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

¶ The seconde consyderation to be had in consultation. Cap. xxix.

THe second consyderation is, that the * 1.1 general & vniuersall astate of the pu∣blike weale, wold be preferred in cō∣sultation, before any particular cōmoditie: and the profite or damage, which may hap∣pen within our owne countrays, wolde be more considred, than that, which may hap∣pen from other regions: whiche to beleue. cōmune reason and experience leadeth vs. For who cōmendeth those gardiners, that wyll put all their diligence in trymmyng or kepynge delicately one knotte or bedde of herbes, suffrynge al the remenaunt of their gardeine to be subuerted with a gret nom∣bre

of molles, and to attende at noo tyme for the takynge and destroyenge of theym, vntyll the herbes, wherin they haue em∣ployed all their labours be also tourned vp and peryshed, and the molles increased in so infinite nombres, that no industry or la∣bour, may suffice to consume them: wher∣by the labour is frustrate, and all the gar∣deyne made vnprofytable, and also vnplea∣sant. In this similitude to the gardeyn may be resembled the publike weale, to the gar¦diners, the gouernours and counsaylours, to the knottes or beddes, sondry degrees of personages, to the molles, vyces, & son∣dry enormities, Wherfore the consultation is but of a small effecte, wherin the vniuer∣sall astate of the publyke wele doth nat oc∣cupie the more parte of the tyme, & in that generaltie euery particular astate, be nat di¦ligently ordered. For as Tulli saith, They that consulte for parte of the people, and * 1.2 neglecte the residue, they brynge into the citie or countrey a thynge mooste perniti∣ous, that is to say, sedition and discorde. Wherof it hapneth, that some wyll seeme to fauoure the multitude, other be incly∣ned to leene to the beste sorte, fewe do stu∣dye for all vniuersally. Whiche hath benne the cause, that not onely Athenes (whiche Tulli dothe name) but also the Citie and

empire of Rome, with dyuers other cities and realmes, haue decayed and ben fynally brought in extreme desolation.

¶ Also Plato, in his booke of Fortitude, * 1.3 saythe in the persone of Socrates, Whan so euer a man seketh a thynge, for cause of an other thynge, the consultation ought to be alwaye of that thynge, for whose cause the other thynge is sought for, and not of that, whiche is soughte for bycause of the other thynge. And surely, wyse men do consider, that damage often tymes hapneth, by abu∣singe the due fourme of consultation: men lyke euyl Phisitions, sekyng for medicines, er they perfectly knowe the sicknesses: and as yuel marchauntes do vtter firste the wa∣res and commodities of strangers, whiles strangers be robbing of their owne cofers.

¶ Therfore these thinges, that I haue re∣hersed, concernyng consultation, ought to be of all men in auctoritie substancially pon∣dered, and most vigilantly obserued, if they intende to be to theyr publyke weale profi∣table: for the whiche purpose onely, they be called to be gouernours.

¶ And thus I conclude, to write any more of consultation, whiche is the laste parte of morall Sapience, and the begynnynge of Sapience politike.

¶ Nowe all ye reders, that desyre to haue

your chyldren to be gouernours, or in any other autoritie in the publike weale of your countrey, if ye brynge them vp, and instru∣cte them in suche fourme, as in this boke is declared, they shall than seme to all men, worthy to be in autoritie, honour, and no∣blenesse. And al that is vnder theyr gouer∣naunce shal prospere and come to perfecti∣on, and as a precious stone in a riche ouche, they shall be beholden and wondred at, and after the deathe of theyr body, theyr soules for theyr endeuour, shal be incomprehensi∣bly rewarded of the gyuer of wisedome, to whō onely be gyuen eternall glorie.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Generall thinges be fore parti∣culer.
• * 1.2

  Ci. Ooffia, li. i.
• * 1.3

  Plato in ••achete.