A booke called the Foundacion of rhetorike because all other partes of rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde: made by Richard Rainolde Maister of Arte, of the Uniuersitie of Cambridge. 1563.

¶ The cause.

MAny occasions dooe rise, whereby many princes, and gouernours in a common wealth, be diuerslie affec∣ted, * 1.1 so that the gouernmēt of many, can not prosper. For, bothe in quiete state, their counsailes must bee diuerse, and vncertaine: and where thei so differ, the kyngdome stan∣deth in great ieopardy and daunger. Isocrates intreatyng of a Monarchie, sheweth that the common wealth of Athenes, * 1.2 whiche detested and refused, that forme and state, after the ruine and fall of their citee: beyng vnder the thraldome of the Lacedemoniās, bothe in their externall chiualrie and seates, bothe by sea and by lande, and also in regimente otherwise, their citee grewe mightie, and state stedfast.

The Carthagineans also, gouerned by one, had their go∣nernment * 1.3 stedfaste, and kyngdome totall: who in puisaunte actes, might compare with the noble Romaines. As the obe∣dience to one ruler and chief gouernour, sekyng a common wealth, is in the hartes of the subiectes: feruent and maruei∣lous with loue embraced, •••• the Maiestie of hym is dreade,

with loue serued, and with sincere barte, and fidelitie obeied, his maners folowed, his lawes imitated. Many gouernours * 1.4 bearyng regiment, as their maners be diuers, and fashion of life: euen so the people bee like affected, to the diuersitie of di∣uers princes. And if we weigh the reuolucion of the heauens and the marueiles of God therein, the maker of the same, who beyng one God, ruleth heauen and yearth; and all thynges cōtained in the same. The heauen also adorned with many a * 1.5 starre, and cleare light, haue but one Sunne to gouerne thē: who being of a singulare vertue aboue the rest, by his vertue and power, giueth vertue to the reste. Also in small thynges the Ante and the Bee, who for prouidence and wisedome, at * 1.6 moche commended: haue as it were a common wealth, and a king to gouerne thē, so in all thinges as a confusion, the state of many kings is abhorred in gouernmēt. After the death of Constantinus the greate, Constancius his sonne was made Emperour, and Licinius with him, partaker in felowship of * 1.7 the Empire. But forthwith, what blood was shed in Italie, with all crueltie, vntill Constancius had slaine Licinius, partaker of the Empire, and Marabodius was slaine also, whom Licinius did associate with hym in the gouernment. So moche princes and chief gouernours, doe hate equalitie, or felowship in kingdomes. After the same sort, in this migh∣tie * 1.8 Monarchie of Rome, diuerse haue attempted at one and sondrie tymes, to beare the scepter and regiment therein, but that mightie Monarchie, could not suffer but one gouernor. The kyngdome of Thebes, was in miserable state, the twoo sonnes of Dedipus, Eteocles, and Polunices: striuing bothe to be Monarche, and onely kyng. The kyngdome of Assiria; * 1.9 whiche was the golden kyngdome, and the first Monarchie: hauyng. 36. kynges by succession, continued. 1239. yeres, this kyngdome for all nobilitie and roialnes excelled, and all in a Monarchie. The kyngdome of the Medes, in a Monarchie florished in wealthe and glorie and all felicitie: who in domi∣nion had gouernmente. 300. lackyng. 8. yeres. After that, the

monarchie of the Medes ceased, the Persiā people rose migh∣tie, * 1.10 bothe in people and Princes, and continued in that state 236 and 7 monethes. Macedonia rose from a base and meane people, to beare the whole regiment, and power ouer all king¦domes. So God disposeth the state and seate of princes, ouer∣throwyng often tymes mightier kyngdomes at his will: the continuaunce of this Monarchie was. 157. and eight mone∣thes, ten kynges linealie descendyng. Asia and Siria, was * 1.11 gouerned by one succedyng in a sole gouernement. Nicanor gouerned Siria 32. yeres. In the other Antigonus raigned, Demetrius Poliorchetes one yere, Antiochus Soter also, the scepter of gouernment, left to the succession of an other, then Antiochus Soter, ruled all Asia and Siria, hauyng. 16. kin∣ges whiche in a monarchie, cōtinued 189. yeres. The Egipci∣ans, * 1.12 had famous, wise, and noble princes, whose kyngdome and large deminion, in all felicitée prospered: whiche was in the tyme of Ninus, the first king of the Assiriās, who hauing 10▪ princes, one by one succedyng, Cleopatra their Quéene, gouerning, stoode in a monarchie. 288. This one thyng she∣weth, that kinde of gouernmente to bee roiall, and moste fa∣mous, not onely for the felicitée and glory therof: but also for the permanent and stedfast state thereof. Aristotle and Plato setteth forthe, thother formes of gouernmēt. But in all those, no long cōtinuaunce of felicitee, nor of happy state can appere in them, as for the contrarie to a Monarchie, is tirannis, pe∣stiferous, * 1.13 and to be detested, where one man gouerneth to his priuate gaine, pillyng and polyng his subiectes, murderyng with all crueltie, neither Lawe nor reason, leadyng thereto: but will bearyng regiment ouer lawe, Iustice and equitee, whiche princes often tymes see not. How the wilfull rashe∣nes, or tirannicall minde doeth abase them, and make them, though in vtter porte the same princes, yet in verie déede, thei bee thrall and slaue to beastlie affeccion. Nothyng dooeth so * 1.14 moche adorne and beautifie, the seate and throne of a prince, as not onely to beare dominion, ouer mightie people and re∣gions,

