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for the necessitie of his estate, or as they say for CHAPTER state matters, to breake his worde and faith, or otherwise forceth him out of his ordinary duty, hee is to Of profit and ascribe that necessity unto a lash of Gods rod: It is honesty no vice, for hee hath quit his reason, unto a reason more publike, and more powerfull, but surely 'tis ill fortune. So that to one, who asked mee what remedy? I replyde, none; were hee truely rackt betweene these two extreames (Sed videat ne quæratur latebra periurio (Cic. Off. iii.). But let him take heede he seeke not a starting hole for perjurie) hee must have done it; but if hee did it sans regret or scruple, if it greeved him not to doe it, 'tis an argument his conscience is but in ill tearmes. Now were there any one of so tender or cheverell a conscience, to whome no cure might seeme worthy of so extreame a remedy: I should prise or regard him no whit the lesse. Hee cannot loose himselfe more handsomely nor more excusablie. Wee cannot doe every thing, nor bee in every place. When all is done, thus and thus, must wee often, as unto our last Anker and sole refuge, resigne the protection of our vessell unto the onely conduct of heaven. To what juster necessity can hee reserve himselfe ? What is lesse possible for him to do, then what he cannot effect, without charge unto his faith, and imputation to his honour? things which peradventure should bee dearer to him, then his owne salvation, and the safety of his people. When with enfoulded armes hee shall devoutly call on God for his ayde, may hee not hope, that his fatherlie mercie shall not refuse the extraordinary favour, and sinne-forgiving grace of his all powerfull hand, unto a pure and righteous hand? They are dangerous examples, rare and crased exceptions to our naturall rules: wee must yeelde unto them, but with great moderation, and heedie circumspection. No private commodity,

I

CHAPTER may any way deserve wee should offer our conscience this wrong: the common-wealth may, when it is Of profit and most apparant and important. Timoleon did fitlie

honesty

warrant and warde the strangenes of his exploite
by the teares hee shed, remembring it was with a
brotherlie hand hee slew the tyrant. And it neerely
pinched his selfe gnawne conscience, that hee was
compelled to purchase the common good, at the rate
of his honestie. The sacred Senate it selfe, by his
meanes delivered from thraldome, durst not definitely
decide of so haughtie an action, and rend in two so
urgent and different semblances. But the Siracusans
having opportunely and at that very instant sent to
the Corinthians, to require their protection, and a
governour able to re-establish their towne in former
majestie, and deliver Sicilie from a number of pettie
tyrants, which grievously oppressed the same: they
appointed Timoleon, with this new caveat and de-
claration: That according as hee should well or ill
demeane himselfe in his charge, their sentence should
incline, either to grace him as the redeemer of his
country, or disgrace him, as the murtherer of his
brother. This fantasticall conclusion, hath some
excuse upon the danger of the example, and import-
ance of an act so different, and they did well, to
discharge their judgement of it, or to embarke him
some where else, and on their considerations.
the proceedings of Timoleon in his renowned journie
did soone yeelde his cause the cleerer, so worthily and
vertuously did hee every way beare himselfe therein.
And the good hap, which ever accompanied him in the
encombrances and difficulties hee was to subdue in
the atchievement of his noble enterprise, seemed to
bee sent him by the Gods, conspiring to second, and
consenting to favour his justification: This mans end
is excusable, if ever any could bee. But the encrease
and profit of the publike revenues, which served the

