A loyal subiects looking-glasse, or A good subiects direction necessary and requisite for euery good Christian, liuing within any ciuill regiment or politique state, to view, behold, and examine himselfe in, that he may the better frame the course of his life, according to the true grounds of the duties of an honest and obedient subiect to his king, and to arme himselfe against all future syren songs, and alluring intisements of subtill, disloyall, dissembling, and vnnaturall conspirators, traitors, and rebels. Collected for the most part out of both olde and later writers, whose names are in the next page set downe. Wherevnto are brieflie added sixe speciall causes of vndutifull subiects disloyaltie. By William Willymat.

The chiefe and principall matters contained in the first sixe chapters of this Booke following.

In the first Chapter is conteined.

• WHat Emperours, Kings, Princes, &c. are: by whom they were and are ordeined, and wherefore. page 3. & 4.
• Of and from whom tyrants and euill Kings and Princes are: and wherefo••e such are exalted. pag. 4.
• Obedience the first thing due vnto Caesar, belongeth vnto all higher powers, kings and principalities, yea although tyrannicall and euill gouernours. pag. 56.
• A••guments & reasons to perswade vnto obedience to magistrats. Idē. Magistrates called Gods. idem.
• Of the defermities, and vglinesse of rebellion, thereby to disswade from the same. 6.
• The horrible finnes & mischiefes th••t range & raigne in rebelliō. Idē. Commodities of obedience and peace. 7.
• To what end good examples of obedience do chieflie serue. 8.
• What ••e is chieflie to be made by the examples of euill and rebellious subiects. idem.
• Examples of two of the best and most obedient faithfull subiects, most worthy to be imitated. 8. 9. 10.
• Example of Dauids behauiour towards king Saul, what it doth teach 9.
• A question concerning obedience resoluen. 11.
• What it is or a subiect to foster and cherish an euill thought in his heart against his S••ueraigne. 12.
• What is to be done when a man is entised or drawne by any kinde of meanes to yeeld to treason. 14.
• Treason and treacherous plottings, and practises are not to be hid nor conceiled for any mans sake whosoeuer he be. idem.
• Delay is dangerous in hiding fire or treason. 15.
• Examples of Absolon and of diuers other traito••s, and of their bad suc∣cesse and confusion. 15. 16. 17.
• Learne to take warning by other mens falles. 18.
• Diuers manners of punishments of traitors & disloyall subiects. 18. 19
• Cyp••ian his bridle against going on and continuing in sinnes. 20
• The last argument or reason to mooue to obedience, drawne from Beasts, Birdes, Fishes, &c. 21.

In the second Chapter is conteined.

• HOw necessarie and profitable a thing feare is. pag. 22.
• To feare the king, commanded in holy Scriptures. idem.
• Two kinds of feare. 23.

• The profies of good feare. pag. 23.
• The nature of the good and child-like feare, explicated by two apte similitudes. 24.
• The vertues or effects of the good feare, expressed by the effects of the feare of a Scholler towards his Scholemaister. Idem.
• Diuers & sundry effects of feare of a subiect towards his soueraine. ide.
• Hovv prinate men are to behaue themselues tovvards such as be in au∣thoritie, though they be neuer so bad and euill disposed. 26
• Feare, though it be a very necessarie thing to be yeelded vnto the high∣er povvers and Magistrats, yet may it be abused: and of the first abuse of this feare. 28.
• Of the second kinde of feare. 29.
• The vse and profit of seruile feare. 30.

In the third Chapter is conteined.

• HOnour, the third thing belonging to Caesar, what it signifieth. 31.
• The actions of honouring are manifold, and wherein they doe consist. ibidem.
• The first kind of honour due to Magistrates. ibidem.
• The second kinde of honour due to Magistrates. 32.
• The third honour due to superiours. ibid.
• The fourth honour due to superiours. ibid.
• The beginnings of all conspiracies, &c. arise for the most part from the heart, that beginneth to fall away frō honoring the higher powers. 33

In the fourth Chapter is conteined.

• PRayer the fourth thing belonging to Caesar commaunding subiects in holy seriptures. page 33.
• What things especially are to be prayed for in the behalfe of kings, Princes, &c. 34.
• What kinde of kings & rulers God commanded to be praied for. ibid.
• What it is not to pray for kings, &c. 35.

In the fift Chapter is conteined.

• TRibute, taxes, subsidies, and other such like royall customes, the sift thing due vnto Caesar. 36.
• The causes for which subsidies, taxes, &c. are greeuous and odious a∣mong the common people. ibidem.
• Tributes, subfidies, taxes, &c. amongst all nations of old, haue beene vsually payed, and wherefore. 37.
• Theophilactus and Bucer their opinions for paiment of tribute, taxes, &c. 38.
• The onely helpe and lawfull remedie for not paiment of Subsedies, taxes, &c. ibidem.
• Diuers causes wherefore tribute, subsedies, taxes, &c. are to be paid. 39.

