<B SEDUC2>
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<A JAMES VI>
<C SC2>
<O DATE 1598>
<M MEDIUM MS>
<D CSC>
<V PROSE>
<T EDUC TREAT>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X MALE>
<Y 20-40>
<H HIGH>
<U NET ROYAL/PUBLIC>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z INSTR SEC>
<S SAMPLE X>

[^THE BASILICON DORON OF KING JAMES VI BASED ON MS. ROYAL 
18.B.XV. VOL I.
ED. JAMES CRAIGIE.
SCOTTISH TEXT SOCIETY, THIRD SERIES 16, 1942.
EDINBURGH AND LONDON 1944. 
PP. 24.1-207.3^]

<P 24>
[^FIRST BOOK^]
   As he can not be thocht uorthie to reule & comande otheris
that can not reule & dantone his awin propre affections &       #
unreasonable
appetites, sa can he not be uorthie to gouuerne a
christiane people knauing & fearing god that in his awin
persone & hairte fearis not & louis not the deuyne maiestie,
nather can any thing in his gouuernement succeid ueill uith him
(deuyse & laboure as he list) as cumming from a filthie spring,
gif his person be unsanctifeid, for as dauid sayes in uaine
<P 25>
uatches thou the cittie or buildes thou the house gif the lord  #
be
his blessing graunte not successe thairunto, & as paul sayes
cephas maye plaunte & apollo maye uatter but it is onlie godd
that maye giue the increase: thairfore my sonne first of all
things learne to knau and loue that god quhomto ye haue
a double obligation, first for that he maid you a man & next
for that he maid you as a littill godd to sitte in his throne &
reule ouer other men, remember that as in dignitie he hes
<P 26>
erectid you aboue otheris, sa aucht ye in thankefulnes
touardis him goe als farre beyonde all otheris, a moate in ane
others eye is a beame into youris, a bleamishe in ane other
is a leaprouse byle into you, and a ueniall sinne (as the       #
papists
callis it) in ane other is a greate cryme into you: thinke not
thairfore that the hienes of youre dignitie diminishes youre
faultis, mekle lesse giues you a licence to sinne, but be the
contraire youre faulte is agrauated according to the heicht of
youre dignitie, any sinne that ye comitt not being a singill
sinne procuring but the fall of ane, but being ane exemplaire
sinne & thairfore drauis uith it the haill multitude to be
guiltie of the same: remember then that this glistering
<P 27>
uardlie glorie of kingis is geuin thame be god to teache
thaime to prease sa to glister & shyne before thaire people in
all uorkes of sanctification & richteousness, that thaire       #
personnes
as bricht lampis of godlinesse & uertu may going in
& out before thaire peopill giue licht to all thaire steppis:
remember also that be the richt knauledge & feare of god
quhilke is the beginning of uisdome as salomon sayes ye sall
knau all the things necessarie for the dischairge of youre
deutie baith as a christian & as a king, seeing in him as in a
mirrour the course of all earthlie things quhairof he is the 
<P 28>
spring & onlie mouaire. nou the onlie uaye to bring you to
this knauledge is diligentlie to reid his uorde & earnistlie
to praye for the richt understanding thairof, searche the
scriptures sayes chryste for thay uill beare testimonie of me,
& the scriptures sayes paull are able to admonishe, exhorte,
rebuke, & instructe the man of god making him perfyte to
euerie goode uarke: I ioyne to this the cairfull hearing of the
doctrine uith attendance & reuerence, for faith cummis be
hearing sayeth paul but aboue all beuare ye thrau not the
uorde to youre appetite as ouer many does, making it lyke a
bell to sounde as ye please to interpreate, but be the          #
contraire
frame all youre affections to follou praeciselie the reullis
thaire sett doune. the haill scripture containis but tua
things, a commande & a prohibition, to do sicc things, &
<P 29>
abstein from the contraire, obeye in baith nather thinke it
not aneuch to abstein from euill & doe na goode, nor thinke
not that gif ye doe many goode things it maye serue you for a
cloake to mixe euill turnes thairuith, & as in thir tua pointis
the haill scripture consists sa in tua degrees standis the
haill seruice of god be man, interioure or upuarde, exterioure
<P 30>
or douneuarde: the first be prayer in faith touardis god,
the next be uorkes flouing thairfra before the uarlde, quhilke
is na thing ellis bot the exercise of religion touardis god, &
of equitie touardis +gour neichboure, as for the particulaire
pointis of religion I neade not to delate thame; I ame na
hipocrite, follou youre fatheris footesteppis & youre awin
education thairin, I thanke god I uas neuer ashamed to giue
compte of my profession housomeuer the maliciouse lieing
toungis of some haue traducit me, & gif my conscience had not
resolued me that all my religion uas groundit upon the plaine
uordis of the scripture I had neuer outuardlie auouit it for
<P 31>
pleasure or awe of the uaine pryde of sum seditiouse            #
preachouris,
/ & as for the pointis of equitie touardis oure neichboure,
because that uill fall in properlie upon the secounde pairt
concerning a kings office I leaue it to the awin roume: for
the first point then of mannis seruice to his god quhilke is
religion that is the uorshippe of god according to his reueiled
uill, it is quhollie groundit upon the scripture (as I haue
allreaddie said) quikenid be faith, & conseruid by conscience,
for the scripture I haue allreaddy spokin of it in generall,    #
bot
<P 32>
that ye maye the maire readelie make choyce of any pairt
thairof for youre instruction or conforte, remember onlie this
methode the haill scripture is dytid be goddis spreit thairbe
as by his lyuelie uorde to instructe & reule the haill kirke
militant till the ende of the uarlde, it is composid of tua
pairtis, the aulde, & neu testament, the ground of the former
is the law quhilke shauis oure sinne & conteinis iustice, the
grounde of the other is christe quha pardoning sinne conteinis
grace, the summe of the lau is the tenn comandis, maire
lairgelie dilaitid in the lau interpreted by the prophetis, &
by the histories are the exemples shauin of obedience or 
disobedience thairto, & quhat (\praemium\) or (\poena\) uas     #
accordinglie
<P 33>
geuin be god: bot because na man uas able to keipe the
law nor any pairt thairof it pleasid god of his infinite        #
uisdome 
& goodnes to incarnate his onelie sonne in oure nature for
satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for us, that       #
since ue
could not be saued be doing, ue micht at least be saued by
beleauing; the grounde thairfore of the law of grace is         #
conteined
in the foure histories of the birth, lyfe, death, &             #
resurrection
of christe. the lairger interpretation of this law is
conteind in the epistles of the apostles, & the practise in the
<P 34>
faithfull or unfaithfull, together uith thaire reuairde or      #
punishment
according thairto is conteined in the actis of the apostles,
ualde ye then knau youre sinne be the lau, reid the bookes of
moses conteining it, ualde ye haue a comentaire thairupon
reid the propheitis, ualde ye see hou goode men are reuardit
& uikked punishit looke the histories of genesis, exodus,
iosue, the iudges, iob & ester, but speciallie the bookes of    #
the
kings & chronikles quhairuith ye aucht to be familiarlie
aquentid, for thaire uill ye see youre self as in a mirroure
ather among the catalogues of the goode or euill kings: uolde
ye knau the lyfe & death of chryste looke the euangellis, ualde
ye be maire particulairlie tranid up in his skoole, meditate
upon the epistles of the apostles, & ualde ye be aquent
<P 35>
uith the practise of that doctrine in the personis of the
primitiue kirke, caste up the apostles actis; as to the         #
apochrife
bookes I omitte thame because I ame na papist as I
said before & indeid sum of thaime are als lyke the 
dytement of the spreit of god as ane egg is to ane oster,
<P 36>
but quhen ye reide the scripture reid it uith a sanctifeid
& chaste eare, admire reuerentlie sicc obscure placis as
ye understande not, blaming onlie youre awin incapacitie,
reid uith delyte the plaine placis & studdie cairfullie to
understande thaise that are sumquhat difficill, prease to be
a goode textuaire for the scripture is euer the best            #
interpretere
of the self, bot prease not curiouslie to seike out
farther nor is conteined thairin, for that uaire misnurterid
praesumption to stryue to be farther upon godis secreitis nor
he hes uill ye be for quhat he thocht neidfull for us to knau
<P 37>
that hes he reueiled thaire, & delyte maist in reiding sicc
pairtis of scripture as maye best serue for +gour instruction
in +gour calling, reiecting foolishe curiosities upon nombers
& genealogies quhilkes are bot uaine & profite nocht (as
paull sayes). nou as to faith quhilke is the entertainer &
quikener of religion (as I haue ellis said) it is a sure        #
persasion
& aprehension of the promises of god aplying thame to youre
saull & thairfore maie it iustlie be callid the goldin chaine
that linkis the faithfull saull to chryste & because it grouis
not in oure gairdein but is the free gift of god as paull       #
sayes it
<P 38>
man be nourished be prayer, quhilke is nathing ellis bot a
freidlie talking uith godd, use oft to praye quhen ye are
quyetest especiallie in youre bedd, for publict prayer seruis
maire for exemple (for the maist pairt) then for any            #
particulaire
conforte to the suplicante: in youre prayer be nather
ouir strainge uith god lyke the ignorant commoune sort that
prayes nathing bot out of bookis, nor yett ouir hamelie uith
him lyke sum of oure uaine proude puritanis that thinkis
thay reule him upon thaire fingers, the former uaye uill breide
ane unkouth cauldenes in +gow touardis him, the other uill
breid in +gow a contempt of him; but in youre prayer to
god speike uith all reuerence for gif a subiect uill not speike
but reuerentlie to a king mekle lesse soulde any fleshe         #
praesume
<P 39>
to crake uith god as uith his companion craue in +gour
prayer not only things spirituall bot corporall quhyles things
of greater & quhyles of lesse consequence, that +ge maye laye
up in store his graunte of thaise small things for confirmation
<P 40>
of +gour faith, & to be ane arlpennie unto +gow of his loue,
praye as +ge finds +gour hairte mouis +gow (\pro re nata\) ,    #
but see
+ge sute na unlaufull things as reuenge, lust, or siclike, for
that prayer can not cum of faith, & prayer uithout faith is
sinne as paull sayes, quhen ye obteine youre prayer thanke
him ioyefullie thairfore, gif otheruayes beare patientlie,
preassing to uinne him be inportunitie as the uiddou did
chryste, & gif notuithstanding thairof +ge be not harde assure
+gour self godd forsees that quhilke +ge aske is not for
+gour ueill, and learne in tyme sa to interprete all the        #
aduersities
that god sall send unto you, sa sall ye in the middis of
<P 41>
thame not only be armed uith patience bot ioifullie lifte up
youre eyes from the present truble to the happie ende that
godd uill turne it to, & quhen ye finde it anis sa fall out be
proofe, arme youre self uith that experience aganis the next
trouble, assuring youre self althoch ye can not in tyme of the
shoure see throuch the cloude, yett in the ende ye uill finde
godd sent it for youre ueill as ye fande in the former. & as
for conscience quhilke I called the conseruer of religion, it
is nathing ellis bot the licht of knauledge that godd hes       #
plantid
in man, quhilke choppis him uith a fealing that he hes done
<P 42>
urong quheneuer he comittis any sinne, & surelie althoch
this conscience be a grat torturer to the uikked, yett is it
als great a conforte to the godlie gif ue uill considder it     #
richtlie,
for haue ue not a great aduantage that hes uithin oure selfis
quhill ue liue heir a compte booke, & inuentaire of all the
crymes that ue uill be accused of, ather at the houre of oure
death, or at the great daye of iudgement, quhilke quhen ue
please, yea gif ue forgett it uill choppe & remember us to
looke upon, that quhill ue haue laiser & are heir ue maye
remember to amende & sa at the daye of oure tryall compeire
uith neu & quhyte garments uashin in the bloode of the lambe
(as saint iohne sayes): aboue all then my sonne laboure to
<P 43>
keipe sounde this conscience quhilke many prattellis of, bot
ouer few feillis, especiallie be cairfull to keipe it free      #
from tua
diseases quhilke it uses oft to be infected uith, to uitt
