II. can be to a well-established monarchy; those buildings be- BOOK ing ever most strongly durable, which lean to none other, but remain from their own foundation. So yet, in the particulars of your estate at present, I will not altogether deny, that a true Massinissa were very fit to countermine the enterprize of mighty Carthage: but how this general truth can be applied to monsieur, in truth, I perceive not. The wisest, that have given best rules where surest leagues are to be made, have said, that it must be between such as either vehement desire of a third thing, or as vehement fear, doth knit their minds together. Desire is counted the weaker bond; but yet that bound so many princes to the expedition of the Holy Land. It united that invincible Hen. 5. and that good duke of Burgundy: the one desiring to win the crown of France from the dauphin; the other desiring to revenge his fathers murther upon the dauphin; which both tended to one. That coupled Lewis the Twelfth, and Ferdinando of Spain, to the conquest of Naples. Of fear, there are innumerable examples. Monsieur's desires and yours, how they should meet in publick matters, I think, no oracle can tell: for as the geometricians say, that parallels, because they maintain divers lines, can never joyn; so truly, two, having in the beginning contrary principles, to bring forth one doctrine, must be some miracle. He of the Romish religion; and, if he be a man, must needs have that manlike property, to desire that all men be of his mind you the erecter and defender of the contrary; and the only sun that dazleth their eyes. He French, and desiring to make France great; your majesty English, and desiring nothing less then that France should grow great. He, both by his own fancy and his youthful governours, embracing all ambitious hopes, having Alexanders image in his head, but, perhaps, evil painted: your majesty, with excellent virtue, taught what you should hope; and by no less wisdom, what you may hope; with a council renowned over all Christendom for their well tempered minds, having set the utmost of their ambition in your favour, and the study of their souls in your safety. BOOK II. Fear hath as little shew of outward appearance, as reason, to match you together; for in this estate he is in, whom should he fear? his brother? Alas! his brother is afraid, since the king of Navar is to step into his place. Neither can his brother be the safer by his fall; but he may be the greater by his brothers; whereto whether you will be an accessary, you are to determine. The king of Spain certainly cannot make war upon him, but it must be upon all the crown of France; which is no likelihood he will do. Well may monsieur (as he hath done) seek to enlarge the bounds of France upon his state; which likewise, whether it be safe for you to be a countenance to, any other way, may be seen: so that if neither desire nor fear be such in him as are to bind any publick fastness; it may be said, that the only fortress of this your marriage is, of his private affection; a thing too incident to the person laying it up in such knots. The other objection, of contempt in the subjects, I assure your majesty, if I had heard it proceed out of your mouth, which of all other I do most dearly reverence, it would as soon (considering the perfections both of body and mind have set all mens eyes by the height your estate) have come to the possibility of my imagination, if one should have told me on the contrary side, that the greatest princess of the world should envy the state of some poor deformed pilgrim. What is there either within you or without you, that can possibly fall into the danger of contempt, to whom fortunes are tyed by so long descent of your royal ancestors? But our minds rejoyce with the experience of your inward vertues, and our eyes are delighted with the sight of you. But because your own eyes cannot see your self, neither can there be in the world any example fit to blaze you by, I beseech you vouchsafe to weigh the grounds thereof. The natural causes are length of government, and uncertainty of succession: the effects, as you term them, appear by cherishing some abominable speeches which some hellish minds have uttered, The longer a good prince reigneth, it is certain the more he is esteemed; there is no man ever was weary of well being. And good encreased to good maketh the same good II. both greater and stronger; for it useth men to know no other BOOK cares, when either men are born in the time, and so never saw other; or have spent much part of their flourishing time, and so have no joy to seek other: in evil princes, abuse growing upon abuse, according to the nature of evil, with the increase of time ruines it self. But in so rare a government, where neighbours fires give us light to see our quietness, where nothing wants that true administration of justice brings forth, certainly the length of time rather breeds a mind to think there is no other life but in it, then that there is any tediousness in so fruitfull a government. Examples of good princes do ever confirm this, who the longer they lived, the deeper still they sunk into their subjects hearts. Neither will I trouble you with examples, being so many and manifest. Look into your own estate, how willingly they grant, and how dutifully they pay such subsidies as you demand of them. How they are no less troublesome to your majesty in certain requests, than they were in the beginning of your reign: and your majesty