Solon his follie, or a politique discourse, touching the reformation of common-weales conquered, declined or corrupted. By Richard Beacon ...

CAP. 2. The times wherein common-weales doe vsually fall and decline.

SOL:

But what may be the times ordained by a secret fore∣knowledge in the brest of the highest, of the declination of common-weales?

Epi:

The same onely is known to the highest, and to vs left vncertaine.

Sol:

But what doth hee not manifest every where by his ordinary power and governement of this inferiour worlde, of that whereof we may in no sort be igno∣rant?

Epi:

By his ordinary governement you meane naught els but his power, wherby he giveth to all things their first being, pro∣gression,

continuance, perfection, and declination.

Sol:

Thus you make the perfection of all thinges, to be the ende of his con∣tinuance, and the beginning of his declination, and to be the last shewe of his being, and the first of his declining.

Epi:

I will shewe you the trueth, even from the mouth of that Prophet Daniell, a mighty king shall stande vp, saieth he, that shall rule with great dominion and doe according to his pleasure, and when hee shall stande vppe, his kingdome shall be broken, and shall be de∣vided towardes the foure windes of the heavens, and not to his posterity nor according to his dominion, which he ruled, for his kingdome shalbe pluckt vppe by the rootes, and the same gi∣ven vnto others.

Sol:

By this example, you seeme to inferre, that kingdomes and principalities, being at the highest, doe then decline and fall: for so did this mighty king Alexander (whome the Prophet Daniell nowe intendeth) sometimes rule great do∣minions, but even then saieth the Prophet did he perish, even when he commanded at his pleasure, and lastly, even when this king (saith the Prophet) did stand vppe, and was at the highest, e∣ven then did he fall with a disease which followed his drunkennes and superfluitie, or otherwise by the poison which was given by Cassander, even then was his kingdome broken, saith the Prophet, and pluckt vppe by the rootes, even then was the time wherein it was devided amongest straungers, namely his twelve chiefe princes, and not given vnto his posterity, then it was wherein his posterity did murther and destroy one the other, even these were the times, wherein his kingdome soone after vvas devided to∣vvardes the foure windes of the heavens: for Seleucus had Siria, Antigonus Asia Minor, Cassander the kingdome of Macedonia, and Ptolo¦maeus Aegypt.

Ep:

You well vnderstande as well the matter, as my meaning, and to the same purpose, saieth the Prophet Da∣niell, there shall arise a king so mighty, that he shall doe what him list, he shall exalte and magnifie himselfe, against all that is God, but vvhen his glorie shall be every vvhere encreased, then the king of the South shall pushe at him, and the king of the North shall come against him, and like a whirlewinde, with chariots, and horsemen, and vvith manie shippes, shall enter his pleasant

countrie, and have power over all the treasures of golde and sil∣ver, and over all the princes things of Aegypt, and none shall bee founde that may withstande him, he shall plant the tabernacles of his pallace, betweene the seas and the glorious and holy moun∣taine, but even then is the time, saieth the Prophet, that he shall come to his ende, and none shall helpe him.

Sol:

These vvere the Romanes, vvhich sometimes raigned vpon earth like Gods: but even then eftsoones they perished as men. For when Augu∣stus had overcome the Parthians, and recovered that which Anto∣nius lost, vvhen they were found to raigne quietly from sea to sea, and in Iudaea, then came they to their ende, and none was founde that could helpe them.

Epi:

The same Prophet saieth, the king of the South shall be angry with the king of the North, and shall set forth a great multitude, and fight with the king of the North, and the multitude shalbe given into his handes, then the multi∣tude shalbe prowde, and their hartes shalbe lifted vppe, for he shal cast downe thousandes, but he shall not still prevaile, for the king of the North shall come and cast vppe a mount and take the strong Citie, and the armes of the South shall not resist, neither shall there be anie strength to withstand, but he shall come and doe with him what he list, and none shall stande against him.

Sol:

The Prophet intendeth Philopater which sometimes governed great dominions, yet coulde he not withstand the power of Anti∣ochus, & Phillip king of Macedonie, which thē came against him, nei∣ther shal the Aegyptians be able to resist Stopus Antiochus captaine, for this is the the time wherein none shall bee founde that may withstande them.

Epi:

And in the same place it is saide, that when the king of the North shall take the stronge citie, yea even when the armes of the king of the South shall not resist him, yea then when there may not be founde any strength to withstande him, even then when he hath planted himselfe in the pleasant lande, even then, saith the Prophet, shall a Prince be founde, which shall cause his shame to light vppon him, beside that hee shall cause his owne shame to turne vppon himselfe by re∣tiring towardes the fortes of his owne lande, but he shall be over∣throwne and fall, and be no more founde.

Sol:

Thus did Antio∣chus

sometime fall, whom the Prophet heere intendeth, when as Attilius and Lucius Scipio, did put him to flight, so as for feare of the Romanes, hee was forced to flie to his holdes and fortes, and after robbing the temple of Iupiter Dodonaeus, was slaine by the people of the country: so as we may inferre by these examples nothing els, but that common-weales doe participate with the qualitie and nature of all other creatures, in that first they haue their being, their progression, their continuance, their perfection, and lastly their declination; so as from their being they receive progres∣sion, from progression they receiue continuance, from conti∣tinuance a perfection, from their perfection a declination: for his perfection is naught els, but his ripenesse which is gathered by continuance, by whose poyse and weight, eftsoones it falleth to the ground and declineth.

Epi:

You well vnderstande the mat∣ter.

Sol:

Then let vs make our progression vnto the partes and members of every declination.