leprosie, & superstition, the former is the mother of atheisme,
the other of haeresies, be a leprouse conscience I meane a
cauterized conscience as paull callis it being becumd           #
sencelesse
of sinne throuch sleiping in a cairlesse securitie as king      #
dauids
uas after his murther & adulterie aye quhill he uas ualkenid 
be the prophet nathans similitude, & for superstition the uorde
it selfe is plaine aneuch, being (\uocabulum artis\) : as for a
<P 44>
preseruatife aganis this leprosie remember euer anis in the
foure & tuentie houris ather in the nicht or quhen ye are at
greatest quyet to call youre self to compte of all youre last
dayes actions, ather quhairin ye haue comittid things ye
soulde not, or omitted the things ye soulde doe, ather in
youre christiane, or kinglie calling, and in that compte lett
not youre selfe be smoothed ouer uith that flattering           #
(\filautia\) ,
quhilke is ouer kyndlie a seiknes to all mankynde, bot censure
youre self als shairpelie as gif ye uaire youre awin ennemie,
for gif ye iudge youre self ye shall not be iudgit as paull     #
sayes, 
& syne according to youre censure reforme youre actions als
<P 45>
farre as ye maye, escheuing euer uillfullie & uillinglie to
contraire youre conscience, for a small sinne uillfullie        #
comitted
uith a deliberate resolution to breke the bryddill of           #
conscience
thairin, is farre greiuouser before godd then a greatter sinne
comitted in a suddaine passion quhen conscience is asleipe:
remember thairfore in all youre actions of the greate compte
that ye are ane daye to make, in all the dayes of youre lyfe
euer learning to dee & liuing euerie daye as it uaire youre     #
last,
& thairfore I uolde not haue you to praye uith the papistes
to be preseruid from suddaine death, but that god uill giue
<P 46>
you grace sa to liue as ye maye euerie houre of youre lyfe be
readdie for death, sa sall ye atteine to the uertu of treu
fortitude, neuer being afrayed for the horroure of death,
come quhen he liste, & especiallie beuaire to offende youre
conscience uith use of suearing or lieing suppose bot in
mowis for oathes are bot ane use & a sinne cledd uith no
delyte nor gaine, & thairfore the maire inexcusable before
god, & lieing cummis also mekill of a uyle use be banishing
shame, thairfore beuaire euen to denye the treuth quhilke is a
sorte of lee that maye best be eschewid be a persone of youre
ranke; for gif any thing be speired at you that ye thinke
<P 47>
not meit to reueill gif ye saye that quaestion is not pertinent
for thame to speire quha darre exame you farther, & using
this ansoure quhyles baith in treu & fals things that uill be
speired at you thayse misnurturid people uill neuer be the /
uyser thairof, & for keiping +gour concsience [\SIC\] sounde    #
from
that seiknesse of superstition, quhilke is called (\morbus      #
animi\) ,
ye man nather laye the safetie of youre conscience upon the
credit of youre awin conceatis, nor yett of other mennis 
humouris hou great doctouris of diuinitie that euer thay be,
bot ye man onlie grounde it upon the expresse scripture,
for conscience not groundit upon sure knauledge is ather ane
<P 48>
ignorant fantasie, or ane arrogant glaikerie: beuaire thairfor
in this cace uith tua extremities, the ane to beleue uith the
papists the kirkes authoritie bettir nor youre awin knauledge,
the other to leane uith the anabaptists to youre awin conceatis
& dreamed reuelations, but learne uyselie to discerne betuixt
pointis of saluation & indifferent things, betuixt substance &
ceremonies, & betuixt the expresse commandement & uill
of god in his uorde & the inuention or ordonnance of man,
sen all that is necessaire for saluation is conteind in the
scripture, for in any thing that is expreslie comandit or
prohibited in the booke of god ye can not be ouir praecise
euen in the least thing, counting euerie sinne not according
to the licht aestimation & commoune use of it in the uorlde,
<P 49>
but as the booke of god countis of it: but as for all other
things not conteind in the scripture spaire not to use or alter
thame as the necessitie of the tyme sall requyre, & quhen
any of the spirituall office beraris in the kirk speikis unto
you any thing that is ueill uarrandit be the uorde reuerence
& obeye thame as the herauldis of the maist hie god, bot
gif passing that boundis thay ualde urge you to imbrace sum
of thaire fantasies in place of goddis uorde or ualde culloure
thaire particulaires uith a praetendit zeale, aknauledge tha /  #
me
<P 50>
for uaine peopill passing the boundis of thaire calling, &
according to youre office grauelie uith authoritie redact       #
thaime
in order agane: to conclude then baith this purpose of          #
conscience
& the first pairt of this booke keipe god spairinglie
in youre mouth bot aboundantlie in youre hairt, be praesise
in effect, bot sociall in shau, kythe maire be youre deidis nor
be youre uordis the loue of uertu & hatred of uyce, & delyte /
maire to be godlie & uertuouse in deid nor to be thocht &
callid sa, expecting maire for youre praise & reuairde in
heauen nor heir, & aplye to all youre outuarde actions
<P 51>
chrystis comande to giue almes secreatlie, sa sall ye on the    #
ane
pairt be inuardlie garnished uith treu christiane humilitie
not outuardlie (uith the proud pharisee) glorying in youre
godlinesse, but saying as chryste comandis us all quhen ue
haue done all that ue can (\inutiles serui sumus\) , & on the
other pairt ye sall escheu outuardlie before the uarlde the
suspicion of filthie proude hiprocrisie & disceatfull           #
dissimulation.
<P 52>
2. [^SECOND BOOK^]
   but as ye are cledd uith tua callings sa man ye be alyke
cairfull for the dischairge of thaime baith that as ye are a    #
goode
christiane sa ye maye be a goode king dischairging youre office
as I sheu before in the pointis of iustice & equitie, quhilke   #
in
tua sindrie uayes ye man do the ane in establishing & exetuting
<P 53>
(quhilke is the lyfe of the law) goode lawis amang
youre people, the other be youre behauioure in youre awin
persone & uith youre seruandis, to teache youre people be
youre exemple, for people are naturallie enclyned to            #
counterfitte
lyke apes thaire princes maners according to that aulde
uerse (\regis ad exemplum &cae\) . for the pairte of making &
<P 54>
executing of lawis considder first the treu difference betuixt
a laufull goode king, & ane usurping tiran, & ye sall the maire
easelie understand youre deutie heirin, for (\contraria         #
contrariis
opposita magis illucescunt\) , the ane aknauledgis him
self ordainid for his people hauing  receauid from god a        #
burthein
of gouuernement quhairof he man be comptable, the other
thinkis his people ordained for him a praye to his appetites
as the fruictis of his magnananimitie, & thairfore as thaire
endis are directlie contraire sa are thaire haill actionis as
middisis quhairby thay prease to attaine to thaire endis;
a goode king thinking his hiest honoure to consiste in the deu
dischairge of his calling employes all his studdie & painis to
<P 55>
procure & maintaine (be the making & execution of goode
lawis) the uelfaire  & peaxe of his people, & as thaire
naturall father & kyndlie maister thinkis his greatest          #
contentement
standis in thaire prosperitie, & his greatest suretie in
hauing thaire hairtis, subiecting his awin priuate affections
& appetites to the ueill & standing of his subiectis, euer      #
thinking
the commoune interesse his cheifest particulaire, quhaire be
the contraire ane usurping tiran thinking his greatest honoure
& faelicitie to consiste in attaining (\per fas uel nefas\) to  #
his
ambitiouse praetensis thinkis neuer him self sure, bot be the
<P 56>
dissension & factions amang his people & counterfitting the
sante quhill he anis creip in credit, uill then be inuerting    #
all
goode lauis to serue onlie for his priuate unreulie affections,
frame the comonueill euer to aduance his particulaire,
building his suretie upon his peoples miserie, & in end as a
stepfather, & a unkouth hyreling make up his awin hande
upon the ruines of the republike, & according to thaire actions
sa ressaue thay thaire reuardis, for a goode king after a       #
happie
& famouse reigne dees in peax, lamented be his subiects, &
admired be his nichbouris, & leauing a reuerend renoume
behinde him in earth obtainis the croune of aeternall felicitie
<P 57>
in heauin, & althoch sum of thame quhilke fallis out bot uerrie
rairelie may be cuttid of be the treason of sum unnaturall
subiectis, yett liues thaire fame after thame, & sum notable
plaigue missis neuer to ouirtake the comittaires, quha uill
be infamouse to all posterities, quhaire be the contraire a
tyranis miserabill & infamouse lyfe armes in end his awin
subiectis to becum his burreaux, & althoch that rebellion be
euer unlaufull on thaire pairt, yett is the uarlde sa uearied   #
of
him that his fall is littill meanid be the rest of his          #
subiectis,
& but smyled at be his neichbouris, & besydes the infamouse
memorie he leauis behinde him heir & the endles painis he
<P 58>
susteinis heirafter, it oft fallis out that the comittairis not
onlie eskaipis unpunished, bot farder the fact uill remaine
as allouid be the lau in dyuers aages thair after: it is
easie then for you my sonne to make choice of ane of these
tua sortis of reulairis, by follouing the uaye of uertu to
stablishe youre standing, yea inkaice ye fell in the hie
uaye yett soulde it be uith the honorable reporte & iust
regraite of all honest men, & thair fore to returne to my
purpoise anent the gouuernement of youre subiectis be making
& putting goode lawis to execution I remitte the making of
thame to youre awin discretion as ye sall finde the necessitie
<P 59>
of neu rysing corruptions to requyre thaime, for (\ex
malis moribus bonae leges\) , besydes that in this cuntrey ue
haue alreaddie ma goode lawis then are uell execute, &
ame onlie to insiste in youre forme of gouuernement anent
thaire execution, onlie remember that as parliaments are onlie
ordainid for making of lawis, sa abuse ye not thaire            #
constitution
in haulding thame for any mennis particulaires, for as
a parliament is the honorablest & hiest iudgement in the land
(as being the kings heade court) gif it be uell usit, quhilke   #
is
be making of goode lauis in it, sa is it the iniustest          #
iudgement
<P 60>
seat that maye be being abused to mennis particulairis,
irreuocable decreatis aganis particulaire pairties being geuin
thairin under culloure of generall lawis, & oftymes the estates
not knauing thame selfis quhome thairby thaye hurte, &
thairfore haulde na parliaments but for necessitie of neu
lauis quhilke ualde be but sendill, for feu lauis & ueill putt  #
in
execution are best for a ueill reulid commounueill, as for the
matter of forfaltouris quhilkes also are done in parliament
it is not goode tigging uith thaise things, bot my aduyce is ye
forfalte nane bot for sicc odiouse crymes as maye make
thame unuorthie euer to be restored agane, & for smaller
<P 61>
offences ye haue other penalties shairpe aneuch to be usid
aganis thame: & as for the execution of goode lauis quhairat
I left, remember that amang the differencis that I putte
betuixt the formes of the gouuernement of a goode king &
ane usurping tiranne I sheu hou a tiranne uoulde enter lyke a
sainte quhill he fande him self fast onder futte, & then uolde
suffer his unreulie affections to burst furth, thairfore be ye
contraire at youre first entrie to youre kingdome to yone
(\quinquennium neronis\) uith his tenderhairtid uishe (\utinam
nescirem literas\) , in geuing the lawe full execution aganis   #
all
breakaris thairof but exception, for sen ye cum not to youre
<P 62>
raigne praecario nor by conqueise, but be richt & deu discente,
feare na uproares for doing of iustice sen ye maye assure youre
self the maist pairt of youre people uill euer naturallie       #
fauoure
iustice, prouyding aluayes that ye do it onlie for loue to      #
iustice
& not for satisfeing any particulaire passions of youres under
culloure thairof, otheruayes hou iustlie that euer the offender
deserue it ye are guiltie of murther before god, for ye man
considder that god euer lookes to youre inuarde intention
in all youre actions, & quhen ye haue be the seuerititie [\SIC\]
of iustice anis setled youre cuntreis & maid thame kenn that
