Cautions against these weak Extremities. SECT. IV:

NOw to prevent or stay these Declinations
And desperate diseases of Estate,
As hard is as to change the Inclinations
Of humane Nature in her Love or Hate;
Which whosoever can make straight or true
As wel is able to create her new.

Hence falls it out that as the wise Physitian,
When he discovers death in the disease,
Reveals his Patients dangerous condition;
And straight abandons what he cannot ease
Unto the Ghostly Physick of a Might
Above all second causes Infinite.

So many grave and great men of Estate
In such despaired times retire away,
And yield the stern of Government to Fate,
Foreseeing her remediless decay,
Loath in confused torrents of oppression
To perish as if guilty of transgression.

Who then can wary Seneca reprove?
After he had observ'd his Pupils rage,
The Brother poison'd (strange bewitching Love)
The Mother slain, of vice his patronage;
If he from bloody Nero did remove,
And as the Pilots do in Tempests groan,
To Fate give over Art, and all their own.

But grant such spirits were to be excus'd,
As by oppression or necessity
Disgraced live, restrained, or not us'd,
As part themselves of publick misery,
Yet who are free must labor and desire
To carry water to this common fire.

Have not some by equality of mind,
Even in the crossest course of evil times,
With passive goodness won against the wind?
So Priscus pass'd Domitian's torrid Climes,
And scapt't from danger to the full of days,
Helping frail Rome with un-offending ways.

Was it true Valour or Timidity
That made stern Cato so impatient
Of his own life, and Caesar's victory?
Vanity it was, like smoak not permanent
That wrought this weak work of strong destiny
Where while he lost his life and Rome a friend,
He lost that Glory which he made his end.

For since the most Estates at first were founded
Upon the waving Basis of confusion;
On what but fear can his discourse be grounded
That in distress despairs of good conclusion?
With mysteries of which vicissitude
Fate oftentimes doth humane wit delude.

Again, who mark times revolutions, find
The constant health of Crowns doth not remain
In pow'r of Man, but of the pow'rs Divine,
Who fixe, change, ruine, or build up again
According to the period, wain or State,
Of good or evils seldom changing fate.

First then let Tyrants (as they do encline
By nature, either way unto excess)
Conceive, though true perfection be Divine
And no where ever brought to pass with less:
Yet in the world, which they would govern well,
Cures and Diseases both together dwell.

And though to live by rule proud man be loath;
Yet rules to Kings and Subjects are such stays
As Crutches be to feeble Ages sloth,
Or as the main turmoiled Mother seas
Do find those banks which then confine her course,
When rage blown up, would els make all things worse.

Let no man then expect a constant Air
Between the sence of Men and senseless Might,
Where one man makes skies foul, another fair,
In Passive orbs who looks for other right,
Child like must break all toys for loss of one,
And by their fall add honour to a Throne.

Rather let People, as in Airs infected,
Not seek to master but avoid disease,
By absence now, by homage now protected,
Not looking high for stumbling in their ways;
Lest, as of old, curst with confused speech
They now find no word currant but, Beseech.

Again, let weak Kings keep their homour chaste,
Not daring violence, lest over-built
They help to lay their own foundation wafte,
And failing themselves, multiply their guilt,
Since hearts as strong as their Estates must be,
That can enlarge themselves by Tyranny.

For as in weak Estates, so in weak Minds,
To injure or oppress humanity
Stirs up Right, Wit, and Heart in divers kinds,
To shew how easily hazard makes men free;
Where prospect must appear to these weak kings
A sign that ruine flies with nimble wings.

This weakness which I mean hath divers kinds,
Some water-like, easie to take impression,
And like it leave not any print behind,
Which I omit as fit for no profession:
The other wax like, take, and keep a mind,
And may in strengths they have, not of their own,
Be helpt by common Duties to a Throne.

For as, when Birds and Beasts would have a King,
To furnish this fair creature for a guide;
Out of their own they gave him every thing,
And by their gifts themselves more surely tyed;
Eyes, Voices, Wings, and of their natures skill,
To govern, raise, and ruine them at will.

So may these frail unactive kind of spirits
Be with the Milk of many Nurses fed,
All striving to hold up the Scepters rights
With Subjects strengths by Crowns authorised,
Whereby the feeble may again be wombed,
And there get life even where it was intombed.

Which outward help of others providence
Watcheth occasion, poizeth each intent,
Nor is Crown-wisdom any Quintescence
Of abstract Truth or art of Government,
More then sweet Sympathy or Counterpeaze
Of humours temper'd happily to please.

But their best help indeed is happy choice
Of under Ministers of every kind,
By whom discreetly Thrones may judge the voice
Of Images projected to their mind:
And so by weak but wakeful jealousie,
The true of false scope of propounders see.

