That one soueraygne gouernour ought to be in a publyke weale. And what damage hath happened, wher a multytude hath hadde equall auctorite without any soue∣raygne. Cap. ii.

LYke as to a castel or fortres, suffiseth one owner or soue∣raign, and where any mo be of like power and authorite, seldome cometh the warke to perfection, or beynge all redy made, where the one diligently ouer∣seth, & the other neglecteth, in that conten tion all is subuerted and cōmeth to ruyne, In sēblable wise doth a publike weale, that hath no chiefe gouernours than one. Ex∣ample we may take of the Grekes, amonge whom in diuers cities, weare diuers four∣mes of publyke weales, gouerned by mul∣titudes: wherin one was moste tollerable, where the gouernance and rule was alway permitted to them, which excelled in ver∣tue, and was in the Greke tonge called A∣ristocratia, in latin Optimorum Potentia, in englishe, the rule of mē of best disposition. which the Chebanes of lōg time obserued.

¶ An other publyque weale was amonge the Atheniensis, where equalytye was of Page  [unnumbered] astate among the people, and only by their hole consente, theyr Citie and dominions were gouerned: whiche moughte well be called a Monster with many heedes, nor neuer it was certayne or stable, and often tymes they banisshed, or slewe the best cy∣tezins, whiche by theyr vertue and wyse dome, had moste profited to the publyke weale. This maner of gouernaunce was called in greke Dimocratia, in latin, Popu∣laris * potentia: in englysshe, the rule of the comminaltie. Of these two gouernances, none may be sufficient. For in the first, whi∣che consisteth of good men, vertue is not so constant in a multitude, but that some be∣ynge ones in authoritie, be incensed with glorie, some with ambition, other with co∣uetise and desyre of treasure or possessions, wherby they falle in to contention, and fy∣nally, where any achiueth the superioritie, the hole gouernāce is reduced vnto a fewe in nombre, whiche fearynge the multitude, and theyr mutabilitie, to the intent to kepe them in drede to rebell, ruleth by terrour, and crueltie, thynkynge therby, to kepe them selfe in suertie. Not withstandynge, rancour coarcted, and longe deteyned in a narowe roume, at the last brasteth out, with intollerable vyolence, and bryngeth all to confusion. For the power, that is practized, Page  7 to the hurte of many, can not continue.

¶The popular astate, if it any thyng do va¦ry from equalitie of substāce, or estimation, or that the multitude of people, haue ouer moch libertie, of necessitie one of these in∣conueniēces must happen, either tyranny, where he that is to moch in fauor, wold be eleuate, & suffre none equalitie, or elles in to the rage of a communaltie, whiche of al ru∣les is mooste to be feared. For lyke as the communes, if they fele some seueritie, doo humbly serue and obeye, so where they im∣bracing a lycence, refuse to be brydeled, do flyng and plunge: and if they ones throwe downe theyr gouernour, they order euery thyng without iustice, only with vengeāce and crueltie, and with incomparable diffy∣cultie, and vnneth by any wysedome, be pa∣cified and brought again into order. Wher∣fore vndoutedly, the best and the most sure gouernāce, is by one King or Prince, whi∣che ruleth onely for the weale of his peo∣ple: and that maner of guernaunce is beste approued, and hath longest continued, and is moste auncient. For who can denye, but that all thynge in heuen and erth is gouer∣ned by one god, by one perpetual ordre, by one prouidēce? One sonne ruleth ouer the day, and one Moone ouer the nyght. And to descende downe to the erthe.

Page  [unnumbered] ¶In a lyttell beast, whiche of all other is most to be maruayled at, I meane the Bee, * is lefte to man by nature, as it semeth, a perpetuall figure, of a iuste guernaunce or rule: who haue among them, one principal Bee, for theyr gouernour, whiche excel∣leth all other in greatenes, yet hath he no pricke or stinge, but in hym is more know∣lege, thanne in the residue. For if the daye folowynge shall be fayre and dry, and that the bees may issue out of theyr stalles, with out peryl of raine, or vehemēt wynd, in the mornynge erely he callethe them, makyng a noyse, as it were the sowne of a hurne, or a trumpet, and with that, al the residue pre pare them to labour, and fleeth abrode, ga∣therynge nothynge, but that shall be swete and profitable, all thoughe they sytte of∣ten tymes on herbes, and other thynges, that be venemous and stynkynge. The ca∣pirayne hym selfe, laboureth not for his su∣stynaunce, but all the other for hym: he onely seeth, that if any drane, or other vn∣profitable bee, entreth in to the hyue, and consumeth the honye, gathered by other, that he be immediately expelled from that company. And whanne there is a nother nombre of bees encreased, they semblably haue also a capitayne, whiche be not suffe∣red to continue with the other. Wherfore Page  8 this newe company, gathered in a swarme, hauynge theyr capitayne among them, and enuir onynge hym, to preserue hym frome harme, issue forthe, sekinge a newe habita∣tion: which they finde in some tree, except with some pleasaunt noyse, they be alured and conueyed vnto an other hyue.