ye cann strike, then maye ye thairafter all the dayes of youre
lyfe mixe iustice uith mercie, punishing or spairing as ye sall
<P 63>
finde the cryme to be uillfullie or rashelie comitted, &        #
according
to the bypast behauioure of the comittaire, for gif otheruayes
ye kythed youre clemencie at the first the offences ualde soone
cum to sicc heapes & the contempte of you grou sa greate
that quhen ye ualde fall to punishe the nomber of thame
to be punished ualde exeid the punishers, & ye ualde be
troublid to resolue quhom at to beginne, & aganis youre
nature ualde be compellid then to uraike monie quhilke the
chastisement of feu in the beginning micht haue preseruid,
but in this my ouir deir coft experience maye serue you for
<P 64>
a sufficient lesson for I confesse quhaire I thocht be being 
gratiouse at the beginning to uinne all mennis hartis to a
louing & uilling obedience, I be the contraire fande the        #
disordoure
of the cuntrey & the tinsell of my thankis to be all
my reuairde, bot as this seuere iustice of youres upon all
offences uolde be but for a tyme (as I haue allreaddie saide)
sa is thaire sum horribill crymes that ye are bounde in         #
conscience
neuer to forgiue, sicc as uichecrafte, uillfull murther,
inceste especiallie uithin the degrees of consanguinitie,       #
sodomie,
poisoning, & false cunyee, as for treason aganis youre awin
<P 65>
persone or authoritie sen the falte concernis youre self I
remitte to youre auin choice to punishe or pardon thairin as
your hairt seruis you, & according to the circumstancis of
the turne & the qualitie of the comittaire: heir ualde I also
eike ane other cryme to be unpardonable gif I ualde nocht be
thocht partiall, bot the fatherlie loue I beare you uill make
me breake the boundis of shame in opening it unto you; it is
then the unreuerende uritting or speiking of youre parents &
praedecessouris ye knau the commande in goddis lau honoure
youre father & mother, & consequentlie sen ye are the laufull
magistrate suffer not baith youre princis & youre parentis to   #
be 
<P 66>
dishonourid be any, I graunte ue haue all oure faultis,         #
quhilkes
priuatlie betuixt you & god soulde serue you for exemples to
meditate upon, & mende in youre person, bot soulde not be a
maitter of discourse to others, sen ye are cumd of als          #
honorable
praedecessouris as any prince liuing (\sepeliatur sinagoga cum
honore\) , & I praye you hou can thay loue you that hates
thame quhom of ye are cum, quhairfore destroyes men innocint
younge sukking uolfes & foxes bot for the hatred thay
beare to thaire race, & quhy uill a colte of a cursoure of      #
naples
giue a greater pryce in a market then ane asse colte bot for
loue of the father, it is thairfore a thing monstruouse to see  #
a
man loue the chylde & hate the parents, & for conclusion of
this point I maye also alledge my awin experience, for besydes
the iudgementis of god that uith my eyes I haue seene fall
<P 67>
upon all thame that uaire cheif tratouris to my parentis I
maye iustlie affirme I neuer founde yett a constant byding
be me in all my straitis be ony that uaire of perfyte aage in
my parentis dayes, but only be sicc as constantlie baid be
thaime, I meane speciallie be thaime that seruid the quene
my mother, for sa that I dischairge my conscience to you my
<P 68>
sonne in reueilling you the treuth I caire not quhat any
traitoure or treason allouer can thinke of it: & althoch
the cryme of opresion be not in this ranke of unpardonnable
crymes yett the ouer commoune use of it in this nation as
gif it uare a uertu especiallie be the greatest ranke of        #
subiectis
in the lande, requyres the king to be a shairpe censurer
thairof, be diligent thairfore to trye, & awfull to beat doune
the hornis of proude opressouris, embrace the querrell of the
poore & distressed as youre awin particulaire thinking it
<P 69>
youre greatest honoure to represse the opressouris, caire for
the pleasure of nane, nor spaire na panis in youre persone to
see thaire urongis redressid, & remember of the honorable
style geuin to my grandfather in being callid the poore mannis
king, & as the maist pairt of a kings office standis in         #
decyding
that quaestion of (\meum\) & (\tuum\) amongst his subiectis     #
remember
quhen ye sitte in iudgement that the throne ye sitte on is
goddis (as king dauid sayes,) & suey nather to the richt hande
nor the left, ather louing the riche or pitteing the poore,
iustice soulde be blinde & freindles, it is not thaire ye       #
soulde
reuarde youre freindis, nor crosse youre ennemies: heir nou
speiking or opressouris & of iustice the purpose leadis me to
<P 70>
speake of heelande & bordoure opressions, as for the heelandes
I shortelie comprehende thaime all in tua sortis of peopill
the ane that duellis in oure maine lande that are barbarouse
& yett mixed uith sum shau of ciuilitie, the other that duellis
in the yles & are alluterlie barbares uithout any sorte or shau
of ciuilitie, for the first sorte putt straitlie to execution   #
the
lauis maid allreaddie be me againis thaire ouirslordis & the
cheifis of thaire clannis, & it uill be na difficultie to       #
dantoune
thame, as for the other sorte thinke na other of thaime all
then as of uolfes & uylde boaris, & thairfore follou the course
that I haue begunne in plaunting colonies amongst thame
<P 71>
of aunserable inlandis subiects, that uithin shorte tyme maye
roote thaime out & plaunte ciuilitie in thaire roumes: but as
for the bordoures because I knau gif ye inioie not this haill
yle according to goddis richt & youre lineall discent ye uill
neuer gett leue to brooke this north & barrenest pairt thairof,
no not youre awin heade quhairon the croune soulde stande,
I neid not in that cace trouble you uith thame, for then thaye
uill be the middis of the yle, & sa als easelie reulid as any
pairt thairof, & that ye maye the radilier uith uisdome
& iustice gouuerne youre subiectis by knauing quhat uyces
<P 72>
thay are naturallie maist inclyned to as a goode phisitiane
quha man first knau quhat peccant humouris his patient
naturallie is maist subiect unto before he can beginne his
cure, I sall thairfore shortlie note unto you the principall
faultes that euerie ranke of youre people in this cuntree is
maist subiect unto, & as for englande I uill not speake be
gesse of thame neuer hauing bene among thaime, althoch I
hoape in that god quha euer fauouris the richt before I die to
be alsueill aquent uith thaire facons: as the haill subiectis
of oure cuntrey be the auncient & fundamentall policie of
oure kingdome are deuydit in three estaites, sa is euerie       #
estaite
<P 73>
heirof generallie subiect to sum speciall uyces quhilke in a
maner be lang habitude is thocht rather uertue nor uyce
among thaime, not that euerie particulaire man in any of
thaise rankis is subiect unto thaime, (\nam nulla regula tam
generall quae non patiatur exceptionem\) , but that I meine
I haue founde be experience thir uyces to haue takin greatest
holde uith thir rankis of men: & first that I praeiudge not
the kirke of hir auncient priuiledges, reason uolde she soulde
haue the first place, for orderis saike in this katalogue. the
naturall siknessis that haue euir trublid & bene the decaye of
<P 74>
all the kirkes sen the beginning of the uarlde chainging the
candelstike from ane to another as iohne sayes hes bene
pryde, ambition, & auarice, & nou last these same infirmities
urocht the ouirthrau of the papiste kirke in this cuntrey &
dyuers otheris, but the reformation of religion in skotlande
being maid be a populaire tumulte & rebellion (as uell appearid
be the destruction of oure policie), & not proceading from the
princes ordoure as it did in englande, sum of oure fyrie        #
ministers
gatt sicc a gyding of the peopill at that tyme of confusion, as
finding the guste of gouuernement sueit they begouth to
fantasie to thame selfis a democratike forme of gouuernement
& hauing by the iniquitie of tyme bene ouir ueill baitid
upon the uraike first of my grandemother, & syne of my
<P 75>
awin mother, & after usurping the libertie of the tyme in
my lang minoritie setled thame selfis sa fast upon that
imagined democratie, as thaye fedd thame selfis uith that
hoape to becume (\tribuni plebis\) , & sa in a populaire        #
gouuernement
be leading the people be the nose to beare the suey of all
the reule, & for this cause thaire neuir raise faction in the
tyme of my minoritie nor truble sensyne but thay uaire euer
<P 76>
upon the urang ende of it, querrelling me not for any euill,
bot because I uas a king quhilke thay thocht the hiest euill,
& because thay uaire ashamid to professe this querrell
thay uaire busie to looke narroulie in all my actions, & I
uarrande you a moate in my eye, yea a false reporte uas
maitter aneuch for thame to uorke upon, & yett for all thaire
cunning sum of thaime ualde quhyles snapper  out ueill          #
grosselie
uith the treuth of thaire intentions, informing the peopill     #
that
all kings & princes  uaire naturallie ennemies to the libertie  #
of
the kirke, & coulde neuer patientlie beare the yoke of chryste,
uith sicc sounde doctrine fedd thaye thaire flokke, & because
thaire uas euer sum learnid & honest men of the ministrie
that uaire ashamid of the presumption of thir seditiouse
<P 77>
peopill, thaire coulde be na uaye founde out sa meit for        #
mainteining
thaire plottis, as paritie in the kirke, quhairby the
ignorantis uaire emboldened as bairdis to crye the learned,
godlie, & modest out of it, paritie the mother of confusion &
ennemie to unitie quhiche is the mother of ordoure, by the
exemple quhairof in the ecclesiastike gouuernement thay
<P 78>
thinke uith tyme to drau the politike & ciuill gouuernement to
the lyke: take heade thairfore my sonne to thir puritanis
uerrie pestis in the kirke & commounueill of skotland, quhom
be lang experience I haue founde na desairtis can obleishe,
oathis nor promeisis binde, braithing nathing bot sedition &
calumnies, aspyring uithout measure, rayling uithout reason,
& making thaire awin imaginations uithout any uarrande of
the uorde the squaire to thaire conscience, I proteste before
the greate god (& sen I ame heire upon my testament it is
na place for me to lee in) that I neuer founde uith any         #
heelande
or bordoure thefis sa great ingratitude & sa manie
lees & uyle periuries as I haue founde uith sum of thaime,
<P 79>
& suffer not the principallis of thame to brooke youre lande
gif ye lyke to sitt at rest, except ye ualde keip thame for
trying youre patience as socrates did ane euill uyfe, & for
praeseruatife againis thaire poison intertenie & aduaunce the
godlie, learnid, & modest men of the ministrie, quhom of
god be praised thair lakis not a reasonable nomber &
be thair praeferrement to bishoprikkes & benefices anulling
that uyle act of annexation gif ye finde it not done to youre
hande, ye shall not onlie banishe thaire paritie, quhilke can
<P 80>
not agree uith a monarchie, but ye also sall reestablishe the
aulde institution of three estates in parliament, quhilke can
na otheruayes be done but in this I hoape gif god spaire me
dayes to make you a faire entree, alluayes quhaire I leaue
follou ye my footesteppis, & the first that railis aganis you
punishe uith the rigoure of the lau, for I haue ellis in my
dayes burstin thame uith ouer mekill reason, & to ende my
aduyce anent the kirke estait cherishe na man maire then
a goode pastoure, hate na man maire then a proude puritane,
thinking it ane of youre fairest styles to be calld a louing
<P 81>
noorishe father to the kirke, seeing all the kirkis uithin      #
youre
dominions plaunted uith goode pastoures, the doctrine &         #
discipline
mainteined in puritie according to goddis uorde, a
sufficient prouision for thaire sustentation, a cumlie ordoure
in thaire policie, pryde punished, humilitie aduaunced, &
thay sa to reuerence thaire superioris, & thaire flokkis        #
thaime,
as the floorishing of youre kirke in pietie, peax, & learning
maye be ane of the cheif pointis of youre earthlie glorie,
being euer alyke uarre uith baith the extremities, alsueill
as ye represse the uaine puritane sa not to suffer proude       #
papall
bishoppis, but as sum for thaire qualities uill deserue to be
<P 82>
praeferrid before otheris, sa chaine thame uith sicc bandis
as maye praeserue that estait from creiping to corruption.
