Christian policie: or The christian common-wealth. Published for the good of Kings, and Princes, and such as are in authoritie vnder them, and trusted with state affaires. / Written in Spanish, and translated into English..

§. IIII. Of the sagacitie, sharpenesse of wit, and quicknesse of appre∣hension, which Kings ought to haue.

GEnebrard, and other graue Authors say; That this statly Tower, and nose of the Spouse, whereof wee discourse, signifieth those, which gouerne the Church, or the Kingdome, and such as excell the rest in vnderstanding, iudge∣ment, sagacitie, and prudence. The Egyptians likewise in their Hiero∣glyphicks, by a high rising nose, vnderstand a wise and sage minde, that hath an eye vnto dangers, fore-sees mis∣chiefes, and takes order for them in time, that it may not be ouertaken by them. And such a one as this, a King ought to haue. And certaine it is, that if that olde Serpent had not had that hap in that first deceit, exercised on our first Mother Eue, it had beene needelesse for one man to watch another and to be so wary and circumspect, as now they are. But because he, with such great craft, and subtle∣tie, did powre forth this his poyson into the originall foun∣taine of our nature, it was necessary that against this his venome, we should take this Antidote and Treacle, for a preseruatiue, and preuent one poyson, by another. And as Treacle, being made of poyson, serues as a remedie a∣gainst poyson it selfe; so, for to resist that poyson which that Serpent by his subtletie, scattred and spred abroad a∣mongst vs; it is needefull, that men, following the Coun∣sayle, which our Sauiour Christ gaue vnto his Disciples; Be yee wise as Serpents, and harmelesse as Doues; should ioyne these two together. For of these two, is made that

fine Treacle, whereof we intend to speake. Not of simplicitie alone, nor prudence alone, but of both together. This is that true and perfect Confection; for prudence, with∣out a sound and harmelesse Intention, is but meere craft and subtletie, (as Aristotle sayth) and produceth nothing but trickes and deuises, to delude and deceiue. And a plaine and sincere intention, deuoyd of prudence, doth but deceiue and damnifie a mans selfe. I meane particular persons. For in Kings this want of warinesse, and prudent sagacitie, will procure greater hurt to the generall affayres of the Com∣mon-wealth. Too notorious and well knowen is that sen∣tence of the glorious S. Ierome; Sancta rusticitas solum sibi prodest: Holy plainenesse and simplicitie, doth onely pro∣fit a mans selfe, That is; some particular person. But Kings besides their good intention, and sinceritie of minde, must haue prudence & sagacitie, for to resist the plots and traps of the ambitious, who still lye in wayte, watching a fit occasion for to deceiue them, vnlesse they be minded to loose their reputation, their authoritie, and their Kingdome all at once. This is not a Prognostication, broached out of mine owne braine, but vented by the holy ghost; That an imprudent King, shall ruine a Kingdome. Rex insipiens, perdet popu∣lum suum: An vnwise King, destroyeth his people. The Prophet Esay, after he had made a recapitulation of the graces and gifts of wisedome, vnderstanding, counsayle, might, knowledge, and diuerse other wherewith the holy-Ghost was to adorne the person of our Sauiour Christ, that King of Kings, and liuely patterne and true example of all good Kings, sayth; Et replebit eum spiritus timoris Domini: And the spirit of the feare of the Lord▪ shall rest vpon him: Now the Hebrew Rabins, whom Paguinus, and Vatablus follow, reade; Olfactio odoratus eius, erit cum timore Do∣mini: The pleasant sent of his sweete odour, shall be with the feare of the Lord. That is to say; Together with the feare of the Lord, and all other vertues, hee shall haue an