• Diuers great benefits and blessings which subiects receiue by their kings, rulers, &c. 40.
• Hovv kings may both take and employ tributes, taxes, subsedies, and such like customes. 41.
• Lessons necessary for kings, Princes, &c. to obserue, note, and practise concerning the exacting of impositions, taxes, &c. ibid.
• Lessons necessary for the common people and subiects to obserue, note, and practise, concerning their behauiour and conceits against kings, Princes, &c. for lifting and demanding of subsedies, taxes, &c. ibid.
• A necessary question concerning such subiects as being of vvealth and substance, will seeke and practise false and lying shifts and euasions, to escape, or to diminish their right and due paiments of taxes, subsi∣dies, &c. partly by defrauding the king, and partly by oppressing and vvringing their poore neighbours: and the ansvver therevnto. 41.42.
• Doctor Martin Luther his opinion concerning the subiects dutie, if kings, princes, &c. shall happen to impose and exact any greeuous & ouerchargeable taxes, subsedies, or other customes & paiments 43.
• And also S Ambrose his opinion, and likevvise king Iames his opinion in the same case. 45.
• Of mutuall loue and agreement betvveene Prince and people, and of the good thereof. 46.
• King James his Maiesties most louing, Christian and excellent coun∣saile to his sonne Prince Henry, concerning lifting of subsedies, &c. idē

In the sixt Chapter is conteined,

• PRiuate men may not intermeddle nor take vpon them the office of a Magistrate vvithout some lavvfull calling therevnto. pag. 47.
• The people of euery kngdō, countrie, or city, deuided into 3. sorts. idē.
• Two things especially to be considered in the sixt dutie of subiects vn∣to Caesar. 48.
• The reuenge of any iniurie to vvhom it properlie belongeth. idem.
• The sixe causes of vn∣dutifulnesse of subiect; added and briefly en∣treated of, in the end of this loyall subiects Looking-glasse.
  • 1 Pride.
  • 2 Ambition.
  • 3 Enuie.
  • 4 Lack of vvisdome and knovvledge.
  • 5 Discontentment of minde.
  • 6 Misliking and inueighing against the pu∣nishment of malefactors.

The aforesaid sixe causes of subiects vndutifulnesse con∣tained in these vi. verses following.

The cause vvhy subiects duties faile, vvho lists to haue descride, Let him giue eare, and marke a vvhile, the first cause it is Pride: The second is Ambition: Enuie the third place vvill haue, The fourth is vvant of knovvledge sure, & vvant of vvisdome graue, The fift cause vvho desires to knovv, is minds discontentment, The sixt is the vniust dislike of levvd mens punishment.

〈…〉〈…〉 contained in the 6. causes of subiects vndutifulnes, added in the end of this treatise.

• AS Sathan of a glorious Angell, through Pride became anvglie de∣uill, forsaking his loyaltie to God, so the same Sathan by the same pride, dayly tempteth man to fall avvay from loyaltie to higher powers ordeined of God for mans good. pag. 50.
• Pride wherein it consisteth idem.
• Honourable houres and great men in the vvorld, through pride haue wrought their owne vtter confusion. 51.
• The deuils craft and subtiltie to insnare men through pride, & to bring them thereby to treason, conspiracie and rebellion. ibid.
• Of Ambition the second cause of the vndutifulnesse of subiects, & here what ambition is, and who are said and noted to be ambition. 52.
• Notable examples of ambitious mens filles and of the manifold most notorious mischiefes and inconueniences that many haue fallen into through ambition. 54.
• Of Enuie the third cause of subiects vndutifulnesse: from whence En∣uie springeth, and of the fruites thereof. 55.
• Diuers similitudes describing the nature of Enuie. ibid.
• None neuer so vertuous escape the virulent and sianderous nippings of the enuious crue. 56.
• Of want of wisedome and knovvledge, the fourth cause of subiects vn∣dutifulnesse. 58.
• The great inconueniences that fall out through want of wisedom and knowledge in vndiscreet subiects. idem.
• Princes purposes, pollicies & proceedings, not yet published & knowne abroade, are not to be condemned and misconstrued. 58.
• Of discontentednesse of minde, the fift cause of subiects vndutiful∣nesse. 60.
• Two sortes of subiects especially troubled with discontentment of minde, &c. idem.
• The wicked nature and vngodly, vndurifull and disloyall positions, and euill corrupting words of desperate godlesse Athrists, prodigall spen∣dals, and roysting caualliers, bewraying their contempt of God, and vndutifulnesse to higher powers and magistracie 60 & 61.
• Counsaile and directions for vnthrifts and wast ales to take another course. 62.
• Misliking of due & deserued punishment of malefactors, the sixt cause of the vndutifulnesse of subiects, and of their errortherein. idem.
• Aduise, counsaile, and necessarie directions for busie mislikers and vn∣discreete inueighers, against the punishment of euill doers, &c. 63.64.