the next estate nou that be ordoure cummis in purpoise
according to thaire rankis in parliament is the nobilitie       #
althoch
second in ranke yett ouer farre first in greatnesse & pouaire
ather to doe goode or euill as thay are inclyned, the naturall
seikenessis that I haue perceaued that estate subiect to in
my tyme hes bene a fekles arrogant conceat of thaire greatnes
& pouaire, drinking in uith thaire uerrie noorishe milke that
thaire honoure stoode in comitting three pointis of iniquitie,  #
to
thrall be opression the meaner sorte that duellis nere thame
<P 83>
to thaire seruice & follouing, allthoch they haulde nathing
of thaime, to maintaine thaire seruandis & dependairis in any
uronge althoch thay be not ansourable to the law ( for any
boddie uill mainteine his man in a richt cause) & for any
displeasure that thay aprehende to be done unto thaime be
thaire neichboure to take up a plaine feade against him, &
uithout respect to god, king, or commounueill to bang it out
brauelie, he and all his kinne against him and all his, yea
thay uill thinke the king farre in thaire commoune inkaice
thay agree to graunte ane assurance to a shorte daye for
keiping of the peax, quhaire be thaire naturall deutie thay are
<P 84>
obleist to obeye the law & keipe the peaxe all the dayes of
thaire lyfe upon the perrell of thaire craigs: for remeade
to these euillis in thaire estaite, learne youre nobilitie to   #
keipe
youre lawis als praeciselie as the meanest, feare not thaire
orping nor taking the pett als lang as ye reule ueill, for      #
thaire
praetendit reformation of princis takis neuer effect but        #
quhaire
euill gouuernement praeceidis, aquente youre self sa uith all
the honest men of youre barronis & gentlemen as maye make
thaime pert to make thaire awin suitis to you thame selfis
uithout making a bogle of you in making the great lordis
thaire intercessouris (for intercession to saintis is           #
papistrie),
<P 85>
sa sall ye bring to a measure thaire monstruouse bakkis, & for
thaire barbarouse feadis putt the lawis to deu execution maid
be me thairanents, beginning euer rathest at him that ye loue
best & is maist obleist to you to make him ane exemple to
the rest, for ye sall make all youre reformations to beginne
at youre elbou, & sa be degrees to flou to the extremeties of
the lande, & rest not quhill ye roote out these barbarouse
feadis that thaire effectis maye alsueill be smoarid doune, as
thaire barbarouse name is unknauin to any other nation, for
gif this treatise uaire writtin to you ather in frenshe or      #
latin
<P 86>
I coulde not gett thaime named unto you bot be circumlocution,
& for youre easier abolishing of thame putt shairpelie to
execution my lawis maid aganis gunnis & tratrouse pistolettis,
thinking in youre hairte, terming in youre speiche, & using
by youre punishementis all sicc as uearis & usis thame as
brigandis & cut-throatis: on the other pairt escheu the
other extremitie in lichleing & contemning youre nobilitie,
remember hou that erroure brake the king my grandfatheris
hairte, but considder that uertue follouis oftest noble bloode,
the uorthines of thaire antecessouris crauis a reuerende/
regairde to be hadd unto thaime, honoure thaime thairfore
<P 87>
that are obedient to the law amongst thame as peeres & fatheris
of youre lande, the frequentlier that youre courte cann be
garnished uith thaime thinke it the maire youre honoure,
aquenting & employing thame in all youre greattest affaires,
sen it is thay man be youre armes & executairis of youre lawis,
& sa use youre self louinglie to the obedient, & rigourouslie
to the stubborne, as maye make the greattest of thame to
thinke that the cheifest pointe of thaire honoure standis in
stryuing uith the meanest of the lande in humilitie touardis
you & obedience to youre lawis, dinging euer in thaire earis
that ane of the principall pointis of seruice that ye craue of
thame, is in thaire personis to practise, & be thaire pouaire
<P 88>
to procure deu obedience to the lau, uithout the quhilke na
seruice thay can make can be agreable unto you; but the
greatest hinder to the execution of oure law in this cuntree
is thir heritable shirefdomes & regalities quhilkes being in
the handis of the greate men urakkis the haill cuntree, for
quhiche I knau na present remeid but be taking the shairper
counte of thaime in thaire offices, using all punishement       #
aganis
the sleuthfull that the lau uill permitte, & aye as thaye uaike
for any offencis comitted be thaime dispone thame neuer
heritablie againe, preassing uith tyme to drau it to the
louable ordoure of englande, quhiche ye maye the easilier doe
being king of baith as I hoape in god ye sall.  & as to the
thridde & last estaite quhiche is oure burghis (for the small
<P 89>
barronis are but ane inferioure pairt of the nobillitie & of
thaire estait) thir burghis I saye are composid of tua sortis
of men, to uitt mairchantis, & craftismen, euerie ane of thir
sortis being subiect to thaire awin infirmities, the            #
marchauntis
/ thinkis the haill commouneueill ordaned for making thame
up, & accounting it thaire laufull gaine & trade to enriche
thame selfis upon the losse of all the rest of the people thay
transporte from us things necessaire, bringing bake quhyles
unnecessaire & quhyles nathing, thaye bye for us the uorst
<P 90>
uaires, & sellis thaime at the deirest pryces & suppose the
uictuallis fallis or ryses of thaire pryce according to the
aboundance or skantnesse thairof, yett the pryces of thaire
uayres euer ryses but neuer fallis, according to the persiane
lawis that can not be abrogatid, & thay are the speciall uyte
of the corruption of the cunyee, transporting all oure awin &
bringing in forraine upon quhat pryce thaye pleise to sett on
it, for order putting to thaime putte goode lawis in execution
that are allreaddie maid anent these abuses but speciallie doe
three things establishe honest, diligent but feu searcheris,
for many handis makis slichte uarke, & haue a honest &
diligent treasurer, to take compte of thaime, permitte &
<P 91>
allure forraine mairchaintis to treade heir, sa sall ye haue
best & best chape uairis not bying it at the thridde hande, &
sett euerie yeire doune a certaine pryce of all things          #
considdering
first hou it is in other cuntreis & the pryce being sett        #
reasonablie
doune gif the mairchantis uill not bring it hame on the
pryce, crye forraineris free to bring it, & because I made
mention heir of the cunzee, make youre cunzee fyne golde
& siluer & garre the people be payed uith substance & not
abused uith number, sa sall ye enriche the commounueill &
keipe a great pose to the fore gif ye fall in uarris or in any    
<P 92>
straite, for the making it baser uill breid youre commoditie,
but it is not to be usid bot at a greate necessitie. & the      #
craftis
men thinkis ue soulde be contente uith thaire uarke hou
badd & deir that euer it be, & gif thay in any thing be         #
controllid
up must the bleu blankate go, but for thaire pairt take
exemple be englande hou it hes floorished baith in uelth & in
policie sen the straingeris craftis men came in amongst thaime,
thairfoir not onlie permitte but allure straingeris to cum
heir also, taking als straite ordoure for repressing the        #
mutining
of ouris at thame, as uas done in englande at thaire first
inbringing thaire.  but unto ane faulte is all the comoune
peopill of this lande subiect alsueill burgh as lande, quhilke
is to iudge & speike rashlie of thaire prince setting the 
commounueill
<P 93> 
upon foure proppis as ue call it euer ueariing of the
present estaite & desyrouse of nouelties, for remead quhairof
besydes the execution of lauis that ualde be usid aganis        #
unreuerende
speakaris, certaine dayes in the yeare ualde be 
<P 94>
appointid for delyting the people uith publict spectacles of
all honest ghames & exercise of armes, as also for conueining
of neichboures for intertening freindship, & hairtlines be      #
honest
feasting & mirrines, for I can not see quhat greatter           #
superstition
can be in making playes & laufull games in mey &
goode cheir at yule, then in eating fishe in lentrone & upon
frydayes the papistes alsueill using the ane as the other,
sa that alluayes the sabbothis be keipit halye & na unlaufull
sportis usid, & this forme of alluring the peopill hes bene     #
usid
in all uell gouuernid republicts.  ye see nou my sonne hou
for the zeale I beare to aquent you uith the plaine & single
ueritie of all things I haue not spaired to playe the bairde
<P 95>
against all the estaitis of my kingdome but I proteste before
god I doe it uith the fatherlie loue that I aucht to thaime
all, onlie hating thaire uyces quhairof thaire is a goode       #
nomber
of honest men free in euerie estaite; & because for the bettir
reformation of all thir abuses amongst youre estaitis it uill
be a great helpe unto you to be ueill aquent uith the nature
& humouris of all youre subiectis, & to knau particulairlie the
estaite of euerie pairt of youre dominions, I uolde thairfore
<P 96>
counsaile you anis in the yeare to uisie the principall pairtis
of the cuntrey ye uaire in, & because I hoape ye sall be king
of ma cuntreis then this, anis in the three yearis to uisie all
youre kingdomes, not lipening to uiceroies but hearing youre
self thaire complaintis & hauing ordinarie counsaillis &        #
iustice
seatis in euerie kingdome of thaire owin cuntree men, & the
principall maitteris euer to be decydit be youre self quhen
ye cum athort. ye haue also to considder that ye man not
onlie be cairfull to keipe youre subiectis from receauing any
uronge of otheris uithin, but also ye man be cairfull to keipe
thaime from the uronge of any forraine prince uithout, sen
<P 97>
the suorde is geuin you be god not onlie to reuenge upon youre
owin subiectis the urong comittid upon otheris, but farther
to reuenge & free thaime of forraine iniuries done unto thaime,
& thairfore uarris upon iuste querrellis are laufull, but       #
above 
all lett not the urong cause be on youre syde, use all other 
princes as youre brethren honestlie & kyndlie, keipe praecislie
youre promeise unto thaime althoch uith youre hurte, stryue
uith euerie ane of thaime in curtesie & thankefullnes, as uith
all men sa speciallie uith thame be plane & treuthfull, keiping
euer that christiane reule to doe as ye ualde be done to,
<P 98>
especiallie in counting rebellion against any other prince /
a cryme againis youre self, because of the praeparatife, suplee
thairfore nor truste na other princes rebellis, but pittie &
succoure all laufull princes in thaire trubles, but gif any of
thaime uill not abstein (notuithstanding quhat sumeuir youre
goode desertis) to uronge you or youre subiectis craue redresse
at laiser; heare & doe all reason, & gif na offer that is
laufull or honorabill can make him to absteine nor repaire his
urongedoing, then for last refuge comitte the iustnes of youre
cause to god giuing first honestlie up uith him in a publique
& honorable forme, but omitting nou to teache you the forme
<P 99>
of making uarris (because that arte is bettir learnid be
practise nor be speculation I uill onlie sett doune to you heir
a feu praeceptis thairin: lett first the iustnes of youre cause
be youre greatest strenth, & then omitt not to use all laufull
meanis for bakking of the same, consulte thairfore uith na
necromancer, nor prophete upon the successe of youre uarris
remembering on king saullis miserabill ende, but sen all
prophecies are ceast in chryst, keepe youre lande clene of
all sooth sayeris according to the commande in the lau of god
& dilaited be ieremie, nather comitte youre querrell to be
<P 100>
tryed be a duell for it is a comitting of it to a lotte &       #
thaire
is na uarrande for that in the scripture, sen the abrogating
of the aulde lau; before ye take on uarris playe the uyse
kings pairt descryued be chryste, forseeing hou ye maye beare
