L'avaritja de Re, p. fte de Regni. Chi compra to 6. Princes must not multiply publick Oaths without great, eminent and violent neceffity, left the secu rity of the King become a snare to the People, and they become false when they fee themselves suspected, or impatient when they are violently held fast. But the greater and more useful caution is upon things than upon persons: and if security of Kings can be obtained otherwise, it is better that Oaths should be the last refuge, and when nothing else can be fufficient. 7. Let not the people be tempted with arguments to disobey, by the imposition of great and unneceffary taxes: for that loft to the Son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Ifrael. 8. Princes must in special manner be Guardians of Pupils and Widows, not suffering their persons to be oppressed, or their estates imbezelled, or in any fence he exposed 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 so administred, that they be truly and really an ease to the People, not an instrument of vexation: and therefore must be careful that the shortest and most equal ways of trials be appointed, fees moderated, and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may be, left injured persons be forced to perish under the oppreffion, or under the Law, in the injury, or in the suit. Laws are like Princes, those best and most beloved who are most easie of accefs. 10. Places of Judicature ought at no hand to be il magiftra fold by pious Princes, who remember themselves to che vendra be Fathers of the People. For they that buy the Oflà giuftitia. fice will fell the Act, and they that at any rate will be Judges, will not at any cafie rate do Justice; and their bribery is less punishable, when bribery opened the door by which they entred. 11. Ancient privileges, favours, customs and acts of grace indulged by former Kings to their People, must not without high reason and great necessities be revoked by their successors, nor forfeitures be exacted violently, or penal Laws urged rigorously nor in light cases, nor Laws be multiplied without great need, nor vicious persons, which are publickly and deservedly hated, be kept in defiance of popular defires, nor any thing that may unneceffarily make the yoke heavy, and the affection light, that may encrease murmurs, and lessen charity; always remembring that the interest of the Prince and the People is so 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. muft tiæ fuæ de 12. All Princes must esteem themselves as much Nulla lex (civilis) fibi bound by their word, by their grants, and by their foli confcipromises, as the meanest of their Subjects are by the entiam juftirestraint and penalty of Laws: and though they are bet, fed eis à fuperiour to the people, yet they are not fuperiour to quibus obfeown voluntary conceffions and engagements, dat. quium their promises and oaths, when once they are passed tul. Apol. from them. their The Duty of Superiours as they are Judges. 1. Princes in Judgment and their delegate Judges must judge the causes of all persons uprightly and impartially, without any personal 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 justice he must fare no better for it: And although the rich must be no more regarded, yet he must not be less. And to this purpose the Tutor of Cyrus instructed 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 answered, Sir, If you were made a Judge of decency or fitness, you had judged well in ex pectat. Ter Ephef. 6.4. in giving the biggest to the biggest; but when you were appointed Judge, not whom the Coat did fit, but whose it was, you should have considered the title and the poffeffion, who did the violence, and who made it, or who bought it. And so it must be in judgments between the Rich and the Poor: it is not to be considered what the poor man needs, but what is his own. 2. A Prince may not, much less may inferiour Judges, deny Justice when it is legally and competently demanded: and if the Prince will use his Prerogative in pardoning an Offender against whom Justice is required, he must be carefull to give fatisfation to the injured person, or his relatives, by some other instrument; and be watchfull to take away the scandal, that is, lest such indulgence might make persons more bold to do injury; and if he spares the life, let him change the punithment into that which may make the offender (if not fuffer Justice, yet) do Justice, and more real advantage to the injured perfon. These Rules concern Princes and their Delegates in the making or administring Laws, in the appointing Rules of Justice. and doing acts of Judgment. The duty of Parents to their Children and Nephews is briefly described by S. Paul. 