The most excellent Hugo Grotius, his three books treating of the rights of war & peace in the first is handled, whether any war be just : in the second is shewed, the causes of war, both just and unjust : in the third is declared, what in war is lawful, that is, unpunishable : with the annotations digested into the body of every chapter / translated into English by William Evats ...

IV. By the Autho∣rity of others.

But to know these things rightly, there is required much knowledge and experience; and if either of these be wanting, whereby the judgment may be rightly informed to act by it self, then are we bound to steer our affairs by the advice and counsel of the most judicious. For that, saith Aristotle, is most probable which is approved of by all, or by the most, or certainly by wise men; and of these, by either all, or by the greatest part, or by the most prudent and judicious of them: And by these means do Kings, who have no leisure to be eminently learned, grow notwithstanding wise by the counsel of others:

Thus Princes by their Senators grow wise.

Thus Aristides in his Oration for Peace tells the Rhodians, As in matters of fact, that which is attested by the most authentick and judicious witnesses is held for truth: So in matters of po∣lity, those counsels are safest, which are approved of by men of the greatest learning and expe∣rience. The ancient Romans never made War without consulting the Colledge of He∣raulds,

which consisted of men of the greatest Experience in matters of War; neither did the Christian Emperours usually undertake a War without consulting their Bishops, That so if any thing could be objected against it in point of Religion, they might be ad∣monished of it.

Notes

• And it is re∣corded of A∣lexander the Great, That he admitted into his Council men of the greatest Learning, but most especially Historians.