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TO THE KING OF FRANCE.
SIR,
THis Treatise of the Holiness of Courts, before it be published, comes forth to behold the great and divine lights, wherewith God hath environed your Majestie, whom he hath chosen out to sanctifie the COURT, by means of two reflections, which are, the Example of your virtues, and the Authority of your Laws. As for example, You supply as much as in a Prince may be desired, who hath brought innocency into the Throne of Majestie, as an earnest-pennie of Royaltie, and whitened the very Flow∣er-de-luces, by the puritie of your heart and hands. This argument, in my opinion, should power∣fully operate in the hearts of French-men: For it would be a disorder in Nature, to see bad sub∣jects under a good Prince, to plant vice in the Kingdom of Virtue, and to have a bodie of mor∣ter, and feet of clay, affixed to a head of Gold. It is fit impudence should be extreamly shame∣less, not to blush, when the sparkling lustre of a Crown casteth into the eyes the glimmering flashes of so great a Pietie.
Where example cannot reach, Kings have Laws, which are given them from Hea∣ven, as hands of gold and iron, to recompence merits, and chastise crimes. And as your Majestie, SIR, from your most tender years, hath shewed a singular propension to the detestation of Impietie, and maintenance of Justice, that causeth me to say, Your Majestie hath great means to make the COURT essentially holy, which the disabilitie of my pen cannot express but on paper. It is a work worthy of a Christian King, who standeth in the midst of Kings, and Nations, as heretofore the statue of the Sun in the midst of publick passages.
Royal hands cannot be better employed, than to erect the Tropheys of Sanctity. That is it which all the first have done; CONSTANTINE in the Roman Empire, CLODOVAEUS in France, RICAREDUS in Spain, ETHELBERT in England, CANUTUS in Denmark, WENCESLAUS in Poland.
All those, who have taken that way, have been glorious in the memory of men: whilest others, that have prepared Altars and Tables to Fortune (as saith the Prophet Isaiah) erecting Monarchie on humane Maxims, have built on the quick-sands of ima∣ginary greatness, which hath served them to no other purpose, but to measure their fall. Vice and Voluptuousness cannot immortalize men; since they have nothing lasting in them, but the sorrow of their infancie, and the infamie of their name. All the greatness and happiness of a Prince, is to make in his virtues a visible image of invisible Divinitie, then to im∣print the same on his subjects, as the Sun doth his brightness on the Rain bowe.
SIR, Your Majestie knoweth it by proper experience; God hath made you to read the decrees of good success, written as it were, with the rayes of your pietie. By how much the more you are affected to the service of the great Master, so much the more the good success of affairs hath followed your desires. You have seen your battels end in bays, and the thorns of your travels to grow all up into Crowns. And as we are ever in this world to merit, so we ought to hope, that so many worthy acts, will also with time take their just increase; and that you shall sow new virtues on earth, to reap felicities in Heaven: Lastly, that he, who hath given you the enterance of Solomon into the Kingdom, will grant you the exit of David. This is the vow which offereth to God
SIR,
Of Your MAJESTY, The most humble, most faithfull, and obedient Subject, N. CAUSSIN.