then to be lorde ouer hymself. The state of a fewe pèe∣res * 1.15 or nobles, to holde the chief and whole gouernment, who bothe in vertue, learnyng, and experience dooe excelle, is a goodlie state of common wealth. But the profe of that com∣mon wealthe and ende sheweth, and the maner of Princes: who, although thei be, of life godlie, wise, graue, expert and politike. For, these vertues or ornamentes, ought to be repo∣sed in soche noble personages, thei doe marueilously chaunge and alter: So honour and preeminente state, puffeth theim vp, and blindeth theim, that euery one in the ende, seeketh to climbe ouer all, as hed and gouernour. Shewe me one kinde of this state, and forme of gouernmente, whiche either longe prospered, or without bloodshed, and destruccion of the rest of the nobles and peres, haue not caught the whole regimente. Seyng that in all common wealthes and kingdomes, equa∣litee or felowshippe, will not be suffred in gouernmente: for, it can not bee, that this forme of common wealthe maie bée good, as Aristotle and Plato sheweth: The ende of this go∣uernemente, * 1.16 fell euer to one, with a ruine of the kingdome and people. The multitude to beare dominion, and though a * 1.17 publike wealth bée sought for a tyme, moche lesse thei conti∣nue in any good state: for in the ende, their rule and gouerne∣ment, will be without rule, order, reason, modeste, and their lawe must bee will. The other three states, are the refuse of good common wealthes, not to bée tollerated in any region. The one of them is a tyraunte, to bée gouernour onely to his * 1.18 owne glorie, with crueltie tormented his subiectes, onelie to haue his will and lust, ouer all lawe, order, and reason. The nobilitée rulyng to themselues, euery one for his owne time The third, the base and rude multitude, euery one for hym∣self, * 1.19 and at his will. This troublous state, all Regions and * 1.20 common wealthes, haue felte in open sedicions ano tumul∣tes, raised by theim, it is a plagued and pestiferous kinde of gouernemente. The example of a good Monarchie, is of greate force, to confounde the state of al other common weal∣thes,

and formes of Regimente.

The nobilitée of Persia hauyng no kyng, linially des∣cendyng, * 1.21 to rule that mightie dominion of Persia, Cambises beyng dedde, the vsurper murthered, thei tooke counsaill in their assemble, what state of gouernment was beste, thei ha∣uyng the profe of a Monarchie: in their longe counsaill, thei knewe the felicitie of that state, thei knewe as it seemed, the perilous state of the other gouernmentes. If these noble and peres had been ambicious, and that eche of them would haue had felowshippe, or participacion in kyngdomes: thei would not haue preferred a Monarchie aboue the reste. The anti∣quitie of that tyme sheweth, their personages, wisedome∣grauitie, and maiestie was soche, that eche one of theim was mete for his vertues, to haue a whole kyngdome. If Aristo∣cratia would haue contented them, then was tyme and occa∣sion offered, no kyng remainyng to haue preferred that state. But thei as vpright nobles, sincere and faithfull, hauyng al∣together * 1.22 respecte to a publique wealthe: to a permanent state and felicitie of kingdome, sought no participacion by priuate wealthe, to dissolue this Monarchie. But thei beyng moste godlie, eche were content to proue, whose chaunce might be, to set vp againe that Monarchie. The kyngdome at the laste came to the handes of Darius, who was after kyng of the * 1.23 Persians. This is a goodly example, to shewe the worthines of a Monarchie, the Persian kingdome after many yeres de∣clinyng, from his power and state, not for any faulte of go∣uernment, but God as he seeth tyme, raiseth vp kyngdomes and plucketh them daune. Afterward Darius the kyng, not * 1.24 able to make his parte good with Alexander the Greate: of∣fered to hym the greatest parte of his kyngdome, euen to the stood of Euphrates, and offred his daughter to wife: Alexan∣der was content to take the offer of Darius, so that he would * 1.25 bee seconde to hym, and not equall with hym in kyngdome. For, Alexander saied, that •••• the worlde can not bee gouer∣ned with twoo Sunnes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the worlde can suffer twoo