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 several ages proportioning to them several usages 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 so before they come to chuse and difcern good from evil, that their choice may be with less difficulty and danger. For while they are under difcipline, they fuck in all that that they are first taught, and believe it infinitely. Potior mihi Provide for them wife, learned and vertuous Tutors, ratio vivendi honeftè, quàm and good Company and Discipline *, seasonable Bap- & optimè di tifm, Catechism 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. 94 we get it. It is as if a Man should take more Care Crates apud about his Shoe than about his Foot. Plutarch. de liber edu 3. Parents must * shew Pity at home; that is, they cand. must give good Example and reverent Deportment in 1 Tim. 5. 4 the Face of their Children, and all those Instances of Charity which ufually endear each other, Sweetness of Conversation, Affability, frequent Admonition, all Significations of Love and Tenderness, Care and Watchfulness, must be expressed 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 necessary Instance of Piety which Mothers can shew to their Babes; a Duty from which nothing will excuse, but a Disability, Sickness, Danger or publick Neceffity. 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 themselves againft the Chances of the World, that they may not be exposed to Temptation, to Beggary, or unworthy Arts. And although this must be done without Covetousness, 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 Estates for them, that also 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 Issue; they also become Part of our Care, yet so 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 must, according to their Power and Reason, provide Husbands or Wives for their Children. (6) In which they must fecure Piety, and (c) Religion, and the Affection and Love of the interested Persons; and after these, 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 disagreeing 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 chuse according to the Parents Wish, but at no hand let them be forced. Better to fit up all Night, than to go to Bed with a Dragon, (α) Νυμφευμάτων μὲν τῷ ἐπω πατὴς ἐμὸς Μέριμναν ἕξει, κὶ ἐκ ἐμὸν κρίνειν τάδε. t Eurip. Electr. Me tibi Tyndareus vitâ gravis auctor & annis Tradidit; arbitrium neptis habebat avus. Ovid. in Ep. Herm. (b) Liberi fine consensu parentum contrahere non debent. Andromache apud Eari pidem cum petita fuit ad nuptias, respondit, patris fui effe fponfalium fuorum curam habere: & Achilles apud Homerum, Regis filiam fine patris sui con sensu noluit ducere. 11. 10 Ην γὸ δή με σύωσι θεοί, κῷ οἴκαδ ̓ ἵκωμαι, Πηλεύς τιώ μοιέπειτα γυναῖκα γαμέτε) αυτός. Εt Justinianus Imperator ait, naturali fimul & civili ratione congru ere, nè filii ducant uxores citra Parentum authoritatem. Simo Terentianus parat abdicationem, quia, Pamphilus clam ipso duxiffet uxorem. Iftiufmodi sponsalia fiunt irrita, nisi velint Parentes: At si subsequuta eft copula, nè temerè rescindantur connubia multæ fuadent cautiones & pericula. Liberi autem quamdiu secundùm leges patrias sui juris non funt, clandeftinas nuptias si ineant, peccant contra Quintum Preceptum, & jus naturale fecundarium. Propriè enim loquendo, Parentes non habent ξεσίαν, five poteftatem, fed authoritatem; habent jus jubendi aut prohibendi, fed non irritum faciendi. Atque etiam ifta authoritas exercenda est secundum æquum & bonum, scil. ut nê morofus & difficilis fit Pater. Mater enim vix habet aliquod Juris præter suafionis & amoris & gratitudinis. Si autem Pater filiam non collocasset ante 25. annos, filia nubere poterat cui voluerat, ex Jure Romanorum. Pater enim authoritas major aut minor est ex legibus patriis, & folet extendi ad certam ætatem, & tum exspirat quoad Matrimonium, & est ma jor in filias quam filias. Num. 30. (c) Eosdem quos maritus nosse deos & colere folus uxor debet, supervacaneis autem re ligionibus & alienis fuperftitionibus fores occludere. Nulli enim Deûm grata funt facra que mulier clanculum & furtim facit. Plutarch. Conjug. Præcept. Gen. 24. Vocemus puel jam, & quæramus os ejus, The Duty of Husbands, &c. 1. See Chap. 2. Sect 3. Rules |