The six bookes of a common-weale. VVritten by I. Bodin a famous lawyer, and a man of great experience in matters of state. Out of the French and Latine copies, done into English, by Richard Knolles

Title

The six bookes of a common-weale. VVritten by I. Bodin a famous lawyer, and a man of great experience in matters of state. Out of the French and Latine copies, done into English, by Richard Knolles

Author

Bodin, Jean, 1530-1596.

Publication

London :: [Printed by Adam Islip] impensis G. Bishop,

1606.

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Subject terms

Political science -- Early works to 1800.

State, The -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16275.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"The six bookes of a common-weale. VVritten by I. Bodin a famous lawyer, and a man of great experience in matters of state. Out of the French and Latine copies, done into English, by Richard Knolles." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16275.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2025. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• illustration
• A SVMMARIE TABLE OF ALL THE CHAPTERS CONTAINED IN THE SIX BOOKES OF I. BODIN.
• text
  • THE FIRST BOOKE OF A COMMONWEALE.
    • CHAP. I ¶ What the principall end is of a well ordered Commonweale.
    • CHAP. II. ¶ Of a Familie, and what difference there is betweene a Familie and a Commonweale.
    • CHAP. III. ¶ Of the power of an Husband ouer his Wife, as also of the mutuall duties betwixt them: and whether it be expedient to renew the law of diuorcement or not.
    • CHAP. IIII. ¶ Of the power of a Father, and whether it be meet for the Father to haue power of life and death ouer his children▪ as had the auntient Romans.
    • CHAP. V. Of the power of a Lord or Maister ouer his Slaues, and whether Slaues are to be suf∣fred in a well ordered Commonweale.
    • CHAP. VI. ¶ What a Citisen is, and how much Citisens differ from Citisens, and how much from strangers: what also is to be vnderstood by the name of a Towne, a Citie, and of a Com∣monweale.
    • CHAP. VII. ¶ Of them that are vnder protection, and the difference betwixt Allies, Stran∣gers, and Subiects.
    • CHAP. VIII. ¶ Of Soueraigntie.
    • CHAP. IX. ¶ Of a Prince tributarie or feudatarie: and whether he be a soueraigne Prince: and of the prerogatiue of honour amongst Soueraigne Princes.
    • CHAP. X. ¶ Of the true markes of Soueraigntie.
  • THE SECOND BOOKE OF OR CONCERNING A COMMONWEALE.
    • CHAP. I. ¶ Of all sortes of Commonweales in generall, and whether there bee any moe then three.
    • CHAP. II. ¶ Of a Lordly Monarchie, or of the sole gouernment of one.
    • CHAP. III. Of a Royall Monarchie.
    • CHAP. IIII. ¶ Of a Tirannicall Monarchie.
    • CHAP. V. ¶ Whether it be lawfull to lay violent hand vpon a tyrant; and after his death to dis∣null all his acts, decrees, and lawes.
    • CHAP. VI. ¶ Of an Aristocratie.
    • CHAP. VII. ¶ Of a Popular Estate.
  • THE THIRD BOOKE OF OR CONCERNING A COMMONWEALE.
    • CHAP. I. ¶ Of a Senat, or Councell of Estate, and the power thereof.
    • CHAP. II. ¶ Of the Officers and Commissioners in a Commonweale.
    • CHAP. III. ¶ Of Magistrats.
    • CHAP. IIII. ¶ Of the obedience that the Magistrat oweth vnto the Lawes and Soueraigne Prince.
    • CHAP. V. ¶ Of the power an authoritie of a Magistrat ouer particular and priuat men, and of his office and duetie.
    • CHAP. VI. ¶ Of the mutuall duties of Magistrates among themselues, and of the power that one of them hath ouer an other.
    • CAAP. VII. ¶ Of Corporations, and Colledges, Estates, and Communities, and what profits or inconueniences ensue thereof vnto the Commonweale.
    • CHAP. VIII. ¶ Of the orders and degrees of Citisens.
  • THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF OR CONCERNING A COMMONWEALE.
    • CHAP. I. ¶ Of the rising, encreasing, flourishing estate, declining, and ruine of Commonweales.
    • CHAP. II. ¶ Whether there be any meane to know the chaunges and ruines, which are to chaunce vnto Commonweales.
    • CHAP. III. That it is a most daungerous thing at one and the selfe same time▪ to chaunge the forme, lawes, and customes of a Commonweale.
    • CHAP. IIII. ¶ Whether it be better in a Commonweale to haue the Magistrats still chaunge∣able, or else perpetuall.
    • CHAP. V. ¶ Whether the vnitie and concord of Magistrats amongst themselues bee good and wholesome for the Commonweale, or not?
    • CHAP. VI. ¶ Whether it be conuenient or expedient for the Maiestie of a soueraigne Prince to iudge his subiects him selfe, or to be much conuersant with them.
    • CHAP. VII. ¶ Whether a Prince in ciuill factions ought to ioyne himselfe to one of the parties, and whether a good subiect ought to be constrained to take part with the one or the other faction: with the meanes to remedie seditions.
  • THE FIFT BOOKE OF OR CONCERNING A COMMONWEALE.
    • CHAP. I. ¶ What order and course is to be taken, to apply the forme of a Commonweale to the diuersitie of mens humors, and the meanes how to discouer the nature and disposition of the people.
    • CHAP. II. The meanes to preuent the changes of Commonweales, which happen through the great riches of some, and exceeding pouertie of others.
    • CHAP. III. Whether the goods of men condemned should be applied vnto the common treasure, or to the Church; or els left vnto the heires.
    • CHAP. IIII. Of reward and punishment.
    • CHAP. V. Whether it bee more conuenient to trayne vp the subiects in armes, and to fortifie their townes or not.
    • CHAP. VI. Of the suertie of alliances and treaties betwixt Princes and Commonweales, and of the lawes of armes.
  • THE SIXT BOOKE OF OR CONCERNING A COMMONVVEALE.
    • CHAP. I. ¶ Of Censuring or Reformation, and wheher it be expedient to inroll and number the subiects, and to force them to make a declaration, or giue a certificat of their priuate estates.
    • CHAP. II. Of Treasure.
    • CHAP. III. Of Coines, and the meanes how to preuent that they be not altered, nor falsified.
    • CHAP. IIII. A Comparison of the three lawfull Commonweales, that is, a popular estate, an Aristocraticall, and a royall; and that a royall Monarchie is the best.
    • CHAP. V. That a well ordered Commonweale dependeth not either of lot, either of choyce, and much lesse of women; but by discent to be deriued from a most honou∣nourable stocke: and that it ought to be giuen but to one alone, without partition.
    • CHAP. VI. Of the three kinds of Iustice, Distributiue, Commutatiue, and Harmonicall: and what proportion they haue vnto an estate Royall, Aristocra∣tique and Popular.
• colophon