Effata regalia. Aphorismes [brace] divine, moral, politick. Scattered in the books, speeches, letters, &c. of Charles the First, King of Great Brittain, &c. / Now faithfully collected and published by Richard Watson, fellow of Gonvile and Caius Colledge in Cambridge.

The Fifth Century. (Book 5)

1. IT is unreasonable for Subjects to expect the King should think their Couns••ls good for him, who maintain a War against him.

2. Prosperity gains the greatest esteem and applause among the Vul∣gar, as adversity exposeth to their greatest slighting and disrespect.

3. Good Fortune is not alwayes the shadow of Vertue and Justice; but oftner attends vitious and inju∣rious actions as to this world.

4. No secular advantages seem sufficient to that Cause, which begun with Tumults, depends chiefly upon the reputation with the Vulgar.

5. Rebels think no Victories so effectual to their designs, as those that most rout and wast their Kings credit with his people.

6. The taking away a Kings cre∣dit, is but a necessary preparation to the taking away of his life and his kingdomes.

7. It is an exquisite method of Rebels cunning and cruel••y, To compel their King first to follow the funerals of his honour, and then destroy him.

8. Few mens Consciences are so stupid, as not to inflict upon them some secret impressions of that shame and dishonour which attends all unworthy actions, have they never so much of publick flat∣tery and popular countenance.

9. Chams curse of being servant of servants, must needs be on them, who seek by dishonourable actions to please the vulgar; and confirm

by ignoble acts, their dependance upon the people.

10. What Providence denies to Force, it may grant to Prudence.

11. When necessity is a King's Counsellor, his confidence in a re∣bellious people may disarm and over∣come them; and the rendring his Person to them, engage their affe∣ctions to him.

12. God must be a Kings chief∣est Guard; and his Conscience both his Counsellor, and his Com∣forter.

13. No necessities should com∣pel a King to desert his ••••••••ur, or swerve from his judg••••••••.

14. An univ••••sal confidence put in dissembling Subjects, may make them ashamed not to be really such, as they ought and profess to be.

15. So various are all humane affairs, and so necessitous may the state of Princes be, that their

greatest danger may be in their sup∣posed safety; and their safety in their suposed danger.

16. A King ought not in rebel∣lious times, to be less solicitous for his friends safety, than his own; and he may chuse to venture himself up∣on further hazards, rather than ex∣pose their resolute loyalty to all ex∣tremity.

17. It is some skil in play, to know when a game is lost; better fairly to give over, than to contest in vain.

18. A King that casts himself upon the kindness of Subjects that have fought against him, must study to reinforce his judgment, and fortifie his mind with Reason and Religion; that he may not seem to offer up his souls liberty, or make his Conscience their Captive.

19. No success should darken or disguise truth to a King, who in the

greatest necessity, should no less conform his words unto his inward dictates, than if they had been, as the words of a King ought to be a∣mong Loyal Subjects, full of power.

20. Reason is the divinest pow∣er: A King should never think him∣self weakned, while he may make full and free use of that.

21. No Eclipse of outward for∣tune should rob a King of the light of Reason.

22. What God denies of out∣ward strength to a distressed King, his grace may supply with inward reso∣lutions, not morosity to deny what is fit to be granted; but not to grant any thing, which Reason and Religion bids him deny.

23. A King should never think himself less th••n himself, while he is able to preserve the integrity of his Conscience, when the only jewel left him worth keeping.

24. When Kings are deceiv'd in their confidence, it is but an essay which God will have them make of man's uncertainty, the more to fix them on himself, who never faileth them that trust in him.

25. Though the Reeds of Aegypt break under the hand of him that leans on them; yet the Rock of Israel will be an everlasting stay and defence.

26. When a King retires to God, he most enjoyes himself, which he loseth while he lets out his hopes to others.

27. Solitude and Captivity gives a King leisure enough to stu∣dy the Worlds vanity and incon∣stancy.

28. A King need not care much to be reckoned among the unfor∣tunate, if he be not in the black List of irreligious and sacrilegious Princes.

29. No restraint should ensnare a Kings soul in sin, nor gain that of him which may make his Enemies more insolent, his friends ashamed, or his name accursed.

30. They have no great cause to triumph, that have got a King's person into their power, whose soul remains his own.

31. Should a King grant what unreasonable men desire, he should be such as they wish him, not more a King, and far less both man and Christian.

32. Restraint ought not to obtain that of a King, which Tumults and Armes could not, wherein though there be little safety, yet it hath not more of danger.

33. The fear of men should ne∣ver be a Kings snare: nor should the love of any liberty entangle his Soul.

34. Better others betray a King,

than himself: and that the price of his liberty should be his Conscience.

35. The greatest injuries a King's enemies seek to inflict upon him, cannot be without his own consent.

36. While a King can deny with Reason, he shall defeat the greatest impressions of Rebels malice, who neither know how to use worthily what is already granted, nor what to require more of him but this, That he would seem willing to help, then to destroy himself and his.

