The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight

¶ That a gouernour oughte to be mercy∣full, and the diuersitie of mercy and vayne pitie. Cap. VII.

MERCY IS and hath bene euer of su∣che estimation with mankynde, that nat onely reason persuadeth, but al∣so experience proueth, that in whome mer∣cy lacketh, and is nat founden, in hym all o∣ther vertues be drowned, and lose their iuste commendation.

¶ The vice called crueltie, whiche is con∣trary * 1.1 to Mercy, is by good reason mooste odious of all other vyces, in as moche as lyke a poyson or contynuall pestylence, it distroyeth the generation of manne. Also lykewise as norishyng meates and drinkes in a sycke bodye, doo lose their bountie and augmente the malady, semblably dyuers v∣tues in a person cruel and malicious, be not onely obfuscate or hyd, but do minister oc∣casion and assistence to crueltie.

¶ But now to speke of the inestimable p^•ce

and value of mercy, Let gouernours, whi∣che knowe, that they haue réceyued theyr powar frome aboue, reuolue in their myn∣des, in what peryl they them self be in dai∣ly, if in god were nat abundance of mercy, but that as soone as they offende hym gre∣uously, he shulde immediatly stryke theym with his moste terrible dart of vengeance: All be it vneth any houre passeth, that men deserue nat some punyshement.

¶ The moste noble emperours, which for their merites resceyued of the gentyls di∣uine honours, vanquyshed the great hartis of their mortal ennemies, in shewyng mer∣cy aboue mens expectation.

¶ Iulius Cesar, which in policy, eloquēce, celeritie and prowesse, excelled al other ca¦pitaynes, in mercy onely, surmounted hym selfe, that is to saye, contrarye to his owne affectes and determynate purposes, he nat onely spared, but also resceyued into ten∣der familyaritie his sworne enmyes. wher∣fore if the disdayne of his owne blode and alyance had nat traytorously slayne him, he had reigned longe and prosperously.

¶ But amonge many other exaumples of mercy, wherof the hystoryes of Rome do * 1.2 abounde, there is one remembred by Se∣neca, whiche may be in the stede of a great noumbre.

¶ It was reported to the noble emperour Octauius Augustus, that Lucius Cinna, * 1.3 which was susters sonne to the great Pō∣pei, had imagined his dethe: Also that Cin¦na was apointed to execute his feate, whi∣les the emperour was doing his sacrifice. This reporte was made by one of the con∣spiratours, and therwith diuers other thin¦ges agreed: the olde hostilitie betwene the houses of Pōpei and Cesar, the wyld & se∣ditious witte of Cinna, with the place and tyme, where and whan the emperour shuld be disfurnyshed of seruantes. No wonder though the emperours mynde were inqui∣ete, being in so perillous a conflict, conside∣ryng on the one parte, that if he shulde put to deth Cinna, whiche came of one of the moste noble and auncient houses of Rome, he shulde euer lyue in daunger, onelas he shoulde destroye all that noble familie, and cause the memory of them to be vtterly ex∣terminate: whiche mought nat be brought to passe, without effusion of the bloudde of persons innumerable, and also peryle of the subuercion of the empire, late pacified. On the other parte, he considered the im∣minente daunger, that his persone was in, wherfore nature stered hym to prouide for his suertie: wherto he thought than to be none other remedy, but the deth of his ad∣uersarye.

To hym beinge thus perplexed, cam his wife Liuia, the empresse, who said vnto him, Pleaseth it you sir to here a wo∣mans aduise. Do you as phisitions be wont to do, where theyr accustomed remedyes preue nat, they assaye the contrary. By se∣ueritie ye haue hytherto nothyng profited: proue therfore nowe, what mercy may ad∣uaile you. Forgyue Cinna, he is taken with the maynure, and may nat nowe indomage you, profyte he may moche to the increase of your renoume & perpetuall glorie. The emperour reioysed to him selfe, that Cinna had founde such an aduocatrice, and giuing her thankes, caused his counsaylours, whi¦che he had sent for, to be countermaunded, and calling to him Cinna only, commanded the chaumbre to be auoyded, and an other chayre to be set for Cinna, and that done, he sayd in this maner to hym, I desyre of the this one thinge, that whyles I speke, thou wylt nat let or disturbe me: or in the middes of my wordes make any exclamation.

