Politique discourses, treating of the differences and inequalities of vocations, as well publique, as priuate with the scopes or endes wherevnto they are directed. Translated out of French, by Ægremont Ratcliffe Esquire.

CHAPTER X. Of their dutie and charge, which haue power and au∣thoritie to call to vocations, Ecclesiasticall, or Publique: of what importaunce their charge is: how hurtfull the sale of offices is to the Common weale.

IT followeth nowe to speake as well of their dutie, which haue the charge and authoritie to call and prouide, as of thē which desire and intend to enter. And to beginne with them that haue power to call, be it eyther to Ecclesiasticall or Ciuil charges: vndoubtedly, there is no one thing of so great impor∣taunce in the Ciuil administration, ne yet whereof more good or harme dependeth, then of the diligence and negligence of those, that haue power and autho∣ritie, as being the principall point, and most requisite in the Ciuil gouernment, well to discerne and choose the very nature and sufficiencie of euery man, that is by them called and receiued into any publique ser∣uice. As it is saide of the good husbandman, that the knowledge he may haue of the windes, of the qualitie and disposition of the aire, and other thinges, which be in very déede most necessarie in husbandrie, be to small purpose, vnlesse he first be wel acquainted with the nature and propertie of each soyle, & knowe what it may beare: as Virgil writeth, saying:

First ought we learne by skilfull vse, What ylke soyle doth brooke or refuse: Corne in one place, elsewhere vines thriue, Each thing hath place where best to liue: High trees best fruits oft times foorth bring, But in deepe dales, greene medowes spring.

So it is vndoubtedly of the nature and propertie of wittes, inclinations, and sufficiencies of men, each one in his degrée, chéefly to be vnderstoode by them, which ought to make choice and election in the Com∣mon weale. For euen as there is no member or part of man, be the same neuer so small or secrete, which

hath not his vertue and seuerall propertie, greatly seruing to the conseruation of the whole body: So is there no one witt, the which, so the same be well cho∣sen and imployed, may not serue, and bring some fruite to the Common vtilitie. But to speake true∣ly, such care and knowledge resteth not in the heade of one alone, be he neuer so able: so great, and notori∣ous is the weaknesse of man. And they that enter∣prise this charge and authoritie alone, ought to take good héede to that they doe, and not to be easie and light in prouiding, before they haue well and néerely inquired, and diligently considered thereof. For, sith it is so, that one of the difficultest things to man, is to picke out, and choose some kinde of liuing, fit and con∣uenient for him selfe, yea, though he be ayded by the knowledge of his owne proper nature and inclinati∣on: howe much more difficult a thing must it néedes be, alone to prouide for offices, men méete and wor∣thie of the Common gouernement? Truely it is a thing surpassing the abilitie and capacitie of one a∣lone, be he neuer so excellent. So that the only vertue and sufficiencie of men, méete for the exercise of Ec∣clesiasticall or Politique callings, must be only that, which must be sought out, in what habitation so euer it harbour, be it eyther in yong or olde, poore or rich, noble or common person: as if offices and publique charges were the rewardes of vertue, & not of bloud or race, or yet of wealth and riches.

But to come particularly to Ecclesiasticall and Ciuil vocations: men had such care in olde time, to perfourme that which belonged to the Ecclesiastical, that not contented with the politique election (wher∣of we haue spoken,) they beside that, declared and pu∣blished the name of him that was chosen, that eue∣ry man might be receiued and hearde, that knewe ought worthy of blame and reproche by him.

And the Emperour Alexander Seuere, who reigned about the birthe and first foundation of the Christian Church, séeing the singular diligence Christians vsed, in the prouiding of Ecclesiasticall charges, made a constitution and ordinaunce, by the which, following their example, he ordeined, that the like should be ob∣serued for the estates and offices of his Empire: say∣ing (as Lampridius testifieth of him,) that sithe the Iewes and Christians kept and vsed that most com∣mendable fashion, in purueying of their offices, by greater reason he also ought to kéepe the same. And to speake more fréely, sith it is so, that they which haue this souereigne authoritie of God, to be as his vicars and lieuetenants, be most diligent and carefull, in sée∣king and finding of people méete and excellent for their particular seruice, as Cookes, Barbars, Musi∣cians, Faulconers, and other like, what excuse can they alledge or pretend, being lesse diligent in proui∣ding persons sufficient and capable for the publique seruice, and in séeing that offices be prouided of per∣sons méete and capable, and not the persons of offi∣ces. If it so were, saith Plato, that the helme and go∣uerning of a ship were giuen by fauour of friends, or solde for monie, without consideration of sufficiencie, (as Sylla saide of young Marius:) or that the rudder were giuen to him that knoweth not howe to handle an oare: in what daunger and inconuenience should they of necessitie be ere long, that be in the same? So vndoubtedly is it of euery Realme or Cōmon weale, gouerned by persons established in the same, without regard of the weale publique, and respect to vertue & sufficiencie. Nothing being more certeine (as the Emperour Iustinian saide) then that the beginning of all iniquitie and iniustice, procéedeth of the sale of publique charges and offices. For (as the Empe∣rour Alexander of whome we spake right now, said)

it is requisite that he that buyeth, sell againe after∣ward. I will neuer suffer (saide he) that there be mer∣chandize of offices in my Empire: for, if I permit the same, I may not afterward punish, nor condemne men for selling, hauing before bought of me. There∣fore the auncient Romanes, while their Common weale florished, in token and testimonie, that no mā ought to present him selfe, & much lesse be receiued by buying, especial suit, monie, or corruption, but by ver∣tue, and for deserts sake: had a custome, when their assemblies were made, to procéede to the election of Magistrates and officers, to decke and clothe them selues in a white and single loose garment, vngirt, & without iacket, and in this apparell to present them selues to the place appointed, and simply by them sel∣ues, and not by other, to request the citizens to haue them in recommendation.