Whence mark, how that young unexperienc'd spirit
Alexander (who was after nam'd Severe)
During his youth did of his people merit,
By help of Council uncorrupt, to bear
The practice of his publick government
Under good Laws, which gave good men content.

Now though pow'r hardly can fit spirits to place,
Which must want Judgement wanting industry,
And so as rarely well dispose of Grace,
Having but Chance, no true Nobility;
Yet kinless Fame helps weakness what to judge,
Till from an eccho, she become a drudge.

For as the Painter (curious in his Art)
Extream ill features easily represents,
And by deformity in every part,
Express the life and likeness to content;
As he in …atures good proportions shews,
That in her pride Art equal with her goes.

So Fame this Quintescence of humane spirit,
Brings unto light the divers states of men,
And seldome to unworthiness gives merit,
Or lets Perfection languish in a Den;
But on her wings alike brings either forth;
The one as good, the other nothing worth.

Thus may Fames many Eyes, Heads, Wings and Heart,
Instruct weak pow'r to keep her state upright;
And as to rule these is a Masters Art;
So to rule by these is one way of Might,
Wherein the Crown can feel no great distress
And for the People, they must sure find less.

Besides the help of Fame weak Thrones shall find
The wit of Time, and selfness in mens hearts,
Will teach how one man, many men may bind,
And raise the head by counterpoize of parts,
All having charge and subaltern degree,
To ease the audits of Authority.

Where else weak hands in mighty works must fail;
And all transform'd be to Usurpers passion;
Thrones then reserve your selves, choice and appeal;
Greatness her way must with some labor fashion,
With many Eyes he must see wrong and Right,
That Finite being, would rule Infinite,

Or if Pow'rs tender thoughts will needs make pleasure
The end of Crowns, which God made publick good,
Yet give your seconds scope in such a measure,
As may for Chiefs still make you understood;
Which one poor priviledge you may reserve,
By thinking more, then one, can well deserve.

For: as in bodies living (though decay'd)
If all parts equally chance to be stain'd,
The whole is by an AEquilibrium sway'd,
As where no odds can easily be gain'd;
And so Mortality adjourn'd as far
Oft as in those: all whose parts sounder are.

So these weak Pow'rs (in whom States are diseas'd
By equal disproportion in each part)
May scape great fits and happily be eas'd
Keeping her tottering Ballance up by Art:
In making Faction which destroys the strong,
By peazing weak Pow'rs to preserve them long.

What had become of Romes vast Monarchy,
When Galienus buried was in Lust,
Sloth, Riot, and Excess of vanity,
Even while the Barbars swarm'd like barren dust;
Had not the Thirty Rivals to each other
From one Mans Tyranny preserv'd their Mother.

Let Place then Rule, let Favor raign, not Merit;
And each in his Predicament be King;
Do of a head use neither pow'r nor spirit
To audit, question or judge any thing;
Onely let Faction multiply her seed,
Two bodies headless seldom danger breed.

For equals soon each other will oppose,
And both in Thrones as suddenly unite,
To it they pray, they travel, they disclose;
Creation only ballanceth their Might;
Reserve, distribute that in jealous measure,
Then Crowns may stand, and Kings may take their pleasure.

These partial wits (which Faction works withal)
Though fatal Judges, yet good Sisters be,
Which while they strive each other to enthral,
Cleer up the dimme lights of authority;
And shew weak Crowns what weight of hope or fear
The State or mind of every man can bear.

Besides Thrones have all moulds of their forefathers,
Safe under-buildings of the wisdoms dead,
Exchequers that Revenues Judge and gather,
Courts that examine Treason to the head;
Parliaments, Councel-seats, Tripods of Law,
Engines of pow'r to keep desire in awe.

For forain practice they have spies of time
And place, to which intelligence is due;
For Church inferior functions, and sublime
To teach men God, and take a spiritual view
Of Schisme in Doctrine, and in life of sin,
That neither Sect, nor scandal enter in.

Onely let not weak pow'rs lay new foundations,
Who cannot judge how time works on the old;
But keep the ancient forms in reputation
To which Mans freedom is already sold,
Since Order over-worn is yet a frame,
Wherein Confusion rarely weavs her name.

Thus much for weakness in that Royal part
Which doth concern Justice that is supreme;
Whose Golden Links (though forg'd by powers Art)
Safe Circles are to compass every Realm;
And keep out all thoughts of irreverence,
As bearing in it every mans defence.

Where frailty else, ever unfortunate
Wanting true cales between Place, Wit, and Heart,
Scatters the strength, and honour of a State,
By suffering more to play one Tyrants part;
And blows the people ike louds here and there,
As (till exhausted) objects of their fear.

Lastly, if these mild Cautions fail to stay
These frailties, which disease-like turn and toss,
And so for that change every where make way,
Which Change unguided still begetteth loss;
Then he who cannot take, must taken be,
Such sharp points hath frail mans Supremacy.