admirable vnderstanding, and a dainty delicate iudgement▪ Odorari faciam eum: I will make him to sent and winde out▪ So that hee shall nose out any thing whatsoeuer, though neuer so farre off, and without seeing, or hearing them, be they neuer so secret and hid, shall make a right and true iudgement of things. By this quicknesse of sent, they vnder∣stand that nimblenesse of apprehension, sharpenesse of vnder∣standing, and sagacitie, which a King ought to haue: (borow∣ing the Metaphore from your Line-hound, or blood-hound, who running vpon the sent, and nosing the footing of what he is put vpon, discouers the game he pursues, be it in the thickest brakes, and closest bushes in the Forrest.) Hee must be so subtill and so quicke of sent, that nothing must escape his knowledge, nothing be hidden from his vnderstanding; he must like a Surgeon, search into the depth of the wound: there is no mysterie so secret, which hee must not pry, and diue into, he must nose from a farre the impstoures, artifices, fraudulent dealings, and cunning disguises of those that go about to deceiue him. When wee will signifie such a mans trace, or which way hee tends, Wee vsually say; Ya yo avia olido algo desso: Now I begin to smell his drift. I haue an in∣ckling what hee intends. But Kings must haue more then an Inckling; they must haue a full knowledge of all; There must not be that thing in the world, which mainely con∣cernes them, and their Kingdomes, which they must not winde and sift out. And from that high place, wherein they are seated, they are, like sentinalls in a watch-Tower, to see, and make discouery, of all the cunning practises, and diuelish plots deuised against them, and of the slye and sub∣tile carriage of such crafty and double-dealing men, with whom they treate, be they Naturells, or Strangers. For (as it is in the Prouerb) La nistad del anno, viuen con arte y enganno; y la otra parte, con enganno, y arte: One halfe part of the yeare, they liue by arte, and deceit; The o∣ther halfe part, by deceit, and arte. And because these

workers of mischiefe, arme themselues with the more care, and lye in closer ambush against Kings, and their great E∣states; it is necessary that they likewise should stand vpon their guard, and be very vigilant and circumspect, not only for to discouer their proiects, and to defend themselues from their designes, but to take them in the manner; Or (as it is in the Spanish prouerb) Cogerles con el hurtoen las manos: Whilest the theft is yet in their hands, to lay hold on them. One of the greatest Attributes and noblest Titles, which holy Iob, giueth vnto God, is that, where he sayes, Apprehendit sapientes in astutia eorum: That hee taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse. He well vnderstands vp∣on what point insist the Sophistries and fallacies of the wise men of this world; and at what marke their Counsailes ayme; Et consilia prauorum dissipat: He disappointeth the deuises of the crafty; and scattreth the Counsayles of the wicked. And what they haue forged in their hearts, hee hammereth in that sort, that they shall not fulfill their de∣sires. Cogitationes malignorum: The cogitations of the wicked; So sayth another letter. Hee calls them Malignos, that are men of a noble heart, That haue a thousand turnings, and windings. Another Letter hath Versutorum; Variable, oft changing, subtile, shifting: being all of them true Epi∣thetes of a double disposed, and crafty generation. Ne possint implere manus eorum, quod coeperunt: That their hands can∣not performe their enterprise, nor make an end of the web, which they haue begun to weaue, but their Counsell is carryed headlong; meeting with darkenesse in the day time, being taken in their owne net, as Absalon was with his owne hayre; neuer being able to set the same foote for∣ward againe. Christ, calls these kinde of men, Foxes, which neuer goe on in a straight and direct way, but crossing from one side to another and making many doubles; as he doth, that hath doubling thoughts, and playes, with the Foxe, Wyly, beguile yee. And by this beast, did the Egyptians

signifie that man, which vseth double dealing, and i•• his words and workes, is nothing but impostures, tricks, and deuices; Vae duplici corde, & labijs scolestis terram ••••gredi∣enti d••aebus vijs: Woe to the double heart, to deceitfull lips, and to the sinner, that goeth two wayes. To deale with these men will be required a great deale of prudence and sagacitie, a Countermine must be made, and a pit digg'd whereinto they may fall, & that like silk-wormes, they might be wrap∣ped and inuolued in the same bottome, that themselues haue wrought, to their vtter vndoing. In insidijs fuis ••••p••••••ur iniqui (saith the wise man.) The transgressours shall be taken in their owne naughtinesse. Their plots and proiects shall make for their finall perdition. When the Pharisees with soft & smooth words questioned our Sauiour Iesus Christ, what should be done with that woman, whom they had newly taken in the Act of adulterie, made vse of that his admirable prudence and wisedome, accompanied with the simplicitie and harmelessenes of the Doue; saying vnto them. Qui sine peccato est vestrum, pri••us in illam lapidem mittat: He that is without sinne among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And presently thereupon, hee stouped down, and fell to wri∣ting with his finger on the ground, to the end, that without making them farther ashamed, being conuicted by their own conscience, they might one by one get them gon, and leaue the poore woman free. These men came armed with the Serpentine subtletie of the Diuell, and presuppossing that he would haue absolued her of that crime, they would then haue accused him for an infringer and breaker of the Law; And in case hee should haue condemned her, they would haue charg'd him with crueltie. But our Sauiour was euery way well prouided for them, and to this their pestiferous poyson, he applyed the pure and perfect Treacle of his pru∣dence. The like trick they would haue put vpon him, & with no lesse cunning, when they demaunded of him; whether it were lawfull to pay tribute vnto Caesar, or no? Conuincing

