First in general, to give you my poor advice for your carriage in so eminent a place, and of so much danger, if not wisely discharged. Next in particular, by what means to give dispatches to suitors of all sorts, for the King's best service, the suitors' satisfaction, and your own ease. I humbly return unto you mine opinion in both these, such as an Hermit, rather than a Courtier can render.

You are now the King's Favourite, so voted, and so esteemed by all.

In the first place, then, give me leave to tell you what this signifies; and next, what is the duty that lies upon you towards the King. That being done in a few words, I shall then come to the particulars which you must insist upon to facilitate your dispatches. It is no new thing for Kings and Princes to have their privadoes, their favourites, their friends. They have done it sometimes out of their affection to the person of the man (for Kings have their affections as well as private men), sometimes in contemplation of their great abilities (and that's a happy choice), and sometimes for their own ends, to make them whom they so stile, and are contented should be so stiled, to be interposed between the Prince and the People. Take it in either or any of these significations, let it be a caution unto you. If the King have made choice of you out of his affection, or out of the opinion of your worth, to communicate his bosom thoughts with you, or perhaps to debate them, and so ripen his own judgment; you are bound in gratitude to return so much as possibly you can to advance your Master's service and honour. But were it (as I am confident it is not) to interpose you between himself and the envy of his people in general, or of some discontented party in particular, then you are bound for your own sake to watch over your actions.

Remember then what your true condition is. The King himself is above the reach of his people, but cannot be above their censures; and you are his shadow, if either he commit an error and is loath to avow it, but excuses it upon his Ministers, of which you are the first in the eye: or you commit the fault, or have willingly permitted it, and must suffer for it; so perhaps you may be offered as a sacrifice to appease the multitude. But admit you were in no such danger, as I hope you are not, and

1 So in the original. I think it should be "his opinion."

that you are answerable only to God and the King for your actions, yet remember well the great trust you have undertaken. You are as a continual sentinel, always to stand upon your watch, to give him true intelligence. If you flatter him, you betray him. If you conceal the truth of those things from him, which concern his justice or his honour (although not the safety of his person), you are as dangerous a traitor to his State, as he that riseth in arms against him. A false friend is more dangerous than an open enemy. Kings are stiled Gods upon Earth, not absolute, but Dixi dii estis, and the next words are, sed moriemini sicut1 homines; they shall die like men, and then their thoughts perish; they cannot possibly see all things with their own eyes, nor hear all things with their own ears; they must commit many great trusts to their ministers. Kings must be answerable to God Almighty (to whom they are but vassals) for their actions, and for their negligent omissions. But the Ministers to Kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they are, must be answerable to God and man, for the breach of their duties, in violation of their trusts, whereby they betray them.2

For the general, I say no more, but apply myself to the particular wherein you desire satisfaction; in which my answer shall be plain, and as clear as I can. And sir, know this I beseech you, that which I now write and recommend immediately to you, concerns also the King, and much more than you; and because he cannot intend all things, and ordinary persons cannot have access unto him, or if they had, durst not speak with that freedom, you are bound to supply it, and to be his monitor, not in a saucy malepart3 way, which may not take with him, but at seasonable times, which you may, nay which you must, watch for.

It is true that the whole Kingdom hath cast their eye upon you, as the new rising Star, and no man thinks his business can prosper at Court, unless he hath you for his good Angel, or at least that you be not a Malus Genius against him. This you cannot now avoid unless you will adventure a precipice, to fall down faster than you rose. Opinion is a master wheel in these cases. That courtier who obtained a boon of the Emperour, that he might every morning at his coming into his presence

1 Sunt in the original.

2 In the original there is not a fresh paragraph here.

3 So in original.

:

humbly whisper him in the ear and say nothing, asked no unprofitable suit for himself: but such a fancy raised only by an opinion cannot be long lived, unless the man have solid worth to uphold it otherwise when once discovered it vanisheth suddenly. But when a favourite in court shall be raised upon the foundation of merits, and together with the care of doing good service to the King, shall give good dispatches to the suitors, then can he not choose but prosper. This' Sir I find is your noble ambition, and it is worthy the honour you possess: And that this may succeed according to your desire, I shall humbly propound unto you these rules to be observed, and I beseech you, if you approve of them, constantly to pursue them.

1. If the suit be either of importance for value, or of difficulty, direct that it be set down in writing; then appoint it to be left with you in writing; and appoint the suitor to attend for his answer so many days after as may be competent; of which time let a note be taken by your Secretary. So shall you be eased of the suitor in the mean time, and he rest quiet till the day appointed in expectation of his despatch.

