A panegyrike congratulatorie to the Kings Maiestie Also certaine epistles, by Samuel Daniel.

TO SIR THO: EGERTON KNIGHT, LORD KEEPER OF THE GREAT SEALE OF ENGLAND.

VVEll hath the powreful hand of Maiestie, Thy worthines, and Englands happe beside, Set thee in th' aidfulst roome of dignitie, As th' Isthmus, these two Oceans to diuide Of Rigor and confus'd Vncertaintie, To keepe out th'entercourse of wrong and pride, That they ingulph not vp vnsuccoured right By th'extreame current of licencious might.

Now when we see the most combining band, The strongest fasting of societie Law, whereon all this frame of men doth stand, Remaine concussed with vncertaintie, And seeme to foster rather than withstand Contention, and embrace obscuritie, Onely t'afflict, and not to fashion vs, Making her cure farre worse than the disease.

As if she had made couenant with Wrong, To part the prey made on our weakenesses, And suffred Falshood to be arm'd as strong Vnto the combate as is Righteousnes, Or suted her, as if she did belong Vnto our passions, and did euen professe Contention, as her only mystery, Which she restraines not, but doth multiply.

Was she the same sh'is now in ages past, Or was she lesse when she was vsed lesse? And growes as malice growes, and so comes cast Iust to the forme of our vnquietnesse? Or made more slow, the more that strife runnes fast, Staying t'undo vs ere she will redresse? That th'ill shee checks seemes suffred to be ill, When it yeelds greater gaine than goodnesse will.

Must there be still some discord mixt among The Harmonie of men, whose moode accords Best with Contention, tun'd t'a note of wrong, That when war failes, peace must make war with words, And b'arm'd vnto destruction euen as strong, As were in ages past our ciuill swordes; Making as deepe, although vnbleeding wounds, That when as furie failes, wisedome confounds.

If it be wisedome, and not cunning, this Which so imbroyles the state of truth with brawles, And wrappes it vp in strange confusednesse As if it liu'd immur'd within the walls, Of hideous termes fram'd out of barbarousnesse And forraine Customes, the memorials Of our subiection, and could neuer be Deliu'red but by wrangling subtiltie.

Whereas it dwells free in the open plaine, Vncurious, Gentile, easie of accesse: Certaine vnto it selfe, of equall vaine, One face, one colour, one assurednesse; It's Falshood that is intricate, and vaine, And needes these laborinths of subtilnesse. For where the cunningst cou'rings most appeare It argues still that all is not sincere.

Which thy cleere ey'd experience well discries, Great Keeper of the state of Equitie, Refuge of mercie, vpon whom relies The succour of oppressed miserie: Altar of safegarde, whereto affliction flies From th'eger pursuite of seueritie: Hauen of Peace, that labourst to withdraw Iustice, from out the tempests of the Law.

And set her in a calme and euen way, Plaine and directly leading to redresse, Barring these counter-courses of delay These wasting dilatorie processes: Ranging into their right, and proper ray, Errors, demurs, essoines; and trauerses, The heads of Hydra springing out of death That giues this Monster malice still new breath.

That what was made for the vtilitie. And good of man, might not be turn'd t'his hurt To make him worser by his remedie, And cast him downe, with what should him support: Nor that the State of Law might loose thereby The due respect, and reu'rence of her porte, And seeme a trap to catch our ignorance And to intangle our intemperance.

Since her interpretations and our deedes, Vnto a like infinitie arise, As be'ng a Science, that by nature breeds Contention, strife and ambiguities: For altercation controuersie feeds, And in her agitation multiplies: The field of Cauell lying all like wide, Yealds like aduantage vnto eyther side.

Which made the graue Castillian King deuise A prohibition,* 1.1 that no Aduocate Should be conuaid to th' Indian Colonies, Lest their new setting, shaken with debate, Might take but slenderroote, and so not rise To any perfect growth of firme estate, For hauing not this skill, how to contend, Th'vnnourisht strife would quickely make an end.

So likewise did th'Hungarian, when he saw These great Italian Bartolists,* 1.2 who were Call'd in, of purpose to explane the Law, T'imbroyle it more, and make it much lesse cleere, Caus'd them from out his Kingdome to withdraw With this infestious skill someother-where: Whose learning rather let men farther out,* 1.3 And opened wider passages of doubt.

