The holy court in five tomes, the first treating of motives which should excite men of qualitie to Christian perfection, the second of the prelate, souldier, states-man, and ladie, the third of maxims of Christianitie against prophanesse ..., the fourth containing the command of reason over the passions, the fifth now first published in English and much augemented according to the last edition of the authour containing the lives of the most famous and illustrious courtiers taken out of the Old and New Testament and other modern authours / written in French by Nicholas Caussin ; translated into English by Sr. T.H. and others.

To the READER.

Dear Reader,

I Here find that which Job, the first Writer of the world, saith that our thoughts are as the Branches of our soul which multiply and extend as farre as their Root giveth them vigour and nutriment. You see, the affection you have shewed to these Books of the Holy Court, hath ser∣ved for vitall humours to my wit; to produce many discourses; and with much labour, to undertake that which I supposed to be profitable and satisfactory for you, which I have ever more esteemed then my own repose.

When I thought I was at the end of my design, you have caused me to set forth a fourth Tome, wherein I conceive I have comprized all the secrets of humane life in the moderation of Passions. It would here have been fit for me to end, were it not that some Lords and Ladies, who make up a part of this innocent Court by the good example of their lives, are not fully satisfied unlesse I afford them Histories. This then hath moved me, to crown these Treatises with most select Historicall Observations, to expose to view the disorder which ill rectified Passions introduce, and the profits they bring when they are ranged under the laws of discretion. I meant expresly to have drawn them almost all out of our own History, for two reasons; whereof the one is, That the Passions of Infidels of Antiquity, and even those of many other Christian Na∣tions have passages too full of horrour and brutishnesse: But ours, albeit they have extravagancies inconsiderate enough, are more within limits ordinary to nature corru∣pted by sinne. The second is, that writing this to the Court of France, I propose to my self I should more efficaciously perswade by domestick Examples which are partly al∣ready known to our Countrey-men, then by forreign and unheard of Histories.

Now all Passions of the Court relate to four Principall, which are Love; Desire of Honours and Pleasures of the world; Anger alwayes animated to Revenge; and Envy which draggeth along with it the black Passions of Jealousie, Sadnesse, and Despair: I will content my self to pursue these Tracts, scoring out unto you the disastres of such as have yielded to these Motives, and the felicity of others who have gloriously surmounted them; And to add a pleasing variety to this last piece, I will conclude with many short and remarkable Examples suited to those four mentioned Passions.