mightie kingdomes: wherupon it is manifest, that no king∣dome will suffer equalitie or felowship, but that if the will & minde of Princes might brust out, the state of all the worlde, would bee in one mightie gouernours handes. For, alwaies Princes dooe seke to a sole regimente. Alexander the greate * 1.26 cōquerour also, preferring for worthines a Monarchie, at the tyme of his death, demaunded whō he would haue to succede him in his mightie dominiōs, he by one signifiyng a Monar∣chie, saiyng: Dignissimus, that is to saie, the worthiest. After the death of Alexander, Antipater caught the gouernmente * 1.27 of Macedonia and Grece, and Crates was Treasurer. Me∣leagrus and Perdiceas caught other of his dominions, then Ptolemeus possessed Egipte, Africa and a parte of Arabia, Learcus, Cassander, Menāder, Leonatus, Lusimachus, Eu∣menes, Seleucus and manie other, who were for their wor∣thines in honor and estimacion with Alexander, caught in∣to their handes other partes of his dominions, euerie one se∣kyng for his time, his owne priuate glorie, dignitie, and ad∣uauncemente, but not a publike wealthe, and so in fine, am∣bicion broiled in their loftie stomackes, eche to attaine to o∣thers honor. Whereupon bloodshed, destruction of the peo∣ple and countries, the fall of these Princes ensued. So moche kingdomes hate equalitie or felowshipe let vs laie before our iyes, the kyngdomes nere at hand. Fraunce, from the tymes of Faramundus vntill this daie haue stoode, and did florishe * 1.28 in a Monarchie. The state of Spaine, from the tyme of the firste Kyng, vntill this daie, hath florished continually in a Monarchie. The great seigniories of Germanie, by one suc∣cedyng in gouernment, haue been permanent in that good∣lie state. Our noble Isle of Britain from Brutus, hath stoode by a Monarchie: onely in those daies, the state of gouernmēt chaunged, at the commyng of Iulius Cesar, Emperour of Rome. The lande beyng at diuision, and discorde, through the diuersitie of diuerse kynges: so moche the state of diuerse kynges in one lande, is to be expelled, or the gouernment of

the base multitude, to haue vniuersally power of dominion, or the state of peres, to bee chief in regiment, no kyng lefte to commaunde ouer the people, and nobles, or els there can not be but discorde in thende, whiche pulleth doune mosse migh∣tie Regions and dominious, so that the beste state, the moste stedfaste and fortunate, is in all tymes, in all ages, in all la∣wes, and common wealthes, where one king sekyng the ad∣uauncement, wealthe, glorie, of hym and his people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The state of many kinges in one lande.
• * 1.2

  Athenes.
• * 1.3

  Carthage in a monarchie.
• * 1.4

  The state of many kinges mone lande.
• * 1.5

  A monarchie in heauen.

  One Sunne
• * 1.6

  The Ante.

  The Bee.
• * 1.7

  Constancius Licinius Marabodius
• * 1.8

  Pompey. Cesar. Marius. Silla.
• * 1.9

  Assiria the first monar∣chie.
• * 1.10

  The monar∣chie of the Medes. The Persiā. Macedonia.
• * 1.11

  Asia

  Siria
• * 1.12

  Egipte in a Monarchie
• * 1.13

  Tirannis Nero Domicianus Caligula.
• * 1.14

  what doeth beautifie the throne of a Prince
• * 1.15

  Aristocratia.
• * 1.16

  The ende of Aristocratia.
• * 1.17

  Politeia.
• * 1.18

  Tirannis.
• * 1.19

  Oligarthia.
• * 1.20

  Democratia.
• * 1.21

  A monarchie prefarred of the Persians
• * 1.22

  The duetie of al noble peres
• * 1.23

  Darius.
• * 1.24

  Kyngdomes rise and fall
• * 1.25

  The answer of Alexander to Darius, as cōcernyng a monarchie.
• * 1.26

  Alexāder the great prefar∣red a Mo∣narchie.
• * 1.27

  Alexanders monarchie fel by many kin∣ges. Antipater. Crates. Meliagrus. Perdiceas. Ptolemeus. Learcus. Cassander. Menander. Leonatus. Lusimacus. Eumenes Seleucus.
• * 1.28

  Fraunce. Spaine. Germanie. Britaine.