¶I suppose, who seriously beholdeth this example, and hath any commendable wyt, shall therof gather moche mattyer, to the fourmyng of a publike weale. But bicause I may not be long therin, considerynge my purpose, I wolde the reder herof, if he be lerned, shuld repayre to the Georgikes of Uirgile, or to Plini, or Collumella, where he shal fynde the example more ample, and better declared.

¶And if any desyreth to haue the gouer∣naunce of one person, proued by histories, let him firste resorte to the holy scripture, where he shall fynde, that almyghtye god cōmanded Moises onely, to brynge his e∣lected * people out of captiuitie, giuinge on∣ly to hym that auctoritie, without appoyn∣tinge to hym any other assystence of equall power or dignitie: except in the message to kynge Pharao, wherin Aaron, rather as a * minister thanne a companyon, wente with Moises. But only Moises conducted the people throughe the redde see, he onely Page  [unnumbered] gouerned them forty yeres in deserte. And bycause Dathan and Abiron disdayned his * rule, and coueted to be equal with him, the erthe opened, and fyre issued out, and swa∣lowed them in, with all their holle familye, and confederates, to the nōbre of. 14700. And all thoughe Hietro, Moses father in lawe, counsailed hym to depart his impor∣table * labours, in continual iugemētes, vnto the wise men, that were in his company: he nat withstandyng, styll retayned the soue∣rayntie, by goddis commandement, vntyll a litle before he died, he resigned it to Iosue, assigned by god to be ruler after hym.

¶ Semblably after the deth of Iosue, by * the space of. 246. yeres, succeded frome tyme to tyme, one ruler amōge the Iewes, which was chosen for his excellēcy in ver∣tue, and specilly iustyce. Wherfore he was called the iuge, vntil the Israelites desired of almyghty god, to let them haue a kyng, as other people hadde: who appointed to them Saul, to be theyr kyng, who exceded * all other in stature.

¶ And so successiuely one kyng gouerned all the people of Israel, vnto the tyme of Roboaz, sonne of the noble kyng Salomō: who beinge vnlyke to his father in wyse∣dome, * practised tyrannye amonge his peo∣ple. Wherfore. ix. partes of theym, whiche Page  9 they called Tribus, forsoke hym, & elected Hieroboam, late seruaunt to Salomon, to be theyr kynge, onely the .x. parte remay∣nynge with Roboaz. And so in that realme were contynually two kynges, vntyll the kynge of Mede had depopulate the coun∣trey, and brought the people in captiuytie to the citie of Babylon: So that durynge the tyme, that two kynges rayned ouer the iewes, was euer continuall batayle among them selfes: where if one kynge had alway rayned lyke to Dauid or Salomon, of lyke lyhode the countrey shuld not so sone haue ben brought in captiuitie.

¶ Also in the tyme of the Machabeis, as longe as they had but one busshop, which was theyr ruler, and was in the stede of a prynce, they valiantly resysted the gentils: and as well the Romaynes, than great lor∣des of the worlde, as Persians, and diuers other realmes, desyred to haue with them amitie and aliaunce: and al the inhabitantes of that countrey, lyued in great weale and quietnes. But after that by symonye and ambition, there happened to be two bys∣shoppes, whiche deuyded theyr authory∣ties, and also the Romaynes had deuyded the realme of Iudea to foure princes, cal∣led Tetrarchas, and also constytuted a Ro∣mayne capitayne or presidente ouer them: Page  [unnumbered] amonge the heddes there neuer cessed to be sedition, and perpetual dyscorde: wher∣by at the laste the people was dystroyed, and the countrey brought to desolation and horrible barrennes.

