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

The thre noble counsayles of reason, societie, & knowlege. Cap. III.

VErely the knowlege of Iustice is not * 1.1 so difficile or hard to be attayned vn∣to by man, as it is communely suppo∣sed, if he wolde not wyllyngely abandone the excellencie of his propre nature, and fo lisshely applicate hym selfe to the nature of creatures vnreasonable, in the stede of Re∣son embrasynge sensualitie, and for Societe and Beneuolence, folowynge wylfulnesse and malyce, and for knowlege, blynde ig∣noraunce and forgetfulnes. Undoughtedly reason, societie called company, and know∣lege

remaynynge, Iustice is at hande, and as she were called for, ioyneth her selfe to that company, whiche by her felowshyp is made inseperable, wherby hapneth (as I mought saye) a vertuous and moste blessed conspiracie. And in theyr shorte preceptes and aduertisementes, man is perswaded to receiue and honour iustice. Reason bedyng hym, Do the same thynge to an other, that thou woldest haue done to the. Societie, without which mans lyfe is vnpleasant and full of anguysshe, saythe, Loue thou thy neyghboure, as thou doest thy selfe. And that sentence or precepte came from heuin, whan Societie was fyrst ordeimed of god, and is of such auctoritie, that the only sōne of god, beynge demaunded of a doctour of lawe, whiche is the great commaunde∣mente in the lawe of god, answered, Thou * 1.2 shalt loue thy lorde god with all thy harte, and in all thy soule, and in all thy mynde, that is the fyrste and greatte commaunde∣mēt. The second is lyke to the same, Thou shalte loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. In these two commaundementes do depende al the lawe and prophetes. Beholde howe our sauiour Christe ioyneth Beneuolence with the loue of god, and not only maketh it the seconde precepte, but also resembleth it vnto the fyrste?

¶ Knowlege also, as a perfeyt instructrice * 1.3 and mastresse, in a more briefe sentence than yet hath benne spoken, declareth, by what meane the sayd preceptes of reason and so∣cietie maye be well vnderstande, and ther∣by Iustice finally executed. The wordes be these in latyne, NOSCE TE IPSVM, whi∣che * 1.4 is in englyshe, knowe thy self. This sē∣tence is of olde wrytars supposed for to be firste spoken by Chilo, or some other of the seuen ancient Grekes, called in latine SA∣PIENTES, in englysshe sages or wise men. Other do accōmodate it to Apollo, whom the paynimes honoured for god of wyse∣dome. But to saye the trouthe, were it A∣pollo, that spake it, or Chilo, or any other, suerly it proceded of god, as an excellente and wonderful sentence. By this coūsaile, man is induced to vnderstād the other two preceptes, & also therby is accōplyshed not only the seconde parte, but also the residue of Iustice, whiche I before haue rehersed. For a man knowynge hym selfe, shal knowe that whiche is his owne, and perreineth to hym selfe. But what is more his own, than his soule? Or what thynge more aptertey∣neth to him, than his body? His soule is vn doughtedly and frely his owne. And none other persone may by any meane possesse it or clayine it. His body so perteyneth vnto

hym, that none other, without his consent, maye vendicate therin any propretie. Of what valour or price his soule is, the symi∣litude, wherunto it was made, the immor∣talytie, and lyfe euerlastynge, and the po∣wars and qualities therof, abundauntly do declare. And of that same matter and sub∣stance that his sowle is of, be all other sou∣les, * 1.5 that nowe are, and haue ben, and euer shall be, without syngularytie or preemy∣nence of nature. In semblable astate is his body, and of no better claye (as I mought frankely saye) is a gentyl man made, than a carter, and of lybertie of wyll, as moche is gyuen of god to the poore herdeman, as to the greate and myghty Emperour. Than in knowynge the condycyon of his sowle and body, he knoweth hym selfe, and con∣sequently in the same thynge he knowethe euery other man.

¶ If thou be a gouernour, or haste ouer o∣ther soueraygntie, knowe thy selfe. That * 1.6 is to saye, knowe that thou arte verelye a manne, compacte of soule and body, and in that all other men be equall vnto the. Also that euery man taketh with the, equall be∣nefite of the spirite of lyfe, nor thou hast a∣ny more of the dewe of heuyn, or the bright¦nes of the sonne, than any other personne. Thy dignitie or auctoritie, wherin thou on¦ly

differest from other, is (as it were) but a weyghty or heuy cloke, freshely gliteryng in the eien of them that be poreblind, wher vnto the, it is peynefull, if thou weare him in his ryght facion, and as it shall beste be∣come the: And from the it maye be shortly taken, of hym that dyd put it on the, if thou vse it negligently, or that thou weare it not commely, and as it apperteyneth. There∣fore whiles thou wearest it, knowe thy self, knowe that the name of a soueraigne or ru∣ler, without actuall gouernaunce, is but a shadowe, that gouernance standeth not by wordes onely, but princypally by acte and exaumple, that by example of gouernours men do ryse or fal in vertue or vice. And as it is sayde of Aristotell, rulers more gre∣uously do synne, by example than by theyr acte. And the more they haue vnder theyr gouernaunce, the greatter accounte haue they to rendre, That in theyr owne pre∣ceptes and ordenaunces they be not foūde negligent. Wherfore there is a noble aduer tisement of the emperour Alexāder, for his grauitie called Seuerus.

