Thomas Campanella, an Italian friar and second Machiavel, his advice to the King of Spain for attaining the universal monarchy of the world particularly concerning England, Scotland and Ireland, how to raise division between king and Parliament, to alter the government from a kingdome to a commonwealth, thereby embroiling England in civil war to divert the English from disturbing the Spaniard in bringing the Indian treasure into Spain : also for reducing Holland by procuring war betwixt England, Holland, and other sea-faring countries ... / translated into English by Ed. Chilmead, and published for awakening the English to prevent the approaching ruine of their nation ; with an admonitorie preface by William Prynne, of Lincolnes-Inne, Esquire.

CHAP. XXIX. Of Persia, and Cataia. (Book 29)

THe King of Spain must endeavour by all Means possible to hinder the Persians, and those of Taprobana, from putting out any Fleets of Ships to Sea; and also the Ara∣bians; for these people would questionlesse be a great hinderance to his Affaires in the East-Indies, and would annoy His Fleet in its passage that way: and might also pro∣bably infect the New-converted Christians there with Mahume∣tanisme. He ought therefore to build strong Castles all along the Coasts of Arabia and Ethiopia, and so likewise upon the Coasts of the Arabian Gulf, and also in all the Southern Islands that lye upon the Coast of Africk, and Asia: and He should enter into a League with the Persian, against the T••rk. And yet perhaps He need not so much care to have the Turk quite extir∣pated; for, whosoever of those two, should overcome the other, whether the Turk, or Persian, he would thereby become so pow∣erful, as that he would be able to conquer the whole Christian World, and so consequently to spoyl all the hopes of a Spanish Monarchy: and it might prove as Prejudicial to Christendom, to have the Turk ruined by any other, but some Christian Prince; as it would be for the advantage of Christendome, that he should be conquered by the Christians themselves alone.

But yet, seeing that the Turk does us continually very much harm, breaking in upon us by Hungary, Sclavonia, and Africk; it would be good Policy to set the Persian upon him; and to take a course that He may have Guns, and such like Artillery ••ent unto him, to make use of in his Warres against the Turk. For, it was meerly the want of these, that was the cause that He lost almost all Armenia, and that the Turk is now so Potent in the East, and that he so little fears the Persian, as he does: for by this means, whiles he is making War upon the Christians in the West, He is secure from all danger from Asia; and so

gets ground upon us daily more and more. It would be conve∣nient therefore to make a League with the Persian; and espe∣cially, in respect of the Kings Negotiations in the East-Indies; because that His Fleet must passe by the Persian Coast. And I am of opinion also, that the same ought to be done with the Kings of Calecut, Narsinga, and Caramania: but these are not to be furnished with Guns. They may indeed be instructed in the Art of Printing, and other Arts, that are in use among the Christians: to the end they may thereby have the Christians in admiration, and high esteem; and that by the introducing of Ingenious Arts and Sciences amongst them, they may be made our Own. And yet Arts are wont to become a Prey to Armes at last; unlesse they be both equally in practise together. And hence it is that Pallas, in the Fable, is said to have overcome both Calliope, and Mars; because She was experienced as well in the use of Mars his Armes, as Calliope's Arts.

The like course is to be taken with those of Taproban••, China, and Iapan, by communicating our Arts and Sciences to them; as Printing, Painting, and the like; which will be very much ad∣mired by them; and by the means of which, they may by degrees he won over, and may be brought to embrace the Christian Faith. But those that deal with them, must be sure, that above all things they abstain from Covetousnesse, and exercising of Cruelty upon any of these people; lest otherwise they should be provoked, and should joyn all together against us, and should thereby prove a great hinderance to the Spaniards Designs.

We shall not need to speak any thing here of the Great Cham of Cataia, seeing that his Country lies so far out of the road that the Spaniard takes in his Voyage to the East-Indies; notwithstanding that the Persians, and Turks have cause enough to stand in fear of him: and we know very well, that the Tar∣tarians have many times over-run all Asia; and that also, be∣coming Christians, they restored unto Us Ierusalem. Yet after∣wards, when they once saw Our Unworthy, Base Disposition, in that, notwithstanding we all professed the same Christian Reli∣gion, we were yet continually at War one with another; they forsook Christianity again, and presently embraced Mahumeta∣nisme, which at that time flourished infinitely, and was in high esteem throughout the Whole East. And by this means was it,

that they came to give over making war any longer upon the Persians and Turks, whom they now suffered to live quietly, without being at all annoyed by Them, who yet had in former times often overthrown, and beaten them: But, on the other side, they were more and more alienated from the Christian Faith, and from the Christians, whom they saw to be so Base, and Unworthy, as to be continually at discord and variance amongst themselves. And yet I believe, that the Glorious Spa∣nish Monarchy, which encompasseth the whole Earth, will shortly reduce them, and bring them to embrace again the Christian Religion: especially if there should any Wars break out in the Eastern Parts; and that so much the rather, because that Macon is now divided into many several Sects. Besides, the People of Calecut, and of Goa, are Christians already, though but Nestorians: yet they might easily be brought to embrace the True, Primitive Christian Religion, if it were but proposed to them to consider, that God hath alwaies preserved the Church of Rome, and firmly settled it in its own Proper Seat, and Power: whereas on the Contrary, all the Heresies of others have been successelesse, and could never get any Dominion, or Authority throughout Chri∣stendome: as appears by Arius, Nestorius, Macedonius, Apol∣linaris, and all other Authors of Heresies.

Now I do not know any thing that would cause those most Remote Kingdoms to admire us more, and that would sooner draw the Inhabitants of the same from their Superstitions, and would besides weaken them too, and make them unapter for War, then if the Knowledge of the Liberal Arts, the Languages, Philosophy, and the Mathematicks were carried thither from hence, by some of our Western Professors of the same; because that

—Minuit vires, nervosque Minerva. Minerva's quiet Arts Take off, and Chill our hearts.

Let the King therefore take care, that Forraigners may be exer∣cised only in Idle, Umbratil Sciences, and Light, toyish matters, and Pastimes: but in the mean time let Him keep His own Na∣tural Subjects to the exercise of their Armes also, together with those forenamed Sciences: by which Means He may still be victorious.

But lastly, (that we may return to our former discourse, touching the Persians aiding us against the Turks,) The Per∣sians, having alwayes relyed wholly upon the Number, and Goodnesse of their Horse, have notwithstanding in the mean time, while they have been Victorious in the Open Field, yet lost their Cities at home. And therefore I say, they are to be advised to fortifie their Cities with Castles, and strong Holds every where. For the Turk, although he have been many times beaten by them, hath yet by litle and litle so entrenched himself about, as it were, with Garrisons, and Fortifications, made in all convenient places, that he hath by this means made himself Master of a very great part of the Persians Country, and hath possessed himself at last also of the great City Tauris, or Ecbatan. They must be taught therefore to make use of the same Arts in defending themselves, by which they have former∣ly been beaten.