St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Whether the Romaines might iustly desire that their Citties estate should arise to pre∣heminence by such furious warres, when it might haue rested firme, and quiet, in such a peace as Numa procured. CHAP. 10.

VVIll they reply (thinke you) that the Imperiall state of Rome had no other meanes of augmentation but by continuance of warres, nor any fitter course to diffuse the honour thereof then this? A fit course surely! why should any Empire make disquiet the scale vnto greatnesse? In this little world of mans body, is it not better to haue a meane stature with an vnmooued health, then a huge bignesse with intollerable sicknesse? to take no rest at the point where thou shouldst rest, the end? but still to confound the greater grouth with the greater griefe? what euill had there beene, nay what good had there not beene if those

times had lasted that Salust so applawded, saying: Kings in the beginning (for this (a) was first Imperiall name on earth) were diuers in their goodnesse: some exercised * 1.1 their corporall powers, some their spirituall, and mens liues in those times were without all exorbitance of habit or affect, each one keeping in his owne compasse: why should the Empire be aduanced by those practises that Virgil so detesteth? saying.

Deterior donec paulatim & d•…•…color aetas Et belli rabi•…•…s, & amor successit habendi.

(b) Vntill peruerse declining times succeed: World-frighting warres, and •…•…ll-pretended need.

But indeed the Romaines as yet had a iust defence for their so continued con∣tentions and warres: because, their foes engirting them with such vniuersall in∣uasions, it was very necessity to saue them-selues, and not their endeauour to be∣come powrefull ouer others that put weapons into their hands. Well bee it so. For, (as Saluste writeth) when they had well settled their estate by lawes, cus∣tomes and possessions, and seemed sufficiently potent, then, as it is in most affaires of mortality, out of their eminence arose enuy in others, which armed many of their neighbour Kings against them, and with-held most of their reputed friends from assisting them; they rest standing affraid, and a farre off. But the Romaines them-selues, sticking to warres tackling, cheered vp one another, to encounter the foe with courage, standing in their armes as the bulwarkes of their freedome, their countrey, and their kinred. And hauing made their vertue breake through all mistes of opposed daungers, they aided those that affected them, returning more gaine of friend-shippe to their estate by beeing the agents of bounty then the obiects, rather by doing good turnes to others, then by receiuing such of others. In these formes of augmenting her selfe, Rome kept a good Decorum. But now, in Numa's raigne, was there any iniuries of enemy or inuasions, con∣curring to disturbe this peace of his time, or was there not? If Rome were as then molested with wars, & yet did not oppose hostility with hostility; then those meanes that kept the foe from beeing ouerthrowne in fight, and yet without stroakes compelled them to composition; those very meanes alone should bee still of powre to shut Ianus his gates, and keepe this peace continually in Rome. Which if it were not in their powre to doe, then verily the Romaines had not their peace as long as it pleased the gods to allow it them, but as long as the neighbour Princes listed not to inuade and trouble them; (c) vnlesse those gods had farmed that which lieth not in theirs but others powre, vnto each one at their pleasure, as it it were by the letter pattent. There is much difference truly in these deuills working vpon mens proper infirmities, whether they worke with terrors, or with incitations. But howsoeuer, were they of this powre alwaies, and were not controuled by a superior soueraignty, they would still be practising their au∣thorities in warres and slaughters: which (as they fall out in truth) ordinarily, are rather the effects of mortall mens peculiar passions and affections, then direct practises of the damned spirits.

L. VIVES.

FOr this (a) was] So saith Iustine lib. 1. Herodotus, and Pliny. This institution deriued from Aegipt, where they say that Menes was the first King: though Diodorus affirme that O∣syris, * 1.2 Horus, and diuers others of the gods raigned before him. Our scriptures say that Nem∣broth was the first King, and raigned at Babilon. (b) Vntill peruerse] Hesiod in his Opera & Di∣es, saigneth fiue ages of mortality, which place he beginneth thus.

—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. —The gods did first of all Make men in golden moldes: celestiall Their habitations were: In Saturnes raigne * 1.3 The vvorld afforded such.—

This, Uirgil, Ouid, and others did immitate. The first age the Golden one, they say was

vnder Saturne: without warres, or will to warres, humanity was lockt in vnity; neither were men contentious nor clamorous. These were called Saturnian daies. The next age Siluer, vnder Ioue, then warre began to buffle: so did her daughter, care, hate, and deceit. The third, Brazen warre hurles all vpon heapes, and quasseth liues and bloud. The fourth of the Halfe-Gods, Heroes, who thought they loued iustice, yet their bosomes harboured an eager thirst of warres. The first, Iron, wherein mischiefe goeth beyond bound and limit, and all miseries, breaking their prisons, assault mans fortunes; open deceit, open hate, open warres, slaughters, vastations, burnings, rapes, and rapines, all open violent and common (e) vnlesse] vnlesse the gods be so impudent, that they will sell that vnto men, as a benefit from them, which hath the original from another mans wil, and so require thankes of them as though it were there guift when it is rather the gift of another. [One interpreter vnderstanding not the figure, rappeth * 1.4 out what came first on his tongues end, and vpon that, as vpon a marble foundation, Lord what a goodly building he raiseth, concerning selling, and the powers of deuills, mans affects, and many good morrowes: euen such like as this in foundation is much of our Philosophers and Schoole-diuines trattle for all the world, what wounderfull maters do they wring out of such or such places of Aristotle or the scriptures, as (indeed) they neuer could truly vnder∣stand. O happy builders, that vpon no foundation but onely a meere smoke, can rayse such goodly buildings, as are held absolutely sky-towring, so elegant, and so durable!]

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first Kings prac∣tises.
• * 1.2

  The first Kings.
• * 1.3

  Fiue ages of men.
• * 1.4

  [Paris co∣py leaues out this intirely.]