37. Although Rebels should de∣stroy a King, yet let him give them no cause to despise him.

38. Neither Liberty nor Life are so dear to a King, as the peace of his Conscience, the honour of his Crownes, and the welfare of his People.

39. A King's word may more in∣jure his People, than a War; while he gratifies a few, to oppress all.

40. Lawes may by God's bles∣sing, revive with the Loyalty of Sub∣jects, if a distressed King bury them not by his consent, and cover them not in the grave of dishonour and injustice, which some mens violence may have digged for them.

41. If Captivity or Death must be the price of the Lawes redemption, a King should not grudge to pay it.

42. No condition can make a King miserable, which carieth not with it his Souls, his Peoples, and Posterities thraldom.

43. A Monarch should rather hazard the ruine of one King, than confirm many Tyrants over his peo∣ple.

44 A distressed King may by the learning, piety and prayers of his Chaplains, be either better en∣abled to sustain the want of all o∣ther enjoyments, or better sitted for the recovery and use of them

in God's good time.

45. A King may reap, by the pious help of his Chaplains, a spi∣ritual harvest of grace amidst the thornes, and after the plowings of temporal crosses.

46. When Rebels confine their King to solitude, they adde a Wil∣derness of Temptations, especialy if they obtrude company upon him more sad than solitude it self.

47. The evil policy of men for∣bids all just restitution, lest they should confess an injurous usurpa∣tion.

48. Though the justice of the Law deprive Prisoners of worldly comforts, yet the mercy of Reli∣gion allowes them the benefit of their Clergy, as not aiming at once to destroy their Bodies, and to damn their Souls.

49. To deny a King the Ghost∣ly comfort of his Chaplains, seems a

greater rigour and barbarity than is used to the meanest Prisoners, and greatest Malefactors.

50. A Kings agony may be re∣lieved by the presence of one good Angel, such as is a learned, godly and discreet Divine.

51. Rebels, that envy the being a King, will encline to lothe his be∣ing a Christian, and while they seek to deprive him of all things else, will be afraid he should save his Soul.

52. Some remedies are worse than the disease, and some comfor∣ters more miserable than misery it self; when like Jobs friends, they seek not to fortifie one's mind with patience, but perswade a man, by betraying his own Innocency, to despair of God's mercy; and by justifying their injuries, to streng∣then the hands, and harden the hearts of insolent Enemies.

53. A King looking upon Cler∣gy-men

as Orphans, and under the sacrilegious eyes of many cruel and rapacious Reformers, ought in duty to appear as a Father, and a Patron of them and the Church.

54. It is better to seem unde∣vout, and to hear no mens pray∣ers, than to be forced, or seem to comply with those petitions, to which the heart cannot consent, nor the tongue say Amen, without con∣tradicting a man's own understand∣ing, or belying his own Soul.

55. In publick devotions, a King should countenance neither prophane boldness, nor pious non∣sense; but such an humble and ju∣dicious gravity, as shewes the speaker to be at once conside∣ate both of God's Majesty, the Church's honor, and his own vile∣ness, both knowing what things God allowes him to ask, and in what maner it becomes a Sinner to

supplicate the divine mercy for himself and others.

56. A King should equally be scandaliz'd with all prayers that sound either imperiously, or rudely and passionately; as either want∣ing humility to God, or charity to men, or respect to the duty.

57. A King should better be pleased, as with studied and preme∣ditated Sermons, so with such pub∣lick forms of Prayer as are fitted to the Church's and every Chri∣stian's daily and common necessi∣ties; because he is better assured what he may joyn his heart unto, than he can be of any man's ex∣temporary sufficiency.

58. Extemporary sufficiency, as it need not wholely be excluded from publick occasions, so is it to be allow'd its just liberty and use in private and devout retirements; where neither the solemnity of the

duty, nor the modest regard to o∣thers, do require so great exactness, as to the outward maner of perfor∣mance.

59. The light of understanding, and the fervency of affection, are the main and most necessary re∣quisites both in constant and occa∣sional, solitary and social devo∣tions.

60. A great part of some mens piety, hangs upon the popular pin of railing against, and contemning the Liturgy of a Church.

61. A King should rather be condemned to the woe of Vae soli, than to that of Vae vobis Hypocritis, by seeming to pray what he does not approve.

62. It is infinitely more glori∣ous to convert Souls to Gods Church by the Word, than to con∣quer men to a subjection by the Sword.

63. The gifts and prayers of the Clergy, are to be look't upon as more praevalent than a King's, or other men's, by how much they flow from minds more enlightned, and affections less distracted, than those which are encombred with secular affairs.

64. A greater blessing and ac∣ceptableness attends those duties which are rightly perform'd, as proper to, and within the limits of that calling, to which God and the Church have especially designed and consecrated some men.

65. Confusion in Religion will as certainly follow every man's tur∣ning Priest or Preacher, as it will in the State, where every man affects to rule as King.

