L'avaritia

de Re, pe de Regni.

Chi compra

to

6. Princes must not multiply publick Oaths without great, eminent and violent neceffity, left the fecurity of the King become a fnare to the People, and they become falfe when they see themselves fufpected, or impatient when they are violently held faft. But the greater and more useful caution is upon things than upon perfons: and if fecurity of Kings can be obtained otherwife, it is better that Oaths thould be the laft refuge, and when nothing else can be fufficient. 7. Let not the people be tempted with arguments to difobey, by the impofition of great and unneceffary taxes: for that loft to the Son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Ifrael.

8. Princes muft in fpecial manner be Guardians of Pupils and Widows, not fuffering their perfons to be oppreffed, or their eftates imbezelled, or in any fence he expofed to the rapine of covetous perfons, but be provided for by just Laws and provident Judges, and good Guardians, ever having an ear ready open to their just complaints, and a heart full of pity, and one hand to support them, and the other to avenge them.

9. Princes must provide that the Laws may be fo adminiftred, that they be truly and really an ease to the People, not an inftrument of vexation: and therefore must be careful that the fhortest and most equal ways of trials be appointed, fees moderated, and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may be, left injured perfons be forced to perith under the oppreffion, or under the Law, in the injury, or in the fuit. Laws are like. Princes, thofe best and most beloved who are moft eafie of accefs.

10. Places of Judicature ought at no hand to be il magia-fold by pious Princes, who remember themfelves to che vendra be Fathers of the People. For they that buy the Of là giuftitia. fice will fell the Act, and they that at any rate will be Judges, will not at any cafie rate do Juftice; and their bribery is lefs punithable, when bribery opened the door by which they entred.

of

II. Ancient privileges, favours, cuftoms and acts f grace indulged by former Kings to their People,

muft

Sect. 2. must not without high reafon and great neceffities be revoked by their fucceffors, nor forfeitures be exacted violently, or penal Laws urged rigorously nor in light cafes, nor Laws be multiplied without great need, nor vicious perfons, which are publickly and defervedly hated, be kept in defiance of popular delires, nor any thing that may unneceffarily make the yoke heavy, and the affection light, that may encrease murmurs, and leffen charity; always remembring that the intereft of the Prince and the People is fo infolded in a mutual embrace, that they cannot be untwisted without pulling a limb off, or diffolving the bands and conjunction of the whole body.

Nulla lex

(civilis) fibi

tiæ fuse de

12. All Princes must esteem themfelves as much bound by their word, by their grants, and by their foli confci promises, as the meaneft of their Subjects are by the entiam juftireftraint and penalty of Laws: and though they are bet, fed eis à fuperiour to the people, yet they are not fuperiour to quibus obfetheir own voluntary conceffions and engagements, petat. Terquium ex. their promises and oaths, when once they are paffed t. Apol. from them.

The Duty of Superiours as they are Fudges.

1. Princes in Judgment and their delegate Judges muft judge the caules of all perfons uprightly and impartially, without any perfonal confideration of the power of the mighty, or the bribe of the rich, or the needs of the poor. For although the poor must fare no worse for his poverty, yet in juftice he muft fare no better for it: And although the rich must be no more regarded, yet he must not be lefs. And to this purpofe the Tutor of Cyrus inftructed him, when in a controverfie, where a great Boy would have taken a large Coat from a little Boy, because his own was too little for him, and the other's was too bigg, he adjudged the great Coat to the great Boy: his Tutor anfwered, Sir, If you were made a Judge of decency or fitnefs, you had judged well

Ephef. 6.4.

Sect. 2in giving the biggest to the biggeft; but when you were appointed Judge, not whom the Coat did fit, but whofe it was, you fhould have confidered the title and the poffeffion, who did the violence, and who made it, or who bought it. And fo it must be in judgments between the Rich and the Poor: it is not to be confidered what the poor man needs, but what is his own.

2. A Prince may not, much less may inferiour Judges, deny Juftice when it is legally and competently demanded: and if the Prince will use his Prerogative in pardoning an Offender against whom Juftice is required, he must be carefull to give fatisfaction to the injured perfon, or his relatives, by fome other inftrument; and be watchfull to take away the fcandal, that is, left fuch indulgence might make perfons more bold to do injury; and if he fpares the life, let him change the punishment into that which may make the offender (if not suffer Justice, yet) do Justice, and more real advantage to the injured perfon.

These Rules concern Princes and their Delegates in the making or adminiftring Laws, in the appointing Rules of Juftice. and doing acts of Judgment. The duty of Parents to their Children and Nephews is briefly defcribed by S. Pant.

The Duty of Parents to their Children.

1. Fathers, provoke not your Children to wrath: that is, be tender-bowell'd, pitiful and gentle, complying with all the infirmities of the Children, and in their feveral ages proportioning to them feveral ufages according to their needs and their capacities.

2. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: that is, fecure their Religion, season their younger years with prudent and pious principles, make them in love with virtue, and make them habitually fo before they come to chufe and difcern good from evil, that their choice may be with lefs difficulty and danger. For while they are under difcipline, they fuck in all

that

ratio vivendi

that they are firft taught, and believe it infinitely. Potior mihi Provide for them wife, learned and vertuous Tutors, honeftè, quam and good Company and Difcipline *, feasonable Bap- & optimè di tifm, Catechifm and Confirmation. For it is a great cendi, videFolly to heap up much Wealth for our Children, and tur. Quintil. lib. 1. cap. 2. not, to take Care concerning the Children for whom Heb. 12. 9. we get it. It is as if a Man fhould take more Care Crates apud about his Shoe than about his Foot.

Plutarch. de liber edu

3. Parents must* fhew Pity at home; that is, they cand. muft give good Example and reverent Deportment in 1 Tim. 5.4 the Face of their Children; and all those Instances of Charity which usually endear each other, Sweetness of Converfation, Affability, frequent Admonition, all Significations of Love and Tenderness, Care and Watchfulness, must be expreffed towards Children, that they may look upon their Parents as their Friends and Patrons, their Defence and Sanctuary, their Treasure and their Guide. Hither is to be reduced the Nurfing of Children, which is the first and most natural and neceffary Inftance of Piety which Mothers can fhew to their Babes; a Duty from which nothing will excufe, but a Disability, Sickness, Danger or publick Neceffity.

I

4. Parents must provide for their own according to their Condition, Education and Employment; called by St. Paul, a laying up for their Children, that is, Tim. §. an enabling them by competent Portions, or good Trades, Arts or Learning, to defend themfelves againft the Chances of the World, that they may not be expofed to Temptation, to Beggary, or unworthy Arts. And although this must be done without Covetoufnefs, without Impatience and greedy Defires of making them rich; yet it must be done with much Care and great Affection, with all reasonable Provifion, and according to our Power: And if we can

without Sin improve our Eftates for them, that alfo is Part of the Duty we owe to God for them. And this Rule is to extend to all that descend from us, altho' we have been overtaken in a Fault, and have unlawful Iffue; they alfo become Part of our Care, yet fo as not to injure the Production of the lawful Bed. 5. This

M

5. This Duty is to extend to a Provifion of Conditions and Estate of Life, (a) Parents muft, according to their Power and Reason, provide Husbands or Wives for their Children. (6) In which they muft fecure Piety, and (c) Religion, and the Affection and Love of the interested Perfons; and after thefe, let them make what Provifions they can for other Conveniences or Advantages: Ever remembring that they can do no Injury more afflictive to the Children, than to joyn them with Cords of a difagreeing Affection: It is like tying a Wolf and a Lamb, or planting the Vine in a Garden of Coleworts. Let them be perfuaded with reasonable Inducements to make them willing, and to chufe according to the Parents Wish, but at no hand let them be forced. Better to fit all Night, than to go to Bed with a Dragon,

(α) Νυμφευμάτων μὲν τῇ ἐμ πατὴς ἐμὸς Μέριμναν ἕξει, καὶ ἐκ ἐμὸν κρίνειν τάδε.

Me tibi Tyndareus vitâ gravis auctor &

Eurip. Electr. annis

up

Tradidit; arbitrium neptis habebat avus. Ovid. in Ep. Herm.

(b) Liberi fine confenfu parentum contrahere non debent. Andromache apud Ear pidem cum petita fuit ad nuptias, refpondit, patris fui effe fponfalium fuorum curam habere: & Achilles apud Homerum, Regis filiam fine patris fui confenfu noluit ducere. 11. 10 Εν τω δή με σόωσι θεοὶ, καὶ οἴκαδ ̓ ἵκωμαι, Πηλεύς των μοι έπειτα γυναίκα Jaμéase autós. Et Juftinianus Imperator ait, naturali fimul & civili ratione congru ere, nè filii ducant uxores citra Parentum authoritatem. Simo Terentianus parat abdicationem, quia, Pamphilus clam ipfo duxiffet uxorem. Iftiufmodi fponfalia fiunt irrita, nifi velint Parentes: At fi fubfequuta eft copula, nè temerè refcindantur connubia multa fua dent cautiones & pericula. Liberi autem quamdiu fecundùm leges patrias fui juris non funt, clandeftinas nuptias fi ineant, peccant contra Quintum Preceptum, & jus naturale fecundarium. Propriè enim loquendo, Parentes non habent soia, five poteftatem, fed authoritatem; habent jus jubendi aut prohibendi, fed non irritum faciendi. Atque etiam ifta authoritas exercenda eft fecundùm æquum & bonum, fcil. ut nê morofus & dif. ficilis fit Pater. Mater enim vix habet aliquod Juris præter fuafionis & amoris & gratitudinis. Si autem Pater filiam non collocaffet ante 25. annos, filia nubere poterat cui voluerat, ex Jure Romanorum. Pater enim authoritas major aut minor eft ex legibus pa triis, & folet extendi ad certam ætatem, & tum exfpirat quoad Matrimonium, & eft ma jor in filias quam filias. Num. 30.

(c) Eofdem quos maritus noffe deos & colere folus uxor débet, fupervacaneis autem religionibus & alienis fuperftitionibus fores occludere. Nulli enim Deûm grata funt facra que mulier clanculùm & furtim facit. Plutarch. Conjug. Precept. Gen. 24. Vocemus puel jam, & quæramus os ejus,

The Duty of Husbands, &c.