¶ The Grekes, which were assembled to reuenge the reproche of Menelaus, that he toke of the Troians by the rauisshynge of Helene his wyfe, dydde not they by one assente electe Agamemnon to be theyr em∣perour or capitayne: obeying him as their souerayne, durynge the siege of Troy? all though that they had diuers excellent prin¦cis, not only equal to hym, but also excel∣lyng * hym, as in prowes Achilles, and Ai∣ax Thelemonion: in wysedome Nestor, and Ulisses, and his owne brother, Mene∣laus: to whom they moughte haue gyuen equal auctoritie with Agamēnon: but those wise princes considered, that without a ge∣nerall capitayne, so many persons as were there, of dyuers realmes gathered toge∣ther, shulde be by no meanes well gouer∣ned wherfore Homere calleth Agamēnon * the shepeherd of peple. They rather were cōtented to be vnder one mans obedience, than seuerally to vse theyr auctorites, or to ioyne in one power and dignite, whereby at the last shulde haue sourded discention a∣monge the people, they beinge seperately Page  10 enclined towarde theyr naturall souerayne lorde: as it appered in the particuler con∣tention, that was betwene Achilles and A∣gamemnon for theyr cōcubines, where A∣chilles, renouncynge the obedience, that he with all other pryncis had before pro∣mysed, at the batayle fyrste enterprysed a∣gaynste the Troyans. For at that tyme no lyttell murmur, and sedition was moued in the hoste of the grekes, whiche not with∣standynge was wonderfully pacified: and the armie vnscatered, by the maiestie of A∣gamemnon, * ioynynge to him counsailours, Nestor and the wytty Ulisses. *

¶ But to retourne agayne. Athenes and other cities of Grece, whan they had abā∣doned kynges, and concluded to lyue as it were in a cōmunaltie, whiche abusifly they called equality: howe long tyme did any of them continue in peace? Yea what vacati∣on had they from the warres? or what no∣ble man had they, which auaunced the ho∣nour and weale of theyr Citie, whom they did not banishe or slee in prison? Surely it shall appere to them, that wyll rede Plu∣tarche, or Emilius probus, in the lyues of Milciades, Cimon, Themistocles, Aristi∣des, and diuerse other noble & valiant capi∣taynes: which is to longe here to reherse. *

¶ In lyke wyse the Romaynes, durynge Page  [unnumbered] the time that they were vnder kinges, whi¦che was by the space of. 144. yeres, were well gouerned, nor neuer was among them discorde or sedition: But after that by the persuatiō of Brutus and Colatinus, whose wyfe (Lucretia) was rauyshed by the sōne * of Tarquine, kynge of Romaynes, not on∣ly the sayde Tarquine and all his postery∣tie, were exiled out of Rome for euer, but also it was finally determyned amonge the people, that neuer after they wolde haue a kynge reygne ouer them. Consequently the cōmunaltie more and more encroched a lycence, and at the last compelled the Se¦nate to suffre them to chose yerely amonge them, gouernours of theyr owne astate & condition, whō they called Trybunes: vn∣der * whom they resceyued suche audacytie and power, that they finally opteyned the highest auctoritie in the publyke weale: in so moche, that oftentymes they dyd repele the actes of the Senate, and to those Tri∣bunes mought a man appele from the Se∣nate, or any other offyce or dygnitie. But what came therof in conclusion? Surelye whan there was any difficulte warre immi∣nent, they were constrayned to electe one soueraygne and chyefe of all other, whom they named Dictator, as it were commaun∣der, * from whom it was not laufull for any Page  11 man to appele. But bycause there appered to be in hym the prystinate auctorytie and maiestie of a kynge, they wolde no longer suffre hym to continue in that dignitie, than by the space of .vi. monethes, excepte he than resigned it, and by the consente of the people eftsones dyd resume it. Finally vn∣tyl Octauius Augustus had distroied An∣thony, and also Brutus: and finished al the Ciuile warres (that were so called bycause * they were betwene the same selfe Romayn citezins) the citie of Rome was neuer long quiete from factions or sedicions amonge the people. And if the nobles of Rome had not bē men of excellent lerning, wisedome, and prowesse, & that the Senate, the moste noble counsaylle in all the worlde, whiche was fyrste ordeyned by Romulus, and en∣creased by Tullus hostilius, the thyrd king of Romaynes, had not continued, and with great difficultie reteyned theyr auctoritie, I suppose verylye, that the Citie of Rome had ben vtterly desolate sone after the ex∣pellynge of Tarquine. And if it hadde ben eftesones renewed, it shulde haue ben twē∣ty tymes dystroyed, before the tyme that Augustus raygned: so moch discorde was euer in the citie, for lacke of one gouernor.