it out uith all necessaire prouision, especiallie remember that
money is (\neruus belli\) , choose aulde experimentid captaines # 
&
young abill soldatis, be extreamlie straite & seuere in         #
discipline
alsuell for keiping of ordoure (quhilke is als requisite
as hardiment in the uarres) for punishing of sleuth (quhilke
at a tyme maye putte the haill airmie in hazairde) as lykeuayes
for repressing of mutinies (quhilke in uarres is uonderfullie
dangerouse, & looke to the Spangnoll, quhaise greate successe
in all his uarres hes onlie cumd throuch straitnes of           #
discipline
& ordoure, for sicc errouris maye be comitted in the uarres
<P 101>
as can not be gottin mendit againe: be in youre awin person
ualkeryfe, diligent, & painfull, using the aduyse of thaime
that are skilledest in the craft as ye man do in all craftis,
be hamlie uith youre soldatis as youre compaignons for uinning
thaire hairtis, extreamlie liberall, for then is na tyme of
spairing, be colde & forseeing in deuysing, constant in youre
<P 102>
resolutions, & forduarte & quike in youre executions, fortifie
uell youre campe, & assaile not rashelie uithout ane aduantage
nather feare, nor lichley youre ennemie, be curiouse
in deuysing stratagemis (but alluayes honestlie,) for of
anything thay uorke greattest effects in the uarris gif         #
secrecie
be ioined to inuention, & anis or tuyce in youre awin persone
hazairde youre self fairlie, but hauing aquyred sa the fame of
courage & magnanimitie make not a daylie soldat of youre
self exposing rashelie youre person to euerie perrell, but
conserue youre self thairafter for the ueill of youre peopill
for quhaise saike ye man maire caire for youre self nor for
<P 103>
youre awin, & as I haue counsaild you to be slau in taking
on a uarre, sa aduyse I you to be slau in peaxemaking, before
ye agree looke that the grounde of youre uarres be satisfeid
in youre peaxe, & that ye see a goode suretie for you & youre
peopill, otheruayes a honorable & iuste uarre is maire
tolerabill then a dishonorable & disaduantagouse peaxe. /
but it is not aneuch to a goode king to be the thralldome of
goode lawis uell execute to gouuerne his people, gif he ioine   #
not
thairuith his uertuouse lyfe in his awin person & in the        #
personnis
of his courte & cumpanie be his goode exemple alluring
<P 104>
his subiectis to the loue of uertu & hatred of uyce, &          #
thairfore
my sonne sen all people are naturallie inclyned to follou
thaire princes exemple (as I sheu you before) lett it not be
saide that ye comande otheris to keipe the contraire course
to that quhilke in youre awin persone ye practise, making
sa youre uordis & deidis to fechte together, but be the         #
contraire
lett youre awin lyfe be a laubooke & a mirroure to
youre people, that thairin thay maye reide the practise of
thair awin lawis, & thairin thay maye see be youre shaddou
quhat lyfe thay soulde leade: & this exemple in youre awin
lyfe & personne I lykeuayes deuyde in tua pairtis, the
<P 105>
first in the gouuernement of youre courte & follouaires in all
godlinesse & uertu, the next in hauing youre awin mynde
dekkid & enriched sa uith all uertuouse qualities, that
thairuith ye maye uorthelie reule youre people, for it is not
aneuch that ye haue & reteine (as prisoneris) uithin youre
self neuer sa monie goode qualities & uertues, except ye
emploie thaime & sett thaime on uarke for the ueill of thaime
that are comitted to youre chairge, (\omnis etenim uirtus in
actione consistit\) : first then as to the gouuernement of      #
youre
court & follouairis, as ye aucht to haue a great caire for the
<P 106>
reulling ueill of all youre subiectis, sa aucht ye haue a       #
double
caire for the ueill reuling of youre awin seruantis, sen unto
thaime ye are baith a politike & oeconomike gouuernoure,
& as euerie ane of the people uill delyte to follou the exemple
of any of the courteouris als ueill in euill as in goode, sa    #
quhat
cryme sa horrible can be comitted & ourseein in a courtioure,
that uill not be ane exemplaire excuse for any other of the
people boldlie to comitte the lyke: & thairfore in tua pointis
ye ualde take goode heade anent youre courte & housholde,
firste in choising thame uyselie, next in cairfull reuling      #
thaime
quhom ye haue chosin, it is ane aulde & treu prouerbe that
ane kyndlie auer uill neuer becumme a goode horse, for
<P 107>
albeit goode education & cumpanie be greate helpes to
nature, (\habitudo\) being callid (\altera natura\) , yett is   #
it euill
to gett out of the fleshe that is bredd in the bane (as the     #
aulde
prouerbe sayes), be uerrie uarre then in making choice of       #
youre
seruauntis & cumpanie, (\nam turpius eiicitur quam non          #
admittitur
hospes\) , & monie respectis maye laufullie lett ane
admission that uill not be sufficient causis of depriuation,
all youre seruandis & court man be composid pairtlie of
minoris (sicc as younge lordis to be brocht up in youre
<P 108>
cumpanie, or pagis & siclyke,) & pairtlie of men of perfyte 
aage for seruing you in sicc roumes as aucht to be filled uith
men of uisdome & discretion, for the first sort ye can do na
maire bot choose thaime uithin aage that are cumd of a goode
& uertuouse kynde (\in fide parentum\) as baptisme is usid, for
suppose that (\anima non uenit ex traduce\) bot is              #
immediatlie
creatid be god & infused from aboue, yett is it maist
certaine that uertu or uyce uill oftymes uith the heritage
be transferrid from the parentis to the posteritie & rin on a
bloode (as the prouerbe is), the seiknessis of the mynde        #
becumming
als kyndlie to sum racis as these siknessis of the boddie
<P 109>
that smittis in the seid, especiallie choose sicc minours as    #
are
cumd of a treu & honest race, & haue not had the house
quhairof thaye are discendit infectid uith falset, & as for
the other sort of youre cumpanie & seruandis that aucht to
be of perfyte aage, first see that thay be of a goode fame
& uithout blemishe otheruayes quhat can the people thinke
but that ye haue chosin a cumpanie unto you according to
youre awin humoure, & sa hes praeferrid these men for the
loue of thaise uyces & crymes that ye kneu thaime to be
guiltie of, for the peopill that sees you not uithin can not
<P 110>
iudge you but according to the outuarde appearance of youre
actions & cumpanie quhilke onlie is subiect to thair sicht, &
next see that thay be indeuid uith sicc honest qualities as are
meit for sicc offices as ye ordaine thaime to serue in, that
youre iudgement maye be knauin in emploiing euerie man
according to his giftes, & shortlie follou goode king dauids
counsall in the choice of youre seruaundis by setting youre
eye upon the faithfull & upricht of the lande to duell uith
you, but heir I man not forgettette to remember & according
to my fatherlie authoritie to charge you to praeferre           #
speciallie
to youre seruice samonie as treulie haue seruid me, & are
able for it, the rest honorablie to reuairde thaime,            #
praeferring
<P 111>
thaire posteritie before otheris as kyndliest, sa sall ye not
onlie be best seruid (for gif the haitteris of youre parentis
can not loue you (as I sheu before) it follouis of necessitie
thaire louairis man loue you), bot farther ye sall kythe youre
thankefull memorie of youre father & procure the blessing of
thaise aulde seruandis in not missing thaire aulde maister
in you, quhiche otheruayes ualde be turnid in a prayer for me
& a curse for you, use thaime thairfore after my death as
the testimonies of youre affection touardis me, trusting &
aduauncing thaise farthest quhom I fande faithfullest, quhiche
<P 112>
ye man not discerne by thaire reuairdis at my hand, (for
reuairdis as thaye are (\bona fortunae\) sa are thay subiect to
fortune) but according to the truste I gaue thaime, hauing
oftymes hadd bettir hairt then happe to the reuairding of
sindrie, and on the other pairt as I uishe you to kythe
youre constant loue touardis thame that I loued so desyre
I you to kythe in the same measure youre constant haitred
to thaime that I hated, I meane bring not hame nor restore
not sicc as ye finde standing banished or forfalted be me, the
<P 113>
contraire ualde kythe in you ouir greate a contempt of
me, & lichtnes in youre awin nature, for hou can thay be treu
to the sonne that uaire false to the father, but to returne to
the purpoise anent the choice of youre seruandis, ye sall be
this uyse forme of doing esheu the inconuenientis that in
my minoritie I fell in anent the choice of my seruandis, for
be thame that hadd the comande quhaire I uas brocht up
uaire my seruandis putt unto me, not choosing thaime that
uaire  meittest to serue me but quhom thay thocht meitest
to serue thaire turne about me, as kythed uell in many of
thaime at the first rebellion raised aganis me, quhilke         #
compellid
me to make a great alteration amongst my seruauntis,
<P 114>
& yett the exempill of that corruption maid me to be lang
trublid thairafter uith solistairis reccomending seruauntis     #
unto
me maire for seruing in effect thaire freindis that putt thame
in then thaire maister that admitted thaime: lett my exemple
then teache you to follou the reule heir sett doune choosing
youre seruauntis for youre awin use, & not for the use of       #
otheris,
& sen ye man be (\communis aura\) to all youre peopill sa       #
choose
youre seruauntis indifferentlie out of all quarteris, not       #
respecting
other mennis appetits but thaire awin qualities, for as ye
man comande all sa reason uolde ye soulde be seruid out of
all as ye please to make choice, but speciallie take goode
heade to the choice of youre seruandis that ye praeferre to the
offices of the croune & estaite, for in other offices ye haue
only to take heade to youre awin ueill, but these concernis
<P 115>
lykeuayes the ueill of youre people for the quhilke ye man
be ansourable to god: choose then for all these offices men
of knauin uisdome, honestie & goode conscience, ueill practised
in the pointis of the craft that ye ordaine thaime for, & free
of all factions & partialities, praeferring thame (as ye uill   #
be
<P 116>
ansourable to god) onlie for thaire uorthines, & not for        #
pleasing
of freindis, but speciallie choose honest, diligent, meane, but
responsall men to be youre ressaueris in money maitteris,
meane I saye that ye maye quhen ye please take a shairpe
coumpte of thaire intromission, uithout perrell of thaire       #
brewing
any truble to youre estaite, for this hes bene the greatest
uyte of my misthryuing in monney matteris, especiallie putt
neuer a forreyner in any principall office of estait, for that
uill neuer faill to steir up sedition & enuye in the cuntrey
mennis hairtis baith aganis you & him, but (as I said before)
gif god prouyde you uith ma cuntreis then this, chose the borne
men of euerie cuntrey to be youre cheif counsallouris thairin,
<P 117>
& for conclusion of my aduyce anents the choice of youre
seruandis, delyte to be seruid uith men of the noblest bloode
that can be had, for besydes that thaire seruice sall breid
you greate goode uill & least enuye (contraire to that of       #
starte
upps ye sall oft finde uertu follou noble racis, as I said      #
before
speiking of the nobilitie. nou as to the other point anent
youre gouuerning youre seruandis quhen ye haue chosin
thame, make youre court & cumpanie to be a patrone of godlines,
& all honest uertues to all the rest of youre peopill,
<P 118>
be a daylie uatcheman ouir youre seruandis that thay obeye
youre lawis praeciselie, for hou can youre lawis be keipit in
the cuntrey, gif thay be brokin at youre lugge, punishing
the breake thairof in a courtioure mair seuearlie then in the
personne of any other of youre subiectis, & aboue all suffer
nane of thame by abusing thaire credit uith you to opresse
or uronge any of youre subiectis, be hamelie or strange uith
thaime as ye thinke thaire behauioure deseruis & thaire
