ther.]
der: this question was asked, O Cato, what sente[n]ce giue you of Usurie, that is a goodlie matter to bee enriched by. Then Cato aunswered in fewe woordes. _Quid hominem occidere._ What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, is [Fol. x.x.xvij.v]
Usurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro- nounced from the mouth of a G.o.dlie, sage, n.o.ble, and descrite persone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usury retourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentence [Sidenote: The sentence of Cato a dis- comfort to v- surers.]
of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou- rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Though moche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient.
The Hebrues calleth Usurie, by the name of _Shecke_, that is a bityng gaine, of the whiche many haue been so bitten, that whole families haue been deuoured, & beggerie haue been their gaine. And as Palingenius noteth.
_Debitor aufugiens portat c.u.m faenore sortem._
The debtour often tymes saieth he, runneth awaie, and carieth with hym, the debte and gaines of the Usurie. The Grekes calleth Usurie _Tokos_, that is properlie the trauaile of women of their childe: soche is their Usurie, a daungerous gettyng. Demosthenes likeneth their state as thus, as if ter- restriall thynges should be aboue the starres: and the heaue[n]s [Sidenote: Usure a dan- gerous gaue.]
and celestialle bodies, gouerned by the base and lowe terre- striall matters, whiche by no meanes, can conserue the ex- cellencie of them, for, of them onely, is their matter, substau[n]ce and nature conserued.
-- Exclusion of mercie.
WHerefore, to whom regimente and gouerne- mente is committed, on whose administracion, the frame of the co[m]mon wealth doe staie it self: thei ought with al wisedome and moderacion, to procede in soche causes, whose office in wor- [Sidenote: Princes and magistrates be as G.o.ds on the earth.]
thinesse of state, and dignitee, maketh the[m] as G.o.ddes on the yearth, at whose mouthes for wisedome, counsaill, and for- tunate state, infinite people doe depende. It is no smal thing in that their sword & aucthoritee, doeth sette or determine all thinges, that tendereth a prosperous state, whereupon with all integritee and equitee, thei ought to temper the affeccions of their mynde: and accordyng to the horrible facte, and mis- [Fol. x.x.xviij.r]
chiues of the wicked, to exasperate & agrauate their terrible iudgemente, and to extirpate from the yearth, soche as be of [Sidenote: The homicide.
The Theue.
The Adulte- rer.]
no societie in life. The bloodie homicide, the thief, the adul- terer, for by these all vertue is rooted out, all G.o.dlie societie extinguished, citees, realmes, and countrees, prostrate & pla- gued for the toleracion of their factes, against soch frendship in iudgemente muste cease, and accordyng to the state of the cause, equitee to retaine frendship, money muste not blinde, nor rewardes to force and temper Iudgementes: but accor- dyng to the veritee of the cause, to adde a conclusion. Wor- [Sidenote: Whey the pi- ctures of ma- gistrates bee picturid with- oute handes.]
thelie the pictures of Princes, Gouernours and Magistrates in auncient tymes doe shewe this, where the antiquitee ma- keth theim without handes, therein it sheweth their office, and iudgemente to proceade with equitee, rewardes not to blind, or suppresse the sinceritee of the cause. Magistrates not to bee bounde to giftes, nor rewardes to rule their sentence.
_Alciatus_ in his boke called _Emblemata, in senatu[m] sancti prin- cipis_.
[Sidenote: Princes and magistrates graue & con- stante.]
_Effigies manibus trunc[ae] ante altaria diuum Hic resident, quarum lumine capta prior Signa potestatis summ[ae], sanctiq[ue] senatus, Thebanis fuerant ista reperta viris.
Cur resident? Quia mente graues decet esse quieta Iuridicos, animo nec variare leui.
Cur sine sunt manibus? Capiant ne xenia, nec se Pollicitis flecti muneribus ve sinant.
Cecus est princeps quod solis auribus, absq[ue]
Affectu constans iussa senatus agit._
Where vertue and integritee sheweth it self, in the persone and cause, to vpholde and maintein thesame. Roote out hor- rible vices from common wealthe, that the more surer and stronge foundacion of vertue maie be laied: for, that onelie cause, the scepter of kinges, the office of magistrates was left to the posteritee of all ages.
-- Lawfull and iuste.
[Fol. x.x.xviij.v]
-- Lawfull and iust.
