The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.

Duties of Kings and all the Supreme power, as, Lawgivers.

1. Princes of the people and all that have Legislative power must provide useful and good Lawes for the defence of propriety, for the encouragement of labour, for the safeguard of their persons, for determining controversies, for reward of noble actions, and excellent arts and rare inventions, for promoting trade, and enriching their peo∣ple.

* 1.12. In the making Lawes Princes must have regard to the publick dispositions, to the af∣fections and disaffections of the people; and must not introduce a Law with publick scan∣dal and displeasure: but consider the pub∣lick benefit, and the present capacity of af∣fairs and general inclinations of mens mindes. For he that enforces a Law upon a people against their first and publick apprehensions tempts them to disobedience, and makes Lawes to become snares and hooks to catch the people, and to enrich the treasury with the spoil and tears and curses of the Com∣munalty, and to multiply their mutiny and their sin.

3. Princes must provide that the Lawes be duely executed: for a good Law without execution is like an unperformed promise: and therefore they must be severe exactors

of accounts from their Delegates and Ministers of Justice.

4. The severity of Lawes must be temper'd with dispensations, pardons, and remissions ac∣cording as the case shall alter, and new necessities be introdu∣ced,* 1.2 or some singular accident shall happen, in which the Law would be unreasonable or into∣lerable as to that particular. And thus the people with their importunity prevailed a∣gainst Saul in the case of Ionathan, and ob∣tained his pardon for breaking the Law which his Father made, because his neces∣sity forced him to taste honey, and his break∣ing the Law in that case did promote that service whose promotion was intended by the Law.

5. Princes must be Fathers of the peo∣ple, and provide such instances of gentle∣nesse, ease, wealth, and advantages, as may make mutuall confidence betweene them; and must fix their security under GOD in the love of the people, which there∣fore they must with all arts of sweetnesse, remission, popularity, noblenesse and sin∣cerity endeavour to secure to them∣selves.

6. Princes must not multiply publick Oathes without great, eminent, and vio∣lent necessity, lest the security of the King become a snare to the people, and they be∣come false when they see themselves suspe∣cted, or impatient when they are violently held fast: but the greater and more useful caution is upon things then upon persons;

and if security of Kings can be obtain'd other∣wise, it is better that Oathes should be the last refuge, and when nothing else can be suf∣ficient.

* 1.37. Let not the people be tempted with arguments to disobey, by the imposition of great and unnecessary taxes: for that lost to the son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Israel.

8. Princes must in a special manner bee Guardians of Pupils and Widows, not suf∣fering their persons to be oppressed, or their states imbecill'd, or in any sense be exposed to the rapine of covetous persons, but be pro∣vided for by just lawes, and provident Judges, and good Guardians, ever having an ear ready open to their just complaints, and a heart full of pity, and one hand to support them, and the other to avenge them.

9. Princes must provide that the Laws may be so administred, that they be truly and re∣ally an ease to the people, not an instru∣ment of vexation: and therefore must be careful that the shortest and most equal wayes of trials be appointed, fees moderated, and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may bee, lest injured persons be forced to perish under the oppression, or under the Law, in the injury or in the suit. Laws are like Princes, the best and most beloved, who are most easie of accesse.

* 1.410. Places of judicature ought at no hand to be sold by pious Princes, who remember themselves to be Fathers of the people. For they that buy the Office will sell the act, and they that at any rate will be judges, will not at an easie rate do justice; and their bribery is

lesse punishable, when bribery opened the door by which they entred.

11. Ancient priviledges, favours, customes, and Acts of grace indulged by former Kings to their people, must not without high reason and great necessities be revoked by their suc∣cessours; nor forseitures be exacted violently, nor penal Laws urged rigorously, nor in light cases, nor Lawes be multiplied without great need, nor vitious persons which are publickly and deservedly hated, be kept in defiance of popular desires, nor any thing that may unne∣cessarily make the yoke heavie, and the affe∣ction light, that may increase murmures, and lessen charity; alwayes remembring, that the interest of the Prince and the People is so in∣folded in a mutual imbrace, that they cannot be untwisted without pulling a limb off, or dissolving the bands and conjunction of the whole body.

12. All Princes must esteem themselves as much bound by their word, by their grants, & by their promises, as the meanest of their Subjects are by the restraint and penalty of Laws: and although they are superiour to the people, yet they are not superiour to their own voluntary concessions; and ingagements, their promises and Oathes, when once they are passed from them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Eth. 5. cap. 10.
• * 1.3

  L'avaritia de Re••pe∣••••eds 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  C••i com∣pr•• il ma∣gistrato tarza ••pan•• la••••giustitia.