66. A King may bear with more grief and impatience the want of his Chaplains, than of any other his servants, and next (if not beyond in

some things) to the being seque∣stred from his Wife and Children; since from these, indeed more of humane and temporary affections; but from those more of heavenly and eternal improvements may be expected.

67. In the inforced (not neg∣lected) want of ordinary means, God is wont to afford extraordi∣nary supplies of his gifts and gra∣ces.

68. A King that in solitude, has Gods Spirit to teach him and help his infirmities in prayer, reading and meditation will need no other ei∣ther Oratour or Instructer.

69. Some little practise wil serve that man, who only seeks to repre∣sent a part of honesty and honour.

70. A King cannot be so low, but He is considerable: adding weight to that Party where he ap∣pears.

71. When the excentrique and irregular motion of the Times can∣not well be resisted, nor quieted; Better swim down such a stream, than in vain to strive against it.

72. Impossible it is for lines to be drawn from the center, and not to di∣vide from each other, so much the wider, by how much they go farther from the point of union.

73. Professed Patrons for the Peoples Liberties, cannot be utterly against the Liberty of their King: what they demand for their own Conscience, they cannot in reason deny to his.

74. Novel Injunctions cannot well be stamped with the authority of Lawes, without the Kings con∣sent.

75. Men are hardly content with one sin, but adde sin to sin, til the later punish the former.

76. Power is above all Rule, Order

and Law; where men look more to present Advantages, than their Con∣sciences, and the unchangeable rules of Justice; while they are Judges of others, they are forced to con∣demn themselves.

77. Vengeance oft pursues and overtakes them that thought to have escaped and fortified them∣selves most impregnably against it, both by their multitude and com∣pliance.

78. Whom the Lawes cannot, God will punish, by their own crimes and hands.

79. Fatal blindness frequently attends and punisheth wilfullness, so that men shall not be able at least to prevent their sorrowes, who would not timely repent of their sins, nor shall they be suffered to en∣joy the comforts, who securely neg∣lect the counsels belonging to their peace.

80. Brethren in Iniquity, are not far from becoming insolent enemies, there being nothing harder than to keep ill men long in one mind.

81. It is not possible to gain a ••air period for those motions which go rather in a round and circle of fancy, than in a right line of reason tending to the Law, the only center of pub∣lick consistency.

82. Men are much more happy when subject to known Lawes, than to the various wills of any men, seem they never so plausible at first.

83. Vulgar compliance with any illegal and extravagant wayes, like violent motions in nature, soon growes weary of it self, and ends in a refractory fullenness.

84. Peoples rebounds are oft in their faces, who first put them upon those violent strokes.

85. A King may so far esteem the valour and gallantry some time

shewed by an Army which hath fought against him, as to concur to∣ward a just satisfying their demands of pay and indemnity; and to wish he may never want such men to maintain himself, his Lawes and Kingdome in such a peace as where∣in they may enjoy their share and proportion so much as any men.

86. It is some kind of deceiving and lessening the injury of a Kings long restraint, when he finds his lei∣sure and solitude have produced something worthy of himself, and usefull to his Successour.

87. In Civil Warres, a Kings cause is not to be measured by the success, nor his judgment of things by his misfortunes.

88. It is an advantage of wisdom to a young Prince, to have begun & spent some years of discretion in the experience of troubles, and exercise of patience.

89. In troubles Piety and all Virtues, both Moral and Political are commonly better planted to a thriving (as Trees set in winter) than in the warmth and serenity of times.

90. The delights which usually attend Princes Courts in time of Peace and Plenty, are prone either to root up all Plants of true Virtue and Honor, or to be contented only with some leaves and withering for∣malities of them.

91. Princes should alwayes re∣member they are born, and by Pro∣vidence designed to the publick good.

92. Flatteries are as unseparable from prosperous Princes, as Flies ate from fruit in Summer, whom adver∣sity, like cold weather, drives away.

93. Charles le Bon, a more glo∣rious name for a Prince, than le Grand; Better for him and his

people he be good, than great.

94. The early exercise of Gods graces and gifts bestowed upon Princes may best weed out all vici∣ous inclinations, and dispose them to such Princely endowments and imployments, which will most gain the love, and intend the welfare of those over whom God may place them.

95. A Prince ought to begin and end with God, who is King of Kings, the Soveraign disposer of the Kingdomes of the World.

96. The best Government, and highest Soveraignty a Prince can attain to is, to be subject to God, that the Scepter of his Word and Spirit may rule in his heart.

97. The true glory of Princes consists in advancing Gods Glory in the maintenance of true Reli∣gion, and the Church's good; Also in the dispensation of civil Power,

with Justice and Honour to the publick Peace.

98. Piety will make a Prince prosperous; at least it will keep him from being miserable.

99. He is not much a loser, that loseth all, yet saveth his own soul at last.

100. A Kings affliction is Gods Physick, having that in healthful∣ness which it wants in pleasure.