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. XIII. That all vocations be so commodious and necessarie, for the entertainment of life and humane societie, that which so euer we looke on, or consider of, the same seemeth still the most necessarie.

NOwe hauing spoken of all vocations, and manners of liuing, and then con∣ferred the one with the other, making comparison of euery of them, there is no man (as I thinke) who séeth not clearely, how necessarie and profitable they be, for the coniunction and vnion of humane societie: yea, so ne∣cessarie, that one can not stande or continue without the other. And which is more, such is the vertue and efficacie of eyther of them, that pondering each of thē seuerally, one after an other, it séemeth the same still, vpon the which we cast our eye, to be the principal, & more necessarie then y^e other. As for example, looking

vpon the contemplatiue vocation, what thinke ye, I pray you, of all other actions wandering here & there, in the ignorance of diuine thinges, and of that which is iust and reasonable, but that they be as blinde Cy∣clops Polyphemus? Also on the other side, consider of the actiue vocation only, what would ye estéeme of al contemplation and speculation, without the action, other then as of a body without soule and life? And comming particularly to the actiues, if ye happen to weigh the Ecclesiasticall by it selfe, what would ye iudge, that all actions could serue the interior of the man, motiue of y^e exterior, being neither wel instruc∣ted nor yet reformed? Then passing to the Politique, what may ye thinke of all other seuered and discor∣ding, without the vnion, accord, order, or gouernment of the Publique? Likewise, procéeding to the war∣like, what contemplation, doctrine, preaching, policie, science, iustice, houshold, familie, merchandize, occu∣pation, Physick, Cheirurgerie, Musicke, or other pri∣uate vocation so euer is it, which retireth not, and gi∣ueth place at the onely terrour of armes, and which standeth not in néede of them, to be maintayned in peace, safetie, and defence against the enimie, and ho∣stilitie? Then comming to Priuate callings, & first to the domesticall, what vocation may we name, that may want the same, considering that all take their beginning and originall thereof. And finally, descen∣ding to Priuate, which be not domestical, what voca∣tion hauing taken essence, may liue, and dure in this world without the same? And thus still considering of each of them a part, and by them selues, ye shal not fayle to finde the same to be such, as all other in com∣parison thereof, shall séeme nothing vnto you. So ad∣mirable, artificial, diuine, and pleasaunt a thing it is, to marke this bond of humane societie, by meanes of those vocations, most necessarie and méete ioynts and

members of the same: and yet for all that, very rare∣ly or not at all considered of by most men.

Notes

• Cyclops Po∣lyphemus.