So that there neuer entered into mens heades a greater errour nor fonder opinion, concerning poli∣tique affaires, then to haue beléeued that the sale of offices should bring commoditie to a common weale: As if the principall force of a kingdome, depended on the almes or gathering of monie. As in our dayes, some which haue bene greatly abused haue thought. Not séeing that, quite contrarily: it is the meane to ouerthrowe and destroy the principall foundation of the same: as present experience doth but ouer well teach vs. The same being farre truer that Aratus said to Philip sonne to Antigonus king of Macedon, that there was no treasure or profite more assured to a Prince, then the gouernment of a Common weale, and the conduction of men, well ordeined: ne yet a stronger and better fenced fortresse, then the loue, fi∣delitie, and good will of subiectes. For, as Plato saith, it is not the scepter of massiue golde, that is to say, wealth and riches, that maketh Princes to prosper,

but the obedient amitie of their subiectes.

Oh, I would to God that we had hitherto had the force and vertue of men in more estimation, then the force and vertue of monie: and then had we not séene the trouble and disorder in all estates that we nowe sée, the Publique estate and zeale being conuerted in∣to gaine and merchandize, not without great shame and dishonour to them chéefly, that haue set the shop open to al men, making offices no lesse common, then a harlot in the stues. So that it is a difficult thing in these dayes, to find one, vnto whome a man may not say, as Iulius Caesar sayde merrily vnto Sylla, vaun∣ting in choler, that he would vse against him the au∣thoritie and power that his office gaue him: Thou hast reason (saide he) to call that same thine owne of∣fice, for it is thine in déede, sith that thou hast bought it. A detestable thing, and by the which the studie of vertue hath bene sore decayed, euery man séeing the same auayle so little to the obteining of offices, and aduauncing to degrées of honours. For euen as (saith Marcus Cato.) Diers for the most part die the colour which they sée is most sought for, & leaue the same y^t hath lesse cost: So men naturally giue thē selues to y^t, which they sée most estéemed and honoured, be it ver∣tue or vice. And ye must not thinke that the vtter de∣struction and ruine of the Romane Republique, a∣boue all other that euer were, the most excellent and renowmed, hath taken his beginning from elswhere, then from this merchandize and traffique of offices: and when as the people made account thereof: as an ordinarie gaine, selling offices openly without shame or feare, for readie monie. Whereof they fayled not to make their profite, which coueted no other, but the mutation and chaunge of the state.

So that he spake most wisely in my iudgement, that sayde, that he that first gaue monie to the peo∣ple

of Rome to enter into offices, tooke from them their authoritie, and was therewithall, cause of the vtter ruine of their Common weale. Bycause that this corruption being once entered in the prouision of offices, is of such nature, that soudenly it passeth from hande to hande, vnto the Iudges sentences, and in the end perceth so déepe, that it spotteth and soy∣leth all cleane thinges, after it haue once made the chéefe of the Common weale bondslaues to monie. So that for conclusion, as Paule Aemile sayde, that, for a man to vanquishe or be vanquished in the war∣res, was but an accident of well or euill choosing and raunging of his people in battell: we may well y∣nough also say, that euen so likewise the prosperitie and decay of a Common weale, is no other, but an accident of a good or euill election, and prouision in offices, of persons méete and necessarie for the same. Which shall suffice for that which concerneth them, that haue authoritie to call vnto vocations. Let vs nowe come to them that be desirous, and intend to enter into the same.

Notes

• Much good and euill de∣pendeth on them that haue power to call men.
• The principal partie in go∣uernement.
• A comparison betwene them that haue pow¦er to call, and the husband∣man.
• Aduertisment to them that vndertake a∣lone the auto∣ritie to call.
• Vocation to offices, is a dif¦ficil thing.
• Vertue is to be sought out where e∣uer it abide.
• Diligence vsed in olde time in the vocati∣on ecclesiasti∣call.
• The Empe∣rour Seuerus ordinance.
• Lampridius.
• Against retch∣lesnesse in the ecclesiasticall vocations.
• Plato.
• Sylla, and Ma∣rius.
• Iustinian Em∣perour.
• The spring of al iniustice cō¦meth of the sale of offices, Alexander Seuerus saith.
• A custome obserued at Rome, by them that de∣sired to enter into offices.
• It is an ab∣surditie to hope for pro∣fite, of the sale of offices.
• Aratus. Which is the most assured treasure a Prince may haue.
• Plato.
• The vertue of men more re∣commēdable, then that of monie.
• Iulius Caesars saying, to Sil∣la.
• Marcus Cato.
• Vertue quai∣leth by sel∣ling of offi∣ces.
• The ruine of the Romane Republique by sale of of∣fices.
• Discommodi¦tie and hurte comming by the sale of of∣fices.
• Paule Aemile
• All inconue∣niences happe¦ning to com∣mon weales, come by fault of due vocati∣on vnto offi∣ces.