naturall maye beare uith, thinke a querrellouse man a pest
in youre cumpanie, be cairfull to preferre euir the gentlest
natured & trustiest to the inuardest offices about you,
especiallie in youre chalmer, suffer nane about you to mell
in any mennis particulairs but lyke the turkis ianissaires lett
<P 119>
thame knau na father bot you nor particulaire bot youres,
& gif any uill mell in thaire kinn or freindis querrellis giue
him his leue for sen ye man be of na surname nor kinn bot
aequall to all honest men, it becumis you not to be follouid
uith partiall or factiouse seruandis, teache obedience to
youre seruantis & not to thinke thame selfis ouer uyse, & as
quhen any of thame deseruis it ye man not spaire to putt
thame auaye, sa uithout a seene cause change nane of thaime,
paye thaime as all other youre subiectis uith (\praemium\) or
(\poena\) as thay deserue, quhilke is the uerrie grounde stane  #
of
<P 120>
goode gouuernement, emploie euerie man as ye thinke him
qualifeid, but use not ane in all things least he uaxe proude
& be enuyed be his marrouis, loue thame best that are plainest
uith you & disgyses not the treuth for all thaire kinne, suffer
nane to be euill tounged nor bakebyteris of thame thay hate,
comande a hairtelie & brotherlie loue among all thaime that
seruis you, & shortlie mainteine peaxe in youre courte &
banishe enuye, cherishe modestie, banishe deboshid insolence,
foster humilitie, represse pryde, setting doune sicc a
cumlie & honorable order in all the pointis of youre seruice,
that quhen straingearis sall uissie youre court thay maye uith
<P 121>
the quene of seba admire youre uisdome in the glorie of youre
house & cumlie ordoure among youre seruantis.  bot the          #
principall
blessing that ye can gett of goode cumpanie uill stande
in youre mariing of a godlie & uertuouse uyfe, for she man be
neirer unto you then any other cumpanie, being fleshe of youre
fleshe & bane of youre bane as god him self said to adam, &
because I knau not, but god maye call me before ye be readie
for mariage I uill shortlie sett doun to you heir my aduyse
thairin: first of all considder that mariage is the greatest
earthlie faelicitie or miserie that can cum to a man            #
according
<P 122>
as it pleasis god to blesse or curse the same, sen uithout
the blessing of god then ye can not looke for a happie successe
in mariage ye man be cairfull baith in youre praeparation for
it & in the choice & usage of youre uyfe to procure the sam,
by youre praeparation I meane that ye man keipe youre
bodie cleane & unpollutid, quhill ye giue it to youre uyfe
quhomto onlie it belangis, for hou can ye iustlie craue to be
ioined uith a pure uergine gif youre boddie be pollutid, quhy
soulde the ane halfe be clene & the other defyled, & suppoise
I knau fornication is thocht but a ueniall sinne be the maist 
pairt of the uarlde, yett remember ueill quhat I said to you
in my first booke anent conscience, & compte euerie sinne
<P 123>
& breake of goddis law not according as the uaine uorlde
esteimis of it, but as god the iudge & maker of the lau
accomptis of the same, heare god commanding be the mouth
of paull to absteine from fornication, declairing that the
fornicatoure sall not inherite the kingdome of heauen, & be
the mouth of iohne rekning out fornication among other
greiuouse sinnes that debarres the comitteris amang doggis
& suyne from entrie in that spirituall & heauinlie ierusalem,
& considder gif a man sall anis take upon him to compte
that licht quhilke godd callis heauie, & ueniall that quhilke
<P 124>
god callis greiuouse, beginning first to measure any ane sinne
be the reule of his lust & appetits, & not of his conscience,
quhat sall lett him to do sa uith the next that his affections
sall steir him to, the lyke reason seruing for all, & sa to
go forduarte quhill he place his haill corruptid affectionis in
goddis roume, & then quhat sall cum of him bot as a man
geuin ouer to his awin filthie affections sall perishe into     #
thaime,
& because ue are all of that nature that sibbest exemplis
tuichis us neirest, considder the difference of successe that
god grantid in the mariages of the king my grandfather &
me youre auin father, the reuairde of his harlotrie (proceiding
from his euill education) being the suddaine death
<P 125>
at ane tyme of tua pleasande young princes, & a dochter
onlie borne to succeide unto him, quhom he hadde neuer
the happe samekill as anis to see or blesse before his death,
leauing a double curse behinde him to the lande, baith
a uoman of sexe, & a neuborne babe of aage to reigne ouir
thaime, & as for the reuairde of my continencie youre self
& sibbe folkis to you are praise to godd sufficient uitnessis,  #
be
not ashamed then to keape cleane youre boddie (quhilke
<P 126>
is the temple of the holie spreit) notuithstanding all uaine
allurementis to the contraire, discerning treulie & uyselie of
euerie uertu & uyce according to the treu qualities thairof,
& not according to the uaine conceatis of men: as for youre
choice in mariadge respecte cheiflie the three causes quhairfor
mariage uas first ordained be god, & then ioine three
accessouries sa farre as thaye maye be obtained underogating
to the principallis, the three causes it uas ordained for are
for staying of luste, for procreation of children, & that man
soulde be his uife gett a helpaire lyke him self, differre not
then to marie quhill youre aage, for it is ordained for
<P 127>
stanshing the lust in youre youthe, speciallie a king man
tymouslie  marrie for the ueill of his people, nor marrie not   #
for
any accessorie cause or uardlie respectis a uoman unable
ather throu aage, nature, or accident for procreation, for
in a king that uaire a double falte alsueill againis his awin
ueill as againis the ueill of his people, nor yett marrie not   #
ane
of knauin euill conditions or uiciouse education, for the       #
uomane
is ordained to be a helper & not a hinderer to man, the three
accessories quhilke (as I haue saide) aucht also to be          #
respectid
uithout derogating to the principall causis, are beutie,        #
richesse,
& freindshipp be allya, quhilkes are all blessings of god, for
<P 128>
beutie increassis youre loue to youre uyfe contenting you
the bettir uith her uithout care for others, & riches & great
allya do baith make her the abler to be a helper unto 
you, but gif ouir greate respecte being hadd to these           #
accessouris
the principall causis be ouerseene, quhilke is ouer oft
practised in the uorlde as of thame selfis thay are a blessing
being uell usid, sa the abuse of thame uill turne thame in
a curse, for quhat can all these uordlie respectis auayle quhen
a man  shall finde him self coupled uith a deuill to be ane     #
fleshe
uith him & the halfe marrou in his bedde, then (thoch too
laite) sall he fynde that beutie uithout bontie, uelth uithout
uisdome, & great freindshippe uithout grace & honestie are
<P 129>
bot faire shauis & the deceatefull masques of infinite          #
miseries,
bot haue ye respect my sonne to yone three speciall causis
in youre mariage, quhilkis flouis from the first institution    #
thairof
(\& caetera omnia adiicientur uobis\) , & thairfore beuare to
marrie any bot ane of youre awin religion for hou can ye be
of ane fleshe & keipe unitie betuixt you being memberis of
tua opposid kirkis, disagreement in religion brings euer uith
<P 130>
it disagreement in maners, & the dissention betuixt youre
preachouris & hers uill breide & foster a dissention amongst
youre subiectis, taking thaire exempill from youre familie,
besydes the perrell of the euill education of youre children,
nather pryde you that ye uill be able to frame & make her as
ye please, the deceauid salomon the uysest king that euer uas,
the grace of perseuerance not being a floure that grouis in
oure gairdein, remember also that mariadge is ane of the
greatest actions that a man dois in all his tyme, especiallie
the taking of his first uyfe, & gif he marrie first baselie     #
beneath
his ranke he uill euer be the lesse accoumptid of thairafter, &
last remember to uaile youre uyfe as I aduysed you to uaile
<P 131>
youre seruantis that sho be of a haill & clene race not
subiecte to the hereditaire siknessis ather of the saule or the
boddie, for gif a man uill be cairfull to breide horses & dogs
of goode kyndes hou meikle maire cairfull soulde he be for the
breide of his awin loynes, sa sall ye in youre mariadge haue
respecte to youre conscience, honoure, & naturall ueill in
youre successouris, quhen ye are married keipe inuiolablie
youre promeise maid to god in youre mariadge quhilke all
standis in doing of ane thing & absteining from ane other;
to treate her in all things as youre uyfe & the halfe of youre
self, & to make youre boddie (quhilke then is na maire youris
<P 132>
bot properlie hers) commoune uith na other; I truste I neide
not to insiste heir to dissuaide you from the filthie uyce of
adulterie, remember onlie quhat solemne promeise ye make to
god at youre mariage & sen it is onlie be the force of that
promeise that youre bairnis succeidis to you quhilke other
uayes thay coulde not doe, equitie & reason ualde ye soulde
keipe youre pairt thairof god is euer a seueare auenger of all
periuries & it is na oathe maid in mowis that giues pouer to 
bairnis to succeide to great kingdomes, haue the king my
grandfatheris exempill before youre eyes quha be his adulterie
bredd the uraike of his laufull dochtir & aire in begetting     #
that
bastarde quha unnaturallie rebellid & procured the ruyne of
his awin sister; & quhat goode her posteritie hes gottin        #
sensyne
<P 133>
of that unlaufull generation bothuellis trikkes can beare
uitnesse, keipe praeciselie then youre promeise maid at mariage
as ye uolde uishe to be pairtaker of the blessing thairin: &
for youre behauioure to youre uyfe the scripture can best
giue you counsall thairin, treat her as youre awin fleshe,
comande her as her lorde, cherishe her as youre helper,
reule her as youre pupill, please her in all things reasonable,
but teache her not to be curiouse in things that belongis her
not, ye are the heade, sho is of youre boddie, it is youre      #
office
<P 134>
to comande, & hers to obeye, but yett uith sicc a sueit         #
harmonie
as sho soulde be als readdie to obeye as ye to comande, als
uilling to follou, as ye to goe before, youre loue being        #
haillelie
knitte unto her; & all her affections louinglie bent to follou  #
/
youre uill, & to conclude keepe speciallie three reulis uith
youre uyfe, first suffer her neuer to medle uith the politike
gouuernement of the comounelth, bot holde her at the
oeconomike reule of the house & yett all to be subiect to
youre direction, keipe cairfullie goode & chaste cumpanie
about her, for uemen are the frailest sexe, & be neuer baith
angrie at anis, for quhen ye see her in passion ye soulde uith
reason dainte youris, for baith quhen ye are setlid ye are
meitest to iudge of her errouris, & quhen sho is cumd to her
<P 135>
self scho maye be best maid to aprehende her offence &          #
reuerence
youre rebuke, gif god sende you succession be cairfull
for thaire uertuouse education, loue thame as ye aucht bot
lett thame knau als mekill of it as the gentillnes of thaire
nature uill deserue containing thaime euer in a reuerende
loue, & louing feare of you, & inkaice it please god to prouyde
you to all thir three kingdomes make youre eldest sonne
isaake leauing him all youre kingdomes, & prouyde the leaue
uith priuate possessions, otheruayes be deuyding youre          #
kingdomes
<P 136>
ye sall leaue the seid of diuision & discorde amongst
youre posteritie, but gif god giue you not succession, defraude
neuer the nearest be richt quhat euir conceate ye haue of the
personne, for kingdomes are euer at goddis disposition, &
in that cace ue are but lyfe rentairis, lying na maire in the
kings nor peopils handis to disposesse the richteouse aire.