¶ On a time, one of his noble mē exhorted * 1.7 hym to do a thyng, contrary to a lawe or e∣dicte, which he him selfe had enacted: But he firmely denyed it. The other styl persi∣stynge, sayde, The emperour is not boun∣den

to obserue his owne lawes. Whervnto the sayde emperour displeasanntely answe∣ring, said in this maner, God forbede, that euer I shulde deuise any lawes, wherby my people shuld be compelled to do any thing, whiche I my selfe can not tollerate.

¶ Wherfore ye that haue any gouernance, by this moste noble princis example knowe the boundes of your auctoritie, knowe also your office and duetie, beynge your selfes men mortall, amonge men, and instructours and leaders of men. And that as obedience is due vnto you, so is your study, your la∣bour, your industry with vertuous exaum∣ple, dewe to them that be subiecte to your autoritye. Ye shal knowe al way your selfe, if for affection or motion ye doo speke or do nothyng vnworthy the immortalitie & most precious nature of your soule, and remem∣bringe that your body is subiecte to corup∣tion, as al other be, and life time vncertain. If ye forget not this commune astate, and do also remembre, that in nothinge but only in vertue ye are better thā an other inferi∣or person: According to the saying of Age∣silaus, king of Lacedemones, who heryng * 1.8 the greate kynge of Persia praysed, asked howe moche that greatte kynge was more than he in iustice. And Socrates, being de∣manded, * 1.9 if the kyng of Persia semed to him

happy, I can not tell (said he) of what esti∣matiō he is in vertue and lerning. Consider also, that auctoritie being wel and diligētly vsed, is but a token of superioritie, but in ve¦ry dede it is a burden and losse of libertie.

¶ And what gouernour in this wyse kno∣weth him selfe, he shal also by the same rule knowe all other men, and shall nedes loue them, for whom he taketh labours, and for saketh libertie.

¶ In semblable maner, the inferior person * 1.10 or subiecte aught to consider, that all be it (as I haue spoken) he in the substaunce of sowle and body, is equall with his supery∣or. yet for as moche as the powers & qua∣lities of the soule and body, with the dispo∣sition of reason, be not in euery man equall, therfore god ordeyned a diuersitie or prec∣minence in degrees to be amōg men, for the necessary derection and preseruatiō of thē in conformitie of lyuynge. Wherof nature ministreth to vs examples abundauntly, as in bees (wherof I haue before spokē in the fyrste boke) cranes, red dere, wolfes, & di∣uers other foules & bestes, which herdeth or flocketh, amonge whom is a gouernour or leader, towarde whom al the other haue a vigilante eye, awaytyng his signes or to∣kens, and accordinge therto reparinge thē selfe mooste dylygently. If we thynke, that

this naturall instinction of creatures vnre∣sonable is necessary and also commendable, howe farre out of reason shall we iudge thē to be, that wolde exterminate all superiori∣tie, extincte all gouernance and lawes, and vnder the colour of holy scriptuxe, whiche they do violently wraste to theyr purpose, endeuour them selfes, to brynge the lyfe of mau into a confusion ineuitable, and to be in moche warse astate, than the afore named beastes. Sens withoute gouernaunce and lawes, the persones moste stronge in body, shuld by violence constraigne them that be of lesse strengthe and weaker, to labour as bondemen or slaues for theyr sustynaunce and other necessaryes, the stronge men be∣inge without labour or care. Than were al * 1.11 our equalytie dasshed, and fynally as bea∣stes sauage, one shal desyre to slee a nother. I omytte contynuall manslaughters, raui∣shementes, aduoutryes, and euormyties horrible to reherce, whiche (gouernaunce lackynge) muste nedes of necessitie ensue: excepte these euangelicall persones coude perswade god, or compelle hym to change men in to aungels, makynge them all of one dysposition, and confirmyng them al in one fourme of charitie. And as concernynge al men in a generaltie, this fentence, Knowe thy selfe, whiche of all other is moste com∣pendious,

being made but of thre wordes, euery word being but one sillable, induceth men sufficiently to the knowlege of iustice.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Counsay∣lours of Iustice.
• * 1.2

  Matt. 22.
• * 1.3

  knowlege
• * 1.4

  that this sētēce no∣sce te ipsū, know thy selfe. indu∣ceth to the veri know¦lege of Iu∣styce.
• * 1.5

  the equa∣lite in sou∣les & cor∣poral sub∣staunce.
• * 1.6

  knowlege of a gouer nour.
• * 1.7

  Lāpridius
• * 1.8

  Agesilaus
• * 1.9

  Socrates.
• * 1.10

  Knowlege of subiect{is}
• * 1.11

  The neces site that is in gouer∣naunce.