shall find you have a people more then ever devoted to you. As for the uncertainty of succession, although for mine own part I have cast the utmost anchor of my hope, yet for England's sake I would not say any thing against such determination; but that uncertain good should bring contempt to a certain good, I think it is beyond all reach of reason: nay, because if there were no other cause, (as there are infinite,) common reason and profit would teach us to hold that jewel dear, the loss of which would bring us to we know not what: which likewise is to be said of your majesties speech of the rising sun, a speech first used by Scilla to Pompey in Rome, as then a popular city, where indeed men were to rise or fall, according to the flourish and breath of a many headed confusion. But in so lineal a monarchy, where-ever the infants suck the love of their rightfull prince, who would leave the beams of so fair a sun, for the dreadful expectation of a divided company of stars? Vertue and justice are the only bonds of peoples love: and as for that point, many princes have lost their crowns whose own children were ma II. BOOK nifest successors; and some, that had their own children used as instruments of their ruine; not that I deny the bliss of children, but only to shew religion and equity to be of themselves sufficient staies: neither is the love was born in the queen your sisters daies any contradiction hereunto; for she was the oppressor of that religion which lived in many mens hearts, and whereof you were known to be the favourer; by her loss, was the most excellent prince in the world to succeed; by your loss, all blindness light upon him that sees not our misery. Lastly, and most properly for this purpose, she had made an odious marriage with a stranger, (which is now in question, whether your majesty should do or no ;) so that if your subjects do at this time look for any after-chance, it is but as the pilot doth to the ship-boat, if his ship should perish; driven by extremity to the one; but, as long as he can with his life, tendring the other. And this I say, not only for the lively parts that be in you; but even for their own sakes, since they must needs see what tempests threaten them. The last proof in this contempt should be the venomous matter certain men impostumed with wickedness should utter against you. Certainly not to be evil spoken of, neither Christs holiness nor Cæsars might could ever prevent or warrant there being for that no other rule, then so to do, as that they may not justly say evil of you; which whether your majesty have not done, I leave it in you, to the sincereness of your own conscience, and wisdom of your judgment; in the world, to your most manifest fruits and fame through Europe. Augustus was told, that men spake of him much hurt; it is no matter, said he, so long as they cannot do much hurt and lastly, Charles the 5th, to one that told him, Les Hollandois parlent mal, mais ilz payent bien, answered he. I might make a scholar-like reckoning of many such examples. It sufficeth that these great princes knew well enough upon what wings they flew, and cared little for the barking of a few currs: and truly, in the behalf of your subjects, I durst with my blood answer it, that there was never monarch held in more precious reckoning of her peo II. ple; and before God how can it be otherwise? For mine BOOK own part, when I hear some lost wretch hath defiled such a name with his mouth, I consider the right name of blasphemy, whose unbridled soul doth delight to deprave that which is accounted generally most high and holy. No, no, most excellent lady, do not raze out the impression you have made in such a multitude of hearts, and let not the scum of such vile minds bear any witness against your subjects devotions: which, to proceed one point further, if it were otherwise, could little be helped, but rather nourished, and in effect begun by this. The only means of avoiding contempt, are love and fear: love as you have by divers means sent into the depth of their souls; so if any thing can stain so true a form, it must be the trimming your self, not in your own likeness, but in new colours unto them: their fear by him cannot be encreased without appearance of French forces, the manifest death of your estate; but well may it against him bear that face, which (as the tragick Seneca saith) Metus in authorem redit; as because both in will and power he is like enough to do harm. Since then it is dangerous for your state, as well because by inward weakness (principally caused by division) it is fit to receive harm; since to your person it can no way be comfortable, you not desiring marriage, and neither to person nor state he is to bring any more good then any body, but more evil he may, since the causes that should drive you to this are either fears of that which cannot happen, or by this means cannot be prevented; I do with most humble heart say unto your majesty, (having assayed this dangerous help,) for your standing alone, you must take it for a singular honour God hath done you, to be indeed the only protector of his church; and yet in worldly respects your kingdom very sufficient so to do, if you make that religion upon which you stand, to carry the only strength, and have abroad those that still maintain the same course, who as long as they may be kept from utter falling, your majesty is sure enough from your mightiest enemies. As for this man, as long as he is but monsieur in might, |