& as youre cumpanie soulde be a patrone to the rest of youre
peopill, sa soulde youre persone be a lampe & mirroure to
youre cumpanie, geuing licht to youre seruandis to ualke in
the pathe of uertu & representing unto thame sicc uorthie
qualities as thay soulde prease to imitate: I neid not to       #
truble
<P 137>
you uith the particulaire discours of the seuin cardinall       #
uertues,
it is sa troddin a paithe, bot I uill shortlie saye unto you,   #
make
ane of thame quhilke is temperance quene of all the rest
uithin you, I meane not by the uulgaire interpretation of
temperance, quhilke onlie standis in the moderate using of
meate & drinke, but I meane of that uyse moderation  that
firste comanding youre self, sall as a quene comande all the
affections & passions of youre mynde, & as a phisition uyselie
mixe all youre actions according thairto, thairfore not onlie
in all youre affections & passions but euen in youre maist
<P 138>
uertuouse actions make euer moderation to be the cheife         #
reulaire,
for althoch halines be the firste & maist requisite qualitie of
a christiane as proceiding from the treu feare & knauledge
of god, yett ye remember hou in the conclusion of my first
booke I aduysed you to moderate all youre outuarde actions
flouing thairfra, the lyke saye I nou of iustice quhilke is the
greatest uertu that properlie belongis to a kings office, use
iustice bot uith sicc moderation as it turne not in tirannie,
otheruayes (\summum ius is summa iniuria\) , as for exemple     #
gif
a man be inuaidit be brigandis or theues & in his awin defence
slae any of thaime, because thay uaire not at the horne, &
<P 139>
that he foryette to keipe the expresse uordis of the lau in
not stepping three steppis abake, & crying goddis peaxe
& the kings sall be thairfore loose his heade, & lykeuayes
be the lauborrouis in oure lauis men are prohibited under
pecuniall paines from anyuayes inuaidng [\SIC\] or molesting
thaire neichbouris personne or boundis, gif then his horse
breake the teddir & pastoure in his neichbouris meddou sall
he paye tua or thre thousande poundis for the uantonnes of 
<P 140>
his horse or the ueakenes of his teddir, suirlie na, for lauis
are ordainid as reulis of uertuouse & sociall liuing, & not to
be snairis to trappe youre goode subiectis, & thairfore the
lau man be interpretid according to the meaning & not to the
literall sence thairof, (\nam ratio est anima legis\) , & as I  #
saye
of iustice sa saye I of clemencie, magnanimitie, liberalitie,
constancie, humilitie, & all other princelie uertues, (\nam in
medio stat uirtus\) , & it is bot the crafte of the deuill that
falselie cullouris the tua uyces that are on ather syde         #
thairof,
uith the borrouid titles thairof, albeit in uerrie deid thay    #
haue
<P 141>
na affinitie thairuith, & the tua extremities thaime selfis
althoch thay seeme dyuers, yett grouing to the heicht rinnis
euer baith in ane, for quhat difference is betuixt extreame
tirrannie delyting to destroye all mankynde, & extreame
slakenes of punishement permitting euerie man to tirranize
ouer his marrou, & quhat differis extreame prodigalitie be
uaisting of all to possesse nathing from extreame niggartenes
be hurding up of all to enioie nathing, lyke the asse that
carieing uittaile on her bake is lyke to sterue for hunger &
uill be faine of thristillis for her pairt, & quhat is betuixt  #
the
pryde of a gloriouse nebuchadnezar & the praeposterouse
<P 142>
humilitie of ane of oure puritane ministeris, claming to thaire
pairetie & crying ue are all bot uyle uormis & yett uill iudge
& giue the lau to thaire king, bot uill be iudgid nor           #
controllid
be nane, suirlie thaire is maire pryde under sicc a anes blake
bonett nor under great alexanderis diademe (as uas saide
of the cloutes of diogenes) bot aboue all uertues, studdie to
knau ueill youre awin crafte quhilke is to reule youre peopill,
& quhen I saye this I bidde you knau all craftis, for except ye
knau euerie ane hou can ye controlle euerie ane, quhilke is
youre propre office, thairfore besydis youre education it is
necessaire ye delyte in reiding & seiking the knauledge of all
laufull things, bot uith thir tua restrictions, first that ye
<P 143>
choose ydle houris for it not interrupting thairuith the        #
dischairge
of youre office, & next that ye studdie not for knauledge
naketlie, but that youre principall ende be to make
you able thairby to use youre office, practising according to
youre knauledge in all the pointis of youre calling, not lyke
thir uaine astrologiens that studdies nicht & daye on the
course of the starres onlie that thay maye for satisfeing       #
thaire
curiositie knau thaire cours bot sen all airtes & scyences are
linked euerie ane uith other thayre greattest principles        #
agreeing
in ane (quhiche moued the poets to feinzie the nyne
<P 144>
muses to be all sisteris) studdie thaime that oute of thaire
harmonie ye maye souke the knauledge of all faculties, &
consequentlie be on the counsall of all craftis, that ye maye
be able to containe thaime all in order as I haue allreaddie
said, knauledge & learning is a licht burdein the uecht
quhairof uill neuer preasse youre schoulderis, first of all     #
then
studdie to be uell seene in the scriptures alsueill for the
knauledge of youre awin saluation as that ye maye be able to
conteine youre kirke in thaire calling (as (\custos utriusque
tabulae\) ) for the reuling thaime ueill is na small pointe of  #
youre
<P 145>
office, taking speciallie heade that thaye uague not from       #
thaire
text in the pulpite, for gif euer ye ualde haue peace in youre
lande suffer thaime not to medle uith the policie or estaite
in the pulpitte, but snibbe sikkerlie the first that mintis to
it, & gif he lyke to appeale or declyne, quhen ye haue tane
order uith his heade his brethren may gif thaye please polle
his haire & paire his nailis, as the king my grandfather said
of a preiste, do nathing touardis thaime uithout a goode
grounde & uarrande, but ressone not meikle uith thaime for
as I haue taulde you before  I haue ellis ouir mekle burstin
thaime uith that, (\contra uerbosos noli contendere uerbis\) ,  #
&
suffer na conuentions nor meitings amongst kirkemen but
<P 146>
be youre knauledge & permission, next the scriptures studdie /
uell youre awin lawis for hou can ye discerne be the thing ye
knau not, but prease to drau all youre lawis & processis to be
als shorte & plaine as ye can, assure youre self the langsumnes
baith of richtis, & processis breidis thaire unsure lousenes &
obscuritie, the shortest being euer baith the surest & plainest
forme, & the langsumenesse seruis onlie for the enriching of
the aduocatis & clerkis uith the spoile of the haille cuntrey,
& thairfore delyte to haunte quhyles youre session & spye
cairfullie thaire proceidings taking narrou tent gif any        #
bryberie
maye be tryed among thaime, quhilke can not ouer seuearlie
<P 147>
be punished, spaire not to gange thaire for gracing that farre
any that ye fauoure be youre presence to procure thame
expedition of iustice (althoch that soulde be speciallie done
for the poore that can not uayte on) but quhen ye are thaire,
remember the trone is goddis & not youris that ye sitte in,
& lett na fauoure nor quhat sumeuir respectis moue you from
the richt, ye sitte not thaire (as I sheu before) for reuarding
of freindis or seruandis, nor for crossing of contemneris, bot
onlie for doing of iustice, learne also uyselie to discerne     #
betuixt
iustice & equitie, for pittie of the poore then robbe not the
<P 148>
riche because he maye bettir spaire it, but giue the littill
man the maist cloake, gif it be his, escheuing the erroure of
young cirus thairin, for iustice be the lau giuis euerie man    #
his
awin, & equitie in things abitrall giuis euerie ane that        #
quhilke
is meittest for him, be ane ordinaire sittaire in youre secreit
counsall, that iudicatoure is onlie ordained for maitteris of
estaite & repressing of insolent opressions, make that          #
iudgement
als compendiouse & plaine as ye can, & suffer na aduocattis
to be harde thaire uith thaire dilatouris, but lett euerie
pairtie tell his awin taile him self, & uearie not to heir the
complaintis of the opressid, (\aut ne rex sis\) , remitte       #
euerie
thing to the ordinarie iudicatoure for escheuing of confusion,
<P 149>
bot let it be youre awin crafte to take a shairpe counte of
euerie man in his office: & next the lauis I uolde haue you to
be ueill uersid in authentike histories & speciallie in the
cronicles of all naitions, I meane not of sicc infamouse        #
inuectiues
as buchananis or knokisis croniclis, for gif any of thaise
infamouse lybellis remaine quhill youre dayes use the lau
upon the keiparis thairof, for in that pointe I ualde haue
you a pithagoriste to thinke that the spreitis of thaise        #
archibellisis
of rebellion are flitted into thaime that hoordis thaire
bookis or mainteinis thaire opinions, punishing thaime euen
<P 150>
as it uaire thaire authouris rissin againe, but by reiding
of  authentike histories & cronicles ye sall learne experience
be theorike, aplying the bypaste things to the present estate,
(\quia nihil nunc dici aut fieri potest quod non dictum &       #
factum
sit prius\) , sicc is the contineuall uolubilitie of things     #
earthlie
according to the roundnes of the uarlde & uolubilitie of the
heauinlie circles, quhiche is expressid be the quheillis in
ezechiels uision, & counterfitted by the poettis (\in rota      #
fortunae\) ,
& lukeuayes be the knauledge of histories ye sall
knau hou to behaue youre self to all ambassadouris &            #
straingeris
being able to discourse uith thaime upon the estaite
of thaire awin cuntree, as for the studdie of other liberall
airtis & scyences I ualde haue you reasonablie uersid into
thaime, but not preassing to be a passemaister in any of thaime
<P 151>
for that can not bot distracte you from the pointis of youre
calling (as I sheu before), & quhen be the ennemie uinning
the toune ye sall be interruptid in youre demonstration as
archimedes uas, youre people I trou uill looke uerrie bluntlie
upon it, I graunte it is meite ye haue sum entrance speciallie
in the mathematikes for the knauledge of the airt militaire in
<P 152>
situation of campis, making fortificationis, breshes, or
siclyke: & lett not this youre knauledge be deade uithout
fruictis as s. iames sayes of faith, but lett it appeire in
your daylie conuersation & in all the actions of youre
lyfe, embrace treu magnanimitie not in being uindictife,
quhilke the corruptid iudgementis of the uorlde thinkis to be
treu magnanimitie, bot be the contraire in thinking youre
offendoure not uorthie of youre uraith empyring ouer
youre passion & triumphing in the comanding youre selfe to
forgiue, steuarding the effects of youre curage & uraith to be
richtlie emploied upon repelling of iniuries uithin, by reuenge
<P 153>
takking upon the opressouris & in reuenging iniuries uithout
be iuste uarris upon forraine ennemies, & sa quhaire ye
finde a notable iniurie spaire not to giue course to the
torrents of youre uraith, the uraith of a king is lyke the
roaring of a lyon, foster treu humilitie in banishing pryde
not onlie touardis god, considdering ye differ not in
stuffe bot in use, (& that onlie be his ordinance) from the
basest of youre peopill, but also touardis youre parentis, &
because it is lykelie be the course of nature that my uyfe
<P 154>
sall outleue me, as euer ye thinke to purchase my blessing
honoure youre mother, sett beersheba in a throne on youre
richt hande, offende her for nathing, mekle lesse uronge her,
remember her (\quae decem tulit fastidia menses\) , & that      #
youre
fleshe & bloode is maid of hers, & beginne not lyke the young
lordis & lairdis youre first uarris upon youre mother bot
prease euer earnistlie to deserue her blessing, nather deceaue
youre self uith mony that sayes thay caire not for thaire
parentis curse sa that thaye deserue it not; o inuerte not
the ordoure of nature be iudging youre superiouris cheiflie
in youre awin particulaire, but assure youre self the blessing
<P 155>
or curse of the parentis hes almaiste euer a prophetike pouaire
ioined uith it, & gif thaire uaire na maire, honoure youre
parentis for the lenthning of youre awin dayis as god in his
lau promeisis, honoure also thame that are (\in loco parentum\)
unto you, sicc as youre gouuernouris & upbringaires & youre
praeceptouris, be thankefull unto thame & reuairde thame
quhilke is youre deutie & honoure; bot on the other pairte
lett not this treu humilitie staye youre heich indignation to
appeire quhen any greate opressouris sall presume to cum in
youre presence, then froune as ye aucht & inkaice thaye use
<P 156>
a culloure of lau in opressing thaire poore anis (as ouer many
doe, that quhilke ye can not mende be lau mende be the
uithdrauing of youre countenance from thame, & anis in the
yeare crosse thaime quhen thaire turnis cummis athort you,
opressing the opressoure according to crystis parable of the
tua debtouris, keipe treu constancie not onlie in youre kyndnes
touardis honest men, but being also (\inuicti animi\) against   #
all
aduersities, not uith that stoike insensible stupiditie that
proude inconstant lipsius persuaides in his constantia, but
althoch ye are not a stoke not to feele calamities, yett lett
not the feiling of thaime sa ouer reule & doasin youre
reason, as maye staye you from taking & using the best
resolution for remeade that can be founde out, use treu         #
liberalitie
in reuarding the goode & bestouing franklie for
<P 157>
youre honoure & ueill but prouyde hou to haue & caste not
auay uithout cause, & speciallie enriche not youre self
uith exactions upon youre  subiectis but thinke the richesse
<P 158>
of youre people youre best pose, by the sinnes of the           #
offendaires
making youre kitchein to reike, & inkaice necessitie of
uarris or other extraordinaires compell you to lifte            #
subsidies,
do it als rairelie as ye can emploieing it onlie to the
use it uas ordained for, using youre self in that cace as
(\fidus depositarius\) to youre peopill, & principallie         #
exercise
treu uisdome in discerning uyselie betuixt treu & false         #
reportis,
first considdering the nature of the personne reporter, next
quhat intrese he can haue in the ueill or euill of him quhomof
he makis the reporte, thriddlie the likliheade of the purpoise
it self, & last the nature & bypaste lyfe of the dilaited
<P 159>  
person & quhaire ye finde a tratler auaye uith him, & althoch
it be treu that a prince can neuer uithout secrecie do greate   #
things,
yett it is bettir oftetymes to trye reportis then be credulitie
to foster suspition upon a honest man, for sen suspition is the
tirantis seiknesse as the fruictis of ane euill conscience      #
(\potius
in alteram partem peccato\) , I meane in not mistrusting ane
quhomto na sicc unhonestie uas knauin before, bot as for
peopill that haue slipped before, (\argumentum a simili\) maye
iustlie breid praeuention be foresicht: & to conclude my aduyce
anent youre behauioure in youre personne considder that god
<P 160>
is the authoure of all uertu hauing imprentid in mennis
myndes be the uerrie licht of nature the loue of all
mortal uertues as uas seene be the uertuouse lyfes of the
aulde romanis & prease then to shyne als farre before
youre people in all uertu & honestie as in greatnes of ranke,
that the use thairof in all youre actions maye turne uith
<P 161>
tyme in a naturall habitude unto you, that as be thaire
hearing of youre lawis sa be thaire sicht of youre
persone baith thaire eyes & thaire eares maye leade
& allure thaime to the loue of uertu, & hatred of uyce.