Seeing euen Iniustice may be regulare; And no proportion can there be betwixt Our actions which in endlesse motion are And th'Ordinances which are alwayes fixt. Tenne thousand Lawes more, cannot reach so farre, But Malice goes beyond, or liues immixt So close with goodnesse, as it euer will Corrupt, disguise or counterfeite it still.

And therefore did those glorious Monarchs, (who Deuide with God the Stile of Maiestie For being good, and had a care to do The world right, and succour honestie) Ordaine this sanctuarie wherevnto Th'opprest might flie, this seate of Equitie Whereon thy vertues sit with faire renowne, The greatest grace and glory of the Gowne.

Which Equitie being the soule of Law The life of Iustice, and the Spirite of right, Dwell's not in written Lines, or liues in awe Of Bookes; deafe powres that haue nor eares, nor sight: But out of well-weigh'd circumstance doth draw The essence of a iudgement requisite: And is that Lesbian square, that building fit, Plies to the worke, not forc'th the worke to it.

Maintaining still an equall paralell Iust with th'occasions of humanitie, Making her iudgements euer liable To the respect of peace and amitie: When surly Law, sterne, and vnaffable, Cares onely but it selfe to satisfie: And often, innocencie skarse defends, As that which on no circumstance depends.

But Equitie that beares an euen raine Vpon the present courses, holds in awe, By giuing hand alittle, and doth gaine By a gentle relaxation of the Law; And yet inviolable doth maintaine The end whereto all constitutions draw; Which is the well-fare of societie Consisting of an vpright pollicie.

Which first being by Necessitie compos'd, Is by Necessitie maintain'd in best estate,* 1.4 Where, whenas Iustice shal be ill dispos'd It sickens the whole body of the State: For if there be a passage once disclos'd That Wrong may enter at the selfe-same gate Which serues for Right, cladde in a coate of Law, What violent distempers may it draw?

And therefore dost thou stand to keepe the way, And stoppe the course that malice seekes to runne And by thy prouident Iniunctions stay This neuer ending Altercation; Sending contention home, to th'end men may There make their peace, whereas their strife begun: And free these pestred streets they vainely weare Whom both the State, and theirs, do need elsewhere.

Lest th'humor which doth thus predominate Conuert vnto it selfe all that it takes; And that the law grow larger then debate, And come t'exceede th'affaires it vndertakes: As if the onely Science of the State That tooke vp all our wits for gaine it makes; Not for the good that thereby may be wrought Which is not good if it be dearely bought.

What shall we thinke when as ill causes shall Inrich men more, and shall be more desir'd Then good, as farre more beneficiall? Who then defends the good? who will be hir'd To intertaine a right,* 1.5 whose gaine is small? Vnlesse the Aduocate that hath conspir'd To pleade a wrong, be likewise made to runne His Clients chaunce, and with him be vndunne.

So did the wisest nations euer striue To binde the hands of Iustice vp so hard, That lest she falling to prooue Lucratiue Might basely reach them out to take reward: Ordaining her prouisions fit to liue Out of the publike as a publike Guard That all preserues, and all doth entertaine, Whose end is onely glory, and not gaine.

That eu'n the Scepter which might all command, Seeing her s' vnpartiall, equall, regulare, Was pleas'd to put it selfe into her hand; Whereby they both grew more admired farre. And this is that great blessing of this land, That both the Prince and people vse one Barre, The Prince, whose cause, (as not to be withstood) Is neuer badde but where himselfe is good.

This is that Ballance which committed is To thy most euen and religious hand; Great Minister of Iustice, who by this Shalt haue thy name, still gratious in this land: This is that seale of pow're which doth impresse Thy Acts of right, which shall for euer stand: This is that traine of State, that pompously Attends vpon thy reu'rent dignitie.

All glory else besides, ends with our breath, And mens respects scarse brings vs to our graue: But this of doing good, must out-liue Death, Aud haue a right out of the right it gaue: Though th'act but few, th'example profiteth Thousands, that shall thereby a blessing haue. The worlds respect growes not but on desarts, Powre may haue knees, but Iustice hath our harts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ferdinand king of Castile.
• * 1.2

  The king of Hungarie.
• * 1.3

  Difficultatem facit doctrinae.
• * 1.4

  Necessitas est lex temporu••.
• * 1.5

  A remedie for defending ill causes.