them with the very same peece of money, which they brought vnto him; telling them; Reddite ergo quae sunt Caesa∣ris Caesari; & quae sunt Dei, Deo: Render therefore vnto Cae∣sar, the things which are Caesars, and vnto God, the things, that are Gods. It is a great happinesse for prudent Kings, and for those Princes also, that haue not as yet gained with all men the opinion of wise, that some occasions might be of∣fered vnto them, wherein they might catch these crafty & subtill Foxes; And they ought purposely to hunt after them, & to perfourme some exteriour, and publick actions in order to this end: And so to carry them, that all the people may take notice of them. For therby, they shall gaine a great deale of authoritie and reputation throughout the Kingdome. And of all, both subiects, and strangers, be feared & esteemed, for men of wisedome, worth, and prudence. As it befell King Salomon at his first comming to the Crowne, when the peo∣ple of Israel perceiued the discretion and prudence, wherwith he had proceeded in deciding that difference betweene the two women, touching the liuing childe, which each of them pretended. Insomuch that when they saw how wisely, & how iustly it was carryed by him, they shouted all for ioy, saying; surely, the wisedom of God is in him; And from thence forth they began to respect, & feare him. Yet mistake me not, I be∣seech yee; For, I do not say, that Kings should desire, that any ill should betide any man; but that they ought, & may desire, that some such occasion might be offered vnto them, wherein they might shew their zeale and loue vnto Iustice, and mani∣fest to the world, that they are wise enough of themselues to execute the same. For there is nothing, that makes a King more worthy of his Monarchie, as to win, by meanes of his good Counsel and gouerment, greater credit and authoritie, then what he had, when he began first to gouern: For a king∣dome is only the gift of fortune; but this other, argues his owne wisedome, and iudgement.

But that, which I shall conclude this point withall, is this;

That this prudence & sagacitie of the Serpent, so much com∣mended by Christ, ioyned with the Doues simplicitie, produ∣ceth two effects of much importance in kings, which are these Neither to deceiue, nor to be deceiued. Simplicitie, is without welt or garde, plaine & true, and knowes not how to deceiue any man. Prudence, on the other side, is very wary & circum∣spect, and will not suffer her selfe to be deceiued by any man. Nay, it goes a little farther; for it perfecteth the whole essence and being of prudence, and causeth a certaine dexteritie in the dispatch of businesses, which is a great help vnto Princes, and is the only Mistris to make them to vnderstand & iudge things aright. And likewise to see and discerne them by out∣ward actions, and the exterior sences. The eye, the foote, the hand, shall not wag, moue, or stirre, but it shal discouer the in∣ward thought. Lastly, it is it's proper office, (Reason assisting and the discourse of the vnderstanding) to anticipate occasi∣ons, and to diuert in time the euill that may happen; For, (as Tully sayth, and very truly) Nihil turpius in sapiente est, quam dicere, non putaram: Nor ought it to be the Language of kings to say; I did not thinke on such a thing, I did not dreame, that things would haue fallen out thus, & thus; or that I did not throughly vnderstand the busines. For, in Kings, it is no lesse shame to suffer themselues to be deceiued, or to be ouercome by Artes, and tricks, then to be subdued in the open field by force of Armes. Kings therefore, being necessarily to heare, and negociate with so many and so sundry persons, to free themselues from the slightes & subtleties of some, must make vse of this circumspection and sagacitie. Homer representeth vnto vs a most prudent Prince, who (though vnlearned) yet for that he was very crafty & subtile, did gouerne very well, and freed himselfe from many great dangers. Subtletie and Sagacity, accompanied (I say) with a sound intention, and a good conscience, (for that is it, wee aime at in gouernment) proceedeth not from sagacity, and subtletie, but from good∣nesse and Iustice.

Notes

• Eccl. 10.3.
• Esay 11.3.
• Ita Isido. Cla••••us.
• Iob. 5.12.
• Iob. 12.
• Rex, qui sedet in solio, dissipat omne malum, in∣tuitu suo.
• Ibi.
• Eccl. 2.12.
• Prou. 11.6.
• Iohn 8.7.
• Mat. 22.21.
• 3 King. 28.