For their Nobles; To keepe them at a distance, it is not amisse; But to depresse them, may make a King more Absolute, but lesse Safe; And lesse able to performe any thing, that he desires. I have noted it, in my History of King Henry the Seventh, of England, who depressed his Nobility; Whereupon, it came to passe, that his Times were full of Difficulties, & Troubles; For the Nobility, though they continued loyall unto him, yet did they not co-operate with him, in his Businesse. So that in effect, he was faine to doe all things, himselfe.

For their Second Nobles; There is not much danger from them, being a Body dispersed. They may sometimes discourse high, but that doth little Hurt: Besides, they are a Counterpoize to the Higher Nobility, that they grow not too Potent: And lastly, being the most immediate in Authority, with the Common People, they doe best temper Popular Commotions.

For their Merchants; They are Vena porta; And if they flourish not, a Kingdome may have good Limmes, but will have empty Veines, and nourish little. Taxes, and Imposts upon them, doe seldome good to the Kings Revenew; For that that he winnes in the Hundred, he leeseth in the Shire; The particular Rates being increased, but the totall Bulke of Trading rather decreased.

For their Commons; There is little danger from them, except it be, where they have Great and Potent Heads; Or where you meddle, with the Point of Religion; Or their Customes, or Meanes of Life.

For their Men of warre; It is a dangerous State, where they live and remaine in a Body, and are used to Donatives; whereof we see Examples in the Ianizaries, and Pretorian Bands of Rome: But Traynings of Men, and Arming them in severall places, and under severall Commanders, and without Donatives, are Things of Defence, and no Danger.

Princes are like to Heavenly Bodies, which cause good or evill times; And which have much Veneration, but no Rest. All precepts concerning Kings, are in effect comprehended, in those two Remembrances: Memento quod es Homo; And Memento quod es Deus, or Vice Dei: The one bridleth their Power, and the other their Will.

XX

Of Counsell

THE greatest Trust, betweene Man and Man,

other Confidences, Men commit the parts of life; Their Lands, their Goods, their Children, their Credit, some particular Affaire; But to such, as they make their Counsellours, they commit the whole: By how much the more, they are obliged to all Faith and integrity. The wisest Princes, need not thinke it any diminution to their Greatnesse, or derogation to their Sufficiency, to rely upon Counsell. God himselfe is not without: But hath made it one of the great Names, of his blessed Sonne; The Counsellour. Salomon hath pronounced, that In Counsell is Stability. Things will have their first, or second Agitation; If they be not tossed upon the Arguments of Counsell, they will be tossed upon the Waves of Fortune; And be full of Inconstancy, doing, and undoing, like the Reeling of a drunken Man. Salomons Sonne found the Force of Counsell, as his Father saw the Necessity of it. For the Beloved Kingdome of God was first

rent, and broken by ill Counsell; Upon which Counsell, there are set, for our Instruction, the two Markes, whereby Bad Counsell is, for ever, best discerned: That it was young Counsell, for the Persons; And Violent Counsell, for the Matter.

The Ancient Times doe set forth in Figure, both the Incorporation, and inseparable Coniunction of Counsel with Kings; And the wise and Politique use of Counsell by Kings: The one, in that they say, Iupiter did marry Metis, which signifieth Counsell: Whereby they intend, that Soveraignty is married to Counsell: The other, in that which followeth, which was thus: They say after Iupiter was married to Metis, she conceived by him, and was with Childe; but Iupiter suffered her not to stay, till she brought forth, but eat her up; Wherby he became himselfe with Child, and was delivered of Pallas Armed, out of his Head. Which monstrous Fable, containeth a Secret of Empire; How Kings are to make use of their Councell of State. That first, they ought to referre matters unto them, which is the first Begetting or Impregnation; But when they are elaborate, moulded, and shaped, in the Wombe of their Councell, and grow ripe, and ready to be brought forth; That then, they suffer not their Councell to goe through with the Resolution, and direction, as if it depended on them; But take the matter backe into their owne Hands, and make it appeare to the world, that the Decrees, and finall Directions, (which, because they come forth with Prudence, and Power, are resembled

to Pallas Armed) proceeded from themselves: And not onely from their Authority, but (the more to adde Reputation to Themselves) from their Head, and Device.

Let us now speake of the Inconveniences of Counsell, and of the Remedies. The Inconveniences, that have been noted in calling, and using Counsell, are three. First, the Revealing of Affaires, whereby they become lesse Secret. Secondly, the Weakning of the Authority of Princes, as if they were lesse of Themselves. Thirdly, the Danger of being unfaithfully counselled, and more for the good of them that counsell, then of him that is counselled. For which Inconveniences, the Doctrine of Italy, and Practise of France, in some Kings times, hath introduced Cabinet Counsels; A Remedy worse then the Disease.

As to Secrecy; Princes are not bound to communicate all Matters, with all Counsellors; but may extract and select. Neither is it necessary, that he that consulteth what he should doe, should declare what he will doe. But let Princes beware, that the unsecreting of their Affaires, comes not from Themselves. And as for Cabinet Counsels, it may be their Motto; Plenus rimarum sum: One futile person, that maketh it his glory to tell, will doe more hurt, then many, that know it their duty to conceale. It is true, there be some Affaires, which require extreme Secrecy, which will hardly go beyond one or two persons, besides the King: Neither are those Counsels unprosperous: For besides the Secrecy, they commonly goe on constantly