¶ But what nede we to serche so fer from vs, sens we haue sufficiente examples nere Page  [unnumbered] vnto vs? Beholde the astate of Florence * and Gene, noble cities of Italy, what cala∣mite haue they both sustened by their own factions, for lacke of a cōtinuall gouernor?

¶ Ferrare, and the moste excellent cite of * Uenise, hauynge dukes, seldome suffre da∣mage, excepte it happen by outwarde ho∣stilitie.

¶ We haue also an example at home, which is moste necessary to be noted.

¶ After that the Saxons by treasone had * expelled out of England the Britons, whi∣che were the auncient inhabitauntes, this realme was deuyded into sondry regions, or kyngedomes. O what mysery was the people than in? O howe this moste noble Isle of the worlde was decerpt and rent in pieces? the people pursued and hunted like wolfes, or other beastes sauage: none in∣dustry auayled, no strength defended, noo ryches profited. Who wolde then haue de∣sired to haue ben rather a man than a dog, whan men eyther with swerde or with hū∣gre peryshed, hauynge no profite or susty∣nance of theyr owne corne or catell, which by mutuall warre was contynually distroy∣ed? Yet the dogges, eyther takynge that that men coulde not quietly come by, or fe∣dynge on the deed bodies, whiche on eue∣ry parte lay scatered plentously, dyd satis∣fye Page  12 theyr hungre.

¶ Where fynde ye any good lawes, that at that tyme were made and vsed? or any cō∣mendable monumente, of any scyence or crafte in this realme occupied? suche ini∣quitie semeth to be than, that by the multi∣tude of soueraygne gouernours, all thyn∣ges hadde ben brought to confusion, if the noble kinge Edgar hadde not reduced the * monarchie to his pristinate astate and fy∣gure: whiche brought to passe, reason was reuiued, & people came to cōformitie, & the realme began to take comfort, and to shewe some visage of a publike weale: and so (lau∣ded be god) haue continued: but not being alway in like astate or condition. Al be it, it is not to be dispaired, but that the king our soueraigne lorde nowe reignynge, and this realme, alway hauyng one prince, like vnto his highnes, equall to the auncient princis, in vertue and courage, it shall be reduced (god so dysposyng) vnto a publyke weale, excellynge al other in preeminence of ver∣tue, and abundance of thynges necessary.

¶ But for as moche as I do wel perceiue, that to wryte of the offyce or duetye of a soueraygne gouernoure or prynce, farre excedeth the compasse of my lernyng, ho∣lye scrypture affyrmynge, that the har∣tes of pryncis be in goddes owne handes Page  [unnumbered] and dysposition: I wyll therfore kepe my penne within the space that is discrybed to me, by the thre noble maysters, reason, ler∣nynge, and experience. And by theyr en∣seignement or teachynge, I wyl ordynate∣ly treate of the two partes of a publyke weale, wherof the one shall be named due * administration, the other necessary occu∣pation, whiche shall be deuyded in to two volumes. In the fyrste shal be comprehen∣ded the best fourme of education or bryn∣gyng * vp of noble chyldren, from their na∣tiuitie, in suche maner as they may be foūd worthy, and also able to be gouernours of a publyke weale. The second volume, whi∣che god grauntinge me quietnes and liber∣tie of mynde, I wyl shortly after send forth: It shall conteyne all the remenant, whiche I canne eyther by lernynge or experience fynde apte to the perfection of a iuste pub∣lyke weale: in the whiche, I shall so ende∣uour my selfe, that al men, of what astate or condition so euer they be, shall fynde ther∣in occasion to be alway vertuously occupy∣ed: and not without pleasure, if they be not of the scholes of Aristippus, or Apicius: of whom the one supposed felycitye to be onely in lechery, the other in delycate fe∣dyng and glotony. From whose sharpe ta∣lons and cruell tethe, I beseche all gentyll Page  13 reders to defende these warkes, whiche for theyr commodite is onely compiled,