Now

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honesty

Roman Senate for a pretext of the ensuing-foule CHAPTER conclusion I purpose to relate, is not of sufficient force to warrant such injustice. Certaine cities had of profit and by the order and permission of the Senate, with mony purchased their libertie, at the hands of L. Sylla. The matter comming in question againe, the Senate condemned them, to be fineable and taxed as before: and the mony they had employed for their ransome, should bee deemed as lost and forfeited. Civill warres do often produce such enormous examples : That we punish private men, forsomuch as they have beleeved us, when wee were other then now wee are. And one same magistrate doth lay the penalty of his change on such as cannot do withal. The Schoolemaster whippeth his scholler for his docility, and the guide striketh the blinde man he leadeth. A horrible image of justice. Some rules in Philosophy are both false and faint. The example proposed unto us of respecting private utility before faith given, hath not sufficient power by the circumstance they adde unto it. Theeves have taken you, and on your oath to pay them a certaine sum of money, have set you at liberty againe: They erre, that say, an honest man is quit of his worde and faith without paying, beeing out of their hands; There is no such matter. feare and danger hath once forced mee to will and consent unto, I am bound to will and performe being out of danger and feare. And although it have but forced my tongue, and not my will, yet am I bound to make my worde goode, and keepe my promise. For my part, when it hath sometimes unadvisedly over-runne my thought, yet have I made a conscience to disavowe the same. Otherwise wee should by degrees come to abolish all the right a third man taketh and may challenge of our promises. Quasi verò forti viro vis possit adhiberi (Cic. Off. iii.). As though any force could be used upon a valiant man.

What

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CHAPTER T'is onely lawfull for our private interest to excuse I the breache of promise, if wee have rashlie promised Of profit and things in themselves wicked and unjust. For, the

honesty

right of vertue ought to over-rule the right of our bond. I have heretofore placed Epaminondas in the first ranke of excellent men, and now recant it not. Unto what high pitch raised hee the consideration of his particular duty? who never slew man hee had vanquished; who for that unvaluable good of restoring his country hir liberty, made it a matter of conscience, to murther a Tyrant or his complices, without a due and formall course of lawe: and who judged him a bad man, how good a citizen soever, that amongest his enemies and in the fury of a battle, spared not his friend, or his hoste. Loe here a minde of a rich composition. Hee matched unto the most violent and rude actions of men, goodnesse and courtesie, yea and the most choise and delicate, that may be found in the schoole of Philosophie. This so high-raised courage, so swelling and so obstinate against sorow, death and povertie, was it nature or arte, made it relent, even to the utmost straine of exceeding tendernesse and debonarety of complexion? Being cloathed in the dreadfull livery of steele and blood, hee goeth on crushing and brusing a nation, invincible to all others, but to himselfe : yet mildely relenteth in the midst of a combat or confusion, when he meets with his host or with his friend. Verily, this man was deservedly fit to command in warre, which in the extremest furie of his innated rage, made him to feele the sting of courtesie, and remorse of gentlenesse: then when all inflamed, it foamed with furie, and burned with murder. "Tis a miracle, to be able to joyne any shew of justice with such actions. But it only belongeth to the unmatched courage of Epaminondas, in that confused plight, to joyne mildnesse and facility of the most gentle behaviour that

I

ever was, unto them, yea and pure innocency it selfe. CHAPTER And whereas one told the Mamertins, that statutes were of no force against armed men: another to the of profit and Tribune of the people, that the time of justice and honesty warre, were two: a third, that the confused noise of warre and clangor of armes, hindred him from understanding the sober voice of the lawes: This man was not so much as empeached from conceiving the milde sound of civilitie and kindnesse. Borrowed hee of his enemies the custome of sacrificing to the muses (when he went to the warres) to qualifie by their sweetnesse and mildnesse, that martiall furie, and hostile surlinesse? Let us not feare, after so great a master, to hold that some things are unlawfull, even against our fellest enemies: that publike interest, ought not to challenge all of all, against private interest: Manente memoria etiam in dissidio publicorum foederum privati juris: Some memorie of private right continuing even in disagreement of publike contracts.

-et nulla potentia vires Præstandi, ne quid peccet amicus, habet:

-OVID, Pont. i. El. viii. 37,

No power hath so great might,

To make friends still goe right.

And that all things be not lawfull to an honest man, for the service of his King, the generall cause and defence of the lawes. Non enim patria præstat omnibus officiis, et ipsi conducit pios habere cives in parentes (Cic. Off. iii.). For our countrey is not above all other duties: it is good for the country to have her inhabitans use pietie toward their parents. 'Tis an instruction befitting the times: wee need not harden our courages with these plates of iron and steele; it sufficeth our shoulders be armed with them: it is enough to dippe our pens in inke, too much, to die them in blood. If it be greatnesse of courage, and