2. To prepare yourself for these answers in their times, set apart an hour in a day, or two, to sort your Petitions; which will be easily done if your Secretary draw lines under the matter, which always lies in a narrow room.

3. Think not your self nor any one or two private friends or servants to be able to comprehend the true reason of all things; there is no such omnisciency to be look'd for. But dividing the Petitions as they come to your hands into several sorts according to the nature of the matter, first, cause two or three several copies to be made of the Petition, or the substance of it.

4. Then make choice of several men well versed in these 2 several professions or qualities, whom you think you may trust, and to them severally send copies, desiring them within twenty days after to return unto you in writing their opinions of the Petition, and their reasons for it, or against it; and let not one of them know what the other doth.

5. Then set a part an hour or two twice in a week, to peruse these Petitions again, and the answers of the referees; out of which compared together, as out of Responsa prudentium, you may collect such a judgment, as within a short time you shall

'The original has "thus." 2 So in original. I think it should be their.

be able to judge of the fidelities and abilities of those you trust, and return answers to petitions of all natures as an oracle. And be assured of this, that next to the granting of the request, a reasonable and a fair denial (if the matter will not bear it to be otherwise) is most acceptable.

That you may dispose of all these sorts of business in a fit and dexterous way, I conceive that all matters of difficulty which will be presented to you will be one of these eight sorts, either concerning,

1. Religion and Church-men, or Church-matters.

2. The Laws and the Professors thereof.

3. The Council Board, and matters of State:

4. Negotiation with foreign Princes or States. 5. War by Sea or Land.

6. Foreign Plantations and Colonies.

7. Matter of Trade.

8. The Court or Curialitie.

What cannot be ranked under one of these heads will not be worthy of your thoughts, and you will find enough of these to take up your time.

But that you may not study your ease only, but chiefly your honour, and the honour of your Master: I beseech you to take these materials, thus divided into these eight sections, into your more serious thoughts, and propound to yourself some rules as land-marks to guide your judgment in the examination of every one of them, as [it] shall come to your hand; wherein I shall adventure to make an essay; please you to perfect it.

I. For Religion, if any thing be offered to you touching it or touching the Church or Church men, or Church government, rely not only upon yourself, but take the opinion of some grave and eminent Divines; especially such as are sad and discreet men, and exemplary for their lives.

2. If any question be moved concerning the doctrine of the Church of England expressed in the 39 Articles, give not the least ear to the movers thereof. That is so soundly and so orthodoxally settled as cannot be questioned without extreme danger to the honour and stability of our Religion, which hath been sealed with the blood of so many Martyrs and Confessors, as are famous through the Christian World. The enemies and underminers thereof are the Romish Catholiques (so stiling them

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C

selves) on the one hand, whose tenents are inconsistent with the truth of Religion, professed and protested by the church of England (whence we are called Protestants) and the Anabaptists and Separatists, and Sectaries on the other hand, whose tenents are full of schism, and inconsistent with monarchy: For the regulating of either, there needs no other coercion than the due execution of the laws already established by Parliament.

3. If any attempt be made to alter the discipline of our Church, although it be not an essential part of our Religion, yet it is so necessary not to be rashly altered, as the very substance of Religion will be interessed in it: Therefore I desire you before any attempt be made of an innovation by your means, or by any intercession to your Master, that you will first read over, and his Majesty call to mind, that wise and weighty Proclamation, which himself penned, and caused to be published in the first year of his reign, and is prefixed in print before the Book of Common Prayer (of that impression); in which you will find so prudent, so weighty reasons, not to hearken to innovations, as will fully satisfy you that it is dangerous to give the least ear to such innovators, but it is desperate to be misled by them: But to settle your judgment, mark but the admonition of the wisest of men, King Solomon, Prov. 27. v. 21. My son, fear God and the King, and meddle not with those who are given to change.

II. Next, touching the Laws (wherein I mean the Common Laws of England) I shall be the more sparing to speak, because it is my profession; but thus much I shall say with confidence, that if they be rightly administered, they are the best, the equallest in the world between the Prince and People; by which the King hath the justest Prerogative, and the People the best liberty; and if at any time there be an unjust deviation, Hominis est vitium non professionis. But that it may in all things have a fairer proceeding, let the King take a care, and as much as in you lies do you take care for him, that the Judges of the Law may be always chosen of the learnedst of the profession (for an ignorant man cannot be a good Judge) and of the prudentest and discreetest, because so great a part of the Civil Government lies upon their charge; and indeed little should be done in legal consultations without them, and very much may be done by their prudent advices, especially in their Circuits,