[Sidenote: Lawes giue equitie to all states.]
SEyng that lawes bee G.o.dlie, and vniuersally thei temper equitee to all states, and giue according to iustice, euery man his owne: he violateth vertue, that dispossesseth an other manne of his own, and [Sidenote: What driueth y^e magistrate to horrible sentence a- gainst wicked persons.]
wholie extinguisheth Iustice. And thereupon his beastly life by merite forceth and driueth, lawe and Magistrate, to terri- ble iudgement. For, who so against right, without order, or lawe, violateth an other man, soche a one, lawes of iustice, muste punishe violentlie, and extirpate from societee, beyng a dissoluer of societee.
-- Profitable.
IF soche wicked persones be restrained, and seuerelie punished, horrible vices will be rooted out: all artes[,]
sciences, and G.o.dlie occupacions mainteined, vphol- ded and kept. Then there must bee a securitee in all states, to [Sidenote: Magistrate.
Subiect.]
practise G.o.dlines, a mutuall concorde. The Magistrate with equitee, the subiecte with faithful and humble obedience, ac- complishyng his state, office, and callyng. Whereupon by good Magistrates, and good subiectes, the common wealthe and kyngdom is in happie state stablished. For, in these twoo [Sidenote: Plato.]
poinctes, as Plato doeth saie, there is vertuous rule, and like obedience.
-- Easie and possible.
[Sidenote: The begyn- nyng of vice is to be cut af.]
AL this maie easely be doen, when wickednes is cutte of, in his firste groweth, when the magistrate driueth continually, by sworde and aucthoritee, all menne to obedience, bothe of lawes and gouernuurs. Then in al good common wealthes, vices are neuer tolerated to take roote: be- cause the beginnyng and increase of vices, is sone pulled vp, his monsterous kyngdome thereby ouerthrowen.
-- The conclusion.
SO doyng, happie shall the kyng be, happie kyngdome, and moste fortunate people.
[Fol. x.x.xix.r]
-- The parte of Rhetorike, called praise.
His Oracion, which is t.i.teled praise, is a declamacio[n]
of the vertuous or good qualitees, propertees belon- gyng to any thyng, whiche doeth procede by certaine notes of arte.
All thynges that maie be seen, with the iye of man, tou- ched, or with any other sence apprehended: that maie be prai- sed, or dispraised.
{ Manne. Citees. } { Fisshe. Floodes. } { Foule. Castles. } { Beaste. Toures. } As { Orchardes. Gardeins. } { Stones. Stones. } { Trees. Artes. } { Plantes. Sciences. } { Mettals. }
Any vertue maie be praised, as wisedome, rightuousnes[,]
fort.i.tude, magnanimitee, temperaunce, liberalitee, with all other.
These are to be celebrated with praise.
The persone, as Iulius Cesar, Octauius Augustus, Hieremie, Tullie, Cato, Demosthenes.
Thynges, as rightuousnes, temperaunce.
Tymes, as the Spryng tyme of the yere, Sommer, Har- uest, Winter.
Places, as Hauens, Orchardes, Gardeins, Toures, Castles, Temples, Islandes.
Beastes wantyng reason, as Horse, Shepe, Oxen[,] Pla[n]- ntes, as Uines, Oliues.
In the praise of vertue, this maie be saied.
THe excellencies of it, the antiquitee and originalle be- ginnyng thereof, the profite that riseth to any region by it, as no kyngdome can consiste without vertue, [Fol. x.x.xix.v]
and to extoll the same, in makyng a comparison, with other giftes of nature, or with other giftes of fortune, more infe- riour or base.
[Sidenote: Wherein the praise of a ci- tie consisteth[.]]
Upon a citee, praise maie be recited, consideryng the good- lie situacion of it, as of Paris, Uenice, London, Yorke: con- sideryng the fertilitie of the lande, the wealthe and aboun- daunce, the n.o.ble and famous goueruours, whiche haue go- uerned thesame. The first aucthors and builders of thesame, the politike lawes, and G.o.dlie statutes therein mainteined: The felicitee of the people, their maners, their valeaunt pro- wes and hardines. The buildyng and ornatures of thesame, with Castles, Toures, Hauens, Floodes, Temples: as if a manne would celebrate with praise. The olde, famous, and [Sidenote: The praise of London.
Brutus buil[-]
ded Londo[n] in the .x. yeare of his raine.]