Politique observation.
A Grand Minister is obliged, incessantly to watch after the necessities of the State, for prevention of any enterprizes which may be made, it will escape him very narrowly, if (taking an especial care to be informed of all Passages in the Provin∣ces) he be not acquainted withall the Combinations and Contrivances which are on foot, as also the preparations which are in agitation for a Revolt, it being im∣possible that those several Artifices, which are used for the gaining in of divers and many men, and the most secret preparations of War should be concealed from him; which once comming to his knowledge, he ought in a trice to dispatch forces to that very place, where the Insurrection is designed to be. The onely sight of them may perhaps break the neck of the whole design; and if not so, yet they will at least prevent the enemies Troops to joyn together, and wi••l cut them in pieces one by one, before they will be in a capacity of attempting any thing whatever. Without th••s diligence he will soon find the State, and his own reputation exposed as a Prey. An Eye watching over a Scepter, and the Lyon King of Beasts, who sleepeth not but with oyen eyes, were the Hieroglyphicks, which the Egyptians made use of, to ex∣presse fore-sight, and to teach Grandees that it ough•• to be inseparable from their Authority, if they would not have their people exposed to great mis-fortunes both by Domestick and Forraign Wars. The Sun which governs the Elementary World in the highest Heavens, goes every day from one end of them to another, that hee may make all here below, sensible of the Effects of his Influences; and that Mini∣ster who hath a State in charge, ought to imploy all his cares, all his mind upon every City, upon every Province, and indeed upon the singular houses of every great man, that he may know what is done there, and apply a remedy to their con∣trivances. Me thinks they of Syracuse, gave a notable example of this kind of Conduct, when they had received intelligence, that the Athenians would war upon them, and that they already were upon the Sea with a Puissant Fleet, making to∣wards the Coast of Sicily. Hermocrat••s a great States-man, was not backward in exhorting them, to give necessary Orders for their defence, and to presse the Se∣nate accordingly: Whereas Athenagoras on the other side, descried it as much, and shewed them sundry reasons, why the Athenians could not arrive to the end of their design and demonstrated to them that it was impossible, indeavouring to disswade them from making any preparation of War. But the Senators, somewhat wiser then himself followed Hermocrates his advice and resolved to give necessary Or∣ders for defence, that they might not afterwards be forced to do it in a huddle, or to continue in the danger. They began to discusse the business, that in case the news of the Athenians Fleet were true, it would then be needfull to make some pre∣parations; if it were false, those preprrations would no whit dis-advantage the