mercy. And all these must haue wisdome to menage them: By it, Princes rule,* 1.34 & are terrible to the ill-deseruing.* 1.35 A wise King scatte∣reth the wicked, & causeth the wheele to turn ouer them. To all these must bee added bountie;* 1.36 A Prince that hateth couetousness shall prolong his daies; where cō∣trarily,* 1.37 A man of gifts destroieth his country: and yet further, a cō∣quest

of his owne passions; a prince∣ly victory:* 1.38 for He that is slowe to anger, is better then the mighty man; and he that ruleth his owne minde better then hee that vvin∣neth a Citie; because of all other,* 1.39 The kings wrath is like the roa∣ring of a lion: and what is that but the messenger of death? and if it may be, a conquest of all others, through valour.* 1.40 There are three things that order well their go∣ing, yea foure are comely in go∣ing:* 1.41 wherof the last and principall is, A King against whom no man dares rise vp: Lastly, secrecy in determinations.* 1.42 The heauen in height, and earth in deepnesse, and the kings heart can no man (no man should) search out: ney∣ther

should it be in any hands, but the Lords;* 1.43 who as he knowes it, so hee turnes it whither soeuer it pleaseth him.

§. 5. His actions

• common,
• speciall to his place: To
  • iudge righte¦ously
    • 1. according to the truth of the cause.
    • 2. according to y^e distresse of the partie, vnpartially.
  • remit mercifully.

HIs actions must sute his dispo∣sition; which must be vniuer∣sally holy:* 1.44 for, It is an abhomina∣tion to Kings (of all other) to cō∣mit wickedness. Which holinesse alone is the way to all peace: When the waies of a man please the L.* 1.45 he wil make his enimies at peace

with him: Peculiarly to his place; he must first iudge his people:* 1.46 a king that sitteth in the throne of iudge¦ment, chaseth away all euill with his eyes; & by this,* 1.47 he maintains his country: & while hee doth sit there,* 1.48 A divine sentēce must be in the lips of the king, & his mouth may not transgress in iudgemēt. for,* 1.49 A king that iudgeth the poor in truth, his throne shall be esta∣blished for euer: Neither may his eare be partially open: which dispo∣sition shalbe sure to be fed with re∣ports; for, Of a Prince that har∣keneth to lyes,* 1.50 al his seruants are wicked: nor his mouth shut; espe∣cially in cases of distresse:* 1.51 Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cause of all the children of de∣structiō:

open thy mouth,* 1.52 iudge righteously, & iudge the afflic∣ted & the poore: yet, not with so much regard to the estate of persōs, as the truth of the cause;* 1.53 for Surely it is not good to condemne the iust in what-euer condition; nor that Princes should smite such for equity: wherin he shal wisely search into all difficulties.* 1.54 The glorie of God is to pass by infirmities, but the kings honour is to search out a thing; yet so, as he is not seldome mercifull in execution, Deliuering them that are drawne to death,* 1.55 and preseruing them that are drawne to be slaine: These obser∣ued,* 1.56 it cannot be, that man should rule ouer man to his hurt.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ec. 5.7
• * 1.2

  Pr. 22.2
• * 1.3

  Pr. 8.15
• * 1.4

  Pr. 8.16
• * 1.5

  Pr. 30.27
• * 1.6

  Pr. 28.2
• * 1.7

  Ec. 10.17
• * 1.8

  Pr. 19.10
• * 1.9

  Ec. 10.17
• * 1.10

  Pr. 30.21
• * 1.11

  Pr. 30.22
• * 1.12

  Pr. 31.23
• * 1.13

  Ec. 2.10.
• * 1.14

  Ec. 2.8
• * 1.15

  Cant 6 7. Pr. 31.3
• * 1.16

  Ec. 7.28
• * 1.17

  Pr. 31.4
• * 1.18

  Ec. 9.7.
• * 1.19

  Ec. 2.25.
• * 1.20

  Pr. 31.5
• * 1.21

  Ec. 10.16.
• * 1.22

  Pr. 23.2
• * 1.23

  Pr 23.3
• * 1.24

  Pr. 17.7
• * 1.25

  Ec. 10.16.
• * 1.26

  Pr. 28.16
• * 1.27

  Ec. 4.13
• * 1.28

  Ec. 10.17
• * 1.29

  Pr. 11.1
• * 1.30

  Pr. 16.12
• * 1.31

  Pr. 14.34
• * 1.32

  Pr. 29.2.
• * 1.33

  Pr. 20.18
• * 1.34

  Pr. 8.16.
• * 1.35

  Pr. 20.26
• * 1.36

  Pr. 28.16
• * 1.37

  Pr. 29.4.
• * 1.38

  Pr. 16.32
• * 1.39

  Pr. 19.12
• * 1.40

  Pr. 30 29
• * 1.41

  Pr. 30.31
• * 1.42

  Pr. 25.3
• * 1.43

  Pr. 21.1.
• * 1.44

  Pr. 16.12
• * 1.45

  Pr. 16.7.
• * 1.46

  Pr. 20.8
• * 1.47

  Pr. 29.4
• * 1.48

  Pr. 16.10
• * 1.49

  Pr. 29 14.
• * 1.50

  Pr. 29 12.
• * 1.51

  Pr. 39.8
• * 1.52

  31.9.
• * 1.53

  Pr. 17.26
• * 1.54

  Pr. 25.1
• * 1.55

  Pr. 24.11.
• * 1.56

  Ec. 8.9