¶ What tyme Cinna, I founde the in the hoste of myne ennemies, all thoughe thou were nat by any occasyon made myne ene∣mye, but by succession from thyn auncetors borne myn enemye, I nat onely saued the, but also gaue vnto the all thyn inheritance: And at this day thou art so prosperous and

ryche, that they, whyche hadde with me vyctorie, do enuye the, that were vanquy∣shed. Thou askeddest of me a spiritual pro¦motion, and furth with I gaue it the, before many other, whose parentes hadde serued me in warres. And for that I haue doone so moche for the, thou haste nowe pourpo∣sed to slee me. At that worde, whan Cinna cried out, sayinge, that suche madnes was farre from his mynde. Cinna (said the em∣perour) thou kepeste nat promyse, it was couenanted, that thou shouldest nat inter∣rupte me. I say thou preparest to kyll me. And therto the emperour named his com∣panyons, the place, tyme, and order of all the conspiracy, and also to whom the sword was commytted. And whan he perceyued hym astonyed, holdynge than his peace, nat for bycause that he soo promysed, but that his conscyence hym meued. For what intent dyddeste thou thus, (sayde Augu∣stus) bycause thou woldest be Emperour? In good faythe the publyke weale is in an euyll astare, if nothynge lettethe the to raygne, but I oonely. Thou canste nat mayntayne or defende thyne owne house. It is nat longe sens that thou in a pryuate iugement, were ouercomen of a poore man but laate infraunchysed. Therfore thou mayste nothynge doo lyghtlyer than plede

ageynst the emperour. Say nowe, do I a∣lone let the of thy purpose? supposist thou that Paule, Fabius Maximus, the Cosses, & Seruiliis, aunciente houses of Rome, and suche a sorte of noble men (nat they whiche haue vayne and glorious names, but suche as for their merites be adorned with their propre images) wyll suffre the? Finally said the emperor (after that he had talked with hym by the space of two howres) I gyue to the thy lyfe Cinna the seconde tyme: fyrste beinge myn ennemy, nowe a traytour and murderer of thy souerain lorde, whom thou oughtest to loue as thy father. Howe frō this day let amitie betwene vs two be∣gynne, and let vs bothe contende, whether I with a better harte haue giuen to the thy lyfe, or that thou canst more genrilly recō∣pence my kyndnes.

¶ Sone after Augustus gaue to Cinna the dignitie of consull vndesired, blaming him, that he durste nat aske it, wherby he hadde hym moste assured and loyall. And Cinna afterwarde dieng, gaue to the emperour al his goodes & possessions. And neuer after was Augustus in daunger of any treasone.

¶ O what sufficient prayse may be giuen to this moste noble and prudente emperoure, that in a chambre aloone, without men, or∣denance, or weapon, and perchaunce with∣out

harnes, within the space of .ii. houres, with wordes well couched, tempered with maiestie, not only vainquished and subdued one mortall enemie, whiche by a malignitie engendred of a domesticall hatred, had de∣termined to slee hym, but by the same feate excluded out of the hole citie of Rome, all dyspleasure and rancour towarde hym, so that there was not left any occasion, wher∣of mought procede any lyttell suspicion of treasonne, whiche other wyse coulde not haue hapned without slaughter of people innumerable.

¶ Also the empresse Liuia, maye not of * 1.4 right be forgoten, whiche ministred to her lorde that noble counsayle in suche a per∣plexitie, wherby he saued bothe hym selfe and his people. Suppose ye that al the Sc∣natours of Rome, and counsaylours of the emperour, whiche were lytell fewer than a thousande, coulde haue better aduysed hym? This historie therfore is no lesse to be remembred of womē than of princis, ta∣kynge therby comforte to perswade swete∣ly theyr housebandes to mercye and pacy∣ence, to which counsayle only, they shulde be admytted and haue fre lybertie. But I shall forbere to speke more of Liuia nowe, for as moche as I purpose to make a boke onely for ladies, where in her laude shalbe

more amplye expressed. But to resort nowe to mercy.

