The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight
About this Item
Title
The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight
Author
Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.
Publication
[[London] :: Thomas Berthelet regius impressor excudebat. Cum priuilegio,
Anno. 1537. mense Iulij]
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Subject terms
Kings and rulers -- Duties -- Early works to 1800.
Education of princes -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A21287.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 23, 2024.
Pages
¶ Of Obstinacy, a familiar vice, folowinge Magnanimitie. Cap. XV.
THE PRINCE OF Oratours, Mar∣cus Cullius, in his fyrst boke of of∣ficis, sayth, In height and greatnes of courage, is mooste soonest ingendred Obstinacye, and inordinate desyre of So∣ueraignetie. OBSTINACIE is an affection immoueable, fyxed to wylle, abandonynge reason, which is ingendred of Pryde, that is to say, whan a manne estemeth so moche him self aboue any other, that he reputeth his owne wytte onely, to be in perfection, and contemneth al other councell. Undou∣tedly this is an horrible & peryllous vyce, and very familiar with theym, whiche be of moste noble corages. By it many a valiant capitayne and noble prince, haue nat onely fallen them selfes, but also brought al theyr countreys in daunger, and oftentymes to subuercion and ruine.
¶ The wise king Salomon saith, Amonge proude men be all waye contentions: And
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they that do all thinges with counsayle, be gouerned by wysedome. I nede nat to re∣herse examples out of olde writers, what damage hath ensued of Obstinacie, consy∣deryng that euery hystorie is full therof, & we styll haue it in dayly experience. But of one thyng am I sure, where Obstinacy ru∣leth, and reason lacketh place, there coūcel auaileth nat: And where councell hath nat auctoritie and franches, there may nothing be perfect. Salomon sayth, Where be many counsayles, there the people is in suretie. Nowe wyll I declare the resydue of Tul∣lies sentence, concernynge inordynate de∣syre of soueraignetie, whiche is proprelye callyd Ambition.