¶ Suerly nothinge more entierly and fast∣ly * 1.5 ioyneth the hartes of subiectes to theyr prynce or soueraygne, than mercy and gen∣tilnes. For Seneca saith, A tēperate drede represseth hyghe and sturdy myndes: feare frequente and sharpe, sette forthe with ex∣tremitie, stereth men to presumption and hardynes, and constrayneth them to expe∣rimente all thynges. He that hastily punis∣sheth, oft tymes sone repenteth. And who that ouer moch correcteth, obserueth none equitie. And if ye aske me what mercye is, it is a temperaunce of the mynde of hym, that hath power to be auenged, and it is called in latine Clementia, and is alway ioy∣ned with reason. For he that for euery lyt∣tel occasion is meued with compassion, and beholdynge a man punysshed condygnely for his offence, lamenteth or waylethe, is called pitiouse, which is a syckenesse of the mynde, wherewith at this daye the more parte of menne be diseased. And yet is the sikenes moch wars by adding to one word, callynge it Uayne pitie.

¶ Some man perchance wyll demaunde of me, what is Uaine pite? To that I will an∣swere * 1.6 in a description of dayly experience.

¶ Beholde what an infynite nombre of en∣glishe

men and women, at this present time, wander in all places throughout this re∣alme, as beastis brute and sauage abando∣nyng al occupation, seruice, and honestie. How many semely personagis, by outrage in riote, gaminge, and excesse of apparaile, be induced to theft and robry, and somtime to murder, to the inquietatiō of good men, and fynally to theyr owne destruction?

¶ Howe consyder semblably, what noble statutes, ordinances, and actes of counsayl, from time to time haue ben excogitate, and by graue study and mature consultation, en acted and decreed, as well for due punys∣shemente of the saide idle persones and va∣cabundes, as also for the suppression of vn∣laufull games, and reducynge apparayle to conuenyente moderation and temperance? Howe many proclamations ther of haue bē dyuulgate, and not obeyed? Howe many commyssions directed, and not executed? (Marke wel here, that dissobedient subie∣ctes, & negligent gouernours, do frustrate good lawes) A man hering, that his neigh¦bour is slayne or robbed, forth with hateth the offendour, and abhorreth his enormy∣tie, thinkinge hym worthy to be punyshed, accordynge to the lawes. Yet whan he be∣holdeth the transgressour, a semely perso∣nage, also to be his seruant, acqueyntance,

or a gentyll man borne (I omytte nowe to speke of any other corrupty on) he forthe with changeth his opinion, and preferreth the offendours condition or personage, be∣fore the example of iustice, condempninge a good and necessary lawe, for to excuse an offence pernycious and dampnable, ye and this is not onely done by the vulgare or cō∣mune people, but moche rather by them, whiche haue auctoritie to them committed concernynge the effectuall execution of la∣wes. They beholde at theyr eie the conti∣nuall encrease of vacabundes, in to infynite nombres, the obstinate resistence of theym that dayely do transgresse the lawes made agaynste games, and apparayle, whiche be the streyght pathes to robry, and sembla∣ble mischefe. Yet if any one comissioner, me∣ued with zele to his countrey, accordynge to his duetie do execute duely, and frequēt∣ly the lawe or good ordinaunce, wherin is any sharpe punisshmente, some of his com∣panyons therat reboyleth, infamynge hym to be a manne without charytie, callynge hym secretely a pyke thanke, or ambicious of glorie, and by suche maner of obloquie, seeke meanes to brynge hym in to the ha∣tered of people. And this maye wel be cal∣led vayne pytie, wherin is conteyned ney∣ther iustice nor yet commendable charytie,

but rather therby ensueth negligence, con∣tempte, dissobedyence, and fynally all mys∣chiefe and incurable miserie.

¶ If this syckenesse had reygned amonge the olde Romaynes, suppose ye that the a∣state of theyr publyke weale had syxe hun∣dred yeres encreased, & two hundred ye∣res contynued in one excellente astate and wonderfull maiestye? Or thynke ye that the same Romayns mought so haue ordred many greatte countreyes, with fewer my∣nisters of iustice, than be nowe in one shire of Englande?

¶ But of that mater, and also of rigour and equalite of punishement. I wyll traite more amply in a place more propise for that pur∣pose. And here I conclude to wryte any more at this tyme of mercy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Crueltie▪
• * 1.2

  Seneca de clementia.
• * 1.3

  Mercy she wid by Au¦gustus vn∣till his ene¦mye.
• * 1.4

  A wisewo¦man.
• * 1.5

  mercy and gentylnes.
• * 1.6

  Uayn pitie