<P 162>
[^THIRD BOOK^]
3 B. it is a treu olde saying that as king is a ane sett
on a skaffolde quhase smallest actions & gestures all the
people gazinglie do behoulde, & thairfore althoch a king
be neuer sa praecise in the dischairging of his office, the
people quha sees but the outuarde pairt uill euer iudge
of the substance be the circumstances, & according to
the outuarde appearance, gif his behauioure be licht
or dissolute uill conceaue praeoccupied conceatis of the
kings inuairde intention, quhiche althoch uith tyme (the
<P 163>
tryer of all treuth) it uill uanishe by the euidence of the     #
contraire
euents, yett (\interim patitur iustus\) , & praeiudged          #
conceatis
uill in the meanetyme breid contempte the mother
of rebellion & disorder & besydes that, it is certaine that
all the indifferente actions & behauioure of a man haue a
certaine haulding & dependance ather upon uertu or uyce
according as thay are usid or reulid, for thaire is not a       #
middis
betuixt thaime namaire nor betuixt thaire reuairdis heauen
<P 164>
& hell, be cairfull then my sonne to frame sa all youre         #
indifferent
actions & outuarde behauioure as thay maye serue
for the furtherance & furthsetting of youre uertuouse           #
qualities:
the haill indifferent actions of a man I deuyde in tua sortis,
in his behauioure in things necessaire as foode, sleiping,
rayment, speaking, or uritting & gestaure & in things not
necessaire thoch conuenient & laufull as pastymes, or           #
exercises,
& using of cumpanie meit for recreation, as to the
indifferent things necessaire, althoch that of thaime selfis
thay can not be uantid, & sa in that cace are not indifferent,
as lykeuayes inkaice thay be not usid uith moderation,          #
declyning
<P 165>
sa to the extremitie quhilke is uyce, yett the qualitie &
forme of using thaime maye smell of uertu or uyce, & be
great furthereris to any of thaime, to beginne first then at
the things necessaire ane of the publiquest indifferent
actions of a king, & that maniest especiallie straingeris uill
narroulie take heade to, is his maner of refection at his table
& his behauioure thairat, thairfore as kings usis oft to eate
publictlie it is meit & honorable that ye also doe sa, alsueill
/ to escheu the opinion that ye loue not to haunte cumpanie,
quhilke is ane of the markis of a tyrane, as lykeuayes that
<P 166>
youre delyte to eate priuatlie be not thocht to be for priuate
satisfeing of youre gluttonie, quhilke ye ualde be ashamed
soulde be publictlie seene, lett youre table be honorablie
seruid, but serue youre appetite uith few dishes as young
Cirus did, quhilke baith is hailsumest & freest from the uyce
of delicatie quhilke is a degree of gluttonnie, & use maiste to
eate of reasonable rude & commoune meatis, alsuell for making
youre boddie strong & durable for trauell, as that ye maye be
the hairtelier ressaued be youre meane subiectis in thaire
houses quhen thaire cheir maye suffice you, quhilke other
uayes ualde be imputed to you for pryde & breid disdaine
in thaime, lett all youre foode be of simples uithout           #
composition
<P 167>
or saulces, quhilke are lyker medecines then meate,
the using thaime uas coumptid among the auncient romanes
a filthie uyce of delicatie because thay serue only for         #
pleasing
of the taiste & not for satisfeing of the appetite, abhorring
appius thaire awin cittisen for his filthie uishe of the        #
crancraige,
& thairfore uas that sentence usid among thaime
against thaise artificiall false appetites, (\optimum           #
condimentum
fames\) , but beuaire uith using excesse of meate or
<P 168>
drinke & cheiflie beuaire of drunkenesse, quhilke is a beastlie
uyce namelie in a king bot speciallie beuaire uith it because   #
it
is ane of thaise uyces that increassis uith aage, in the forme
of youre meate eating be nather unciuill lyke a grosse Cinike,
nor affectatlie mignarde lyke a dentie dame, but eate in a
manlie, rounde, & honest facon, it is nauayes cumlie to
dispatche affaires, or be pansiue at meate, but keepe then ane
oppin & cheirfull countenance, garring then reide pleasant
histories unto you that proffeit maye be mixed uith pleasure,
& quhen ye are euill disposid interteine pleasant, quike, bot
honest discoursis: & because meate prouokis sleiping, be also
<P 169>
moderate in youre sleepe, for it gangis meikle be use, &        #
remember
that gif oure haill lyfe uaire deuydit in foure
pairtis three of thame ualde be founde to be consumed on
meate, drinke, & sleipe, but albeit ordinaire tymes ualde
commounlie be keiped in meate & sleipe, yett use youre
self quhyles sa that any tyme in the foure & tuentie houris
maye be alyke to you for any of thaime, that thairby youre
dyet maye be accomodate to youre affaires, & not youre
affaires to youre dyet, not thairfore using youre self to
<P 170>
ouergreat softnes & delicatie in youre sleipe maire nor in
youre meate. & speciallie inkaice ye haue adoe with the
uarres: lett not youre chalmer be thrang & commoune
the tyme of youre rest als uell for cumlines as for escheuing
of carieing clatteris out of the same, lett thaim that haue
the credit to serue in youre chalmer, be trustie & secreate
for a king uill haue neid to use secreacie in many things, but
yett behaue youre self sa in youre greatest secreatis as ye
neid not be ashamed suppose thay uaire all proclamed at the
<P 171>
crosse, but speciallie see that thaise of youre chalmer be of
a sounde fame, & uithout blemishe, take na heade to any of
youre dreames for all prophecies uisions, & prophetike
dreames are accompleished & ceast in chryste, & thairfore
take na heade to freatis ather in dreames or any other
things, for that erroure proceidis of ignorance & is unuorthie
of a christiane, quha soulde be assured (\quod omnia sunt
sancta sanctis\) , all dayes & meates being alyke to            #
christianis
as paul sayis. next follouis to speake of rayment
quhilke in the ordinaire action that follouis next to sleipe,   #
be
also moderate in youre raiment nather ouer superfluouse
<P 172>
lyke a deboshed uaistoure, nor ouer base lyke a miserabill
pedder, not artificiallie trimmed & dekkid lyke a courtizane,
nor yett ouer sluggishelie cledd lyke a cuntree cloune, not
ouer lichtlie lyke a candie soldat or a uaine young courteoure,
nor yett ouer grauelie lyke a minister, bot in youre garmentis
be propir, cleinlie, cumlie, & honest uearing youre claithis
in a cairles yett cumlie forme, keiping in thaime a midde
forme (\inter togatos & palliatos\) , betuixt the grauitie of   #
the
ane & lichtnes of the other, thairby to signifie that by youre  #
/
calling ye are mixed of baith the professions, (\togatus\) as a
iuge making & pronouncing the law, (\palliatus\) be the pouaire
<P 173>
of the suorde, as youre office is lykeuayes mixed betuixt the
ecclesiastike & ciuill estait, for a king is not mere laicus as
baith the papistes & anabaptistes uolde haue him, to quhilke
erroure also oure puritanes enclynes ouer farre, but to returne
to the purpoise of garmentis thay aucht to be used according
to thaire first institution be god, quhilke uas for three       #
causis,
to hyde oure naiketnes & shame, & consequentlie to make us
maire cumlie, & thridlie to preserue us from the iniuries of
heate or caulde, gif to hyde oure nakidnes & shamefull pairtis,
these naturall pairtis ordained to be hidd soulde not then
<P 174>
be representid by any formes in the claithis as the greate
filthie balopis dois (bearing the pinsell of priapus) quhilke
thairfore I thinke the onlie unlaufull forme of claithis, & gif
thay soulde helpe oure cumlines, thay soulde not then be
thaire painted preined facon serue for baitis to filthie        #
leacherie,
as false haire & fairding dois among unchaiste uemen, & gif
thay soulde preserue us from the iniuries of heate and colde,
men soulde not lyke senceles staines contemne god in lichleing
the seasons gloriing to conqueis honoure on heate or caulde,
& althoch it be praise uorthie & necessaire in a prince to be
(\patiens algoris & aestus\) quhen he sall haue adoe uith       #
uarres
<P 175>
upon the feildis, yett I thinke it meitter that ye ga baith
cledd & airmed nor naiked to the battell, except ye ualde
make you licht for auaye rinning, & yett for couardis (\metus
addet alas\) , & shortlie in youre claithis keipe a proportion
alsueill uith the seasons of the yeare as of youre aage, in the
facons of thaime being cairles, using thaime according to
the comoune forme of the tyme quhyles richelier, quhyles
meinlier cledd as occasion seruis, uithout keiping any praecise
reulle thairin, for gif youre mynde be founde occupied
upon thaime it uill be thocht ydle otheruayes, as caesar
<P 176>
said (\de compto iuuene\) quhaise spreit thairfore he fearid    #
not,
bot speciallie escheu to be aeffeminate in youre claithis in
parfuming, preining, or siclyke. & faill neuer in tyme of
uarres to be galliardest & brauest baith in claithis &          #
countenance,
& make not a foole of youre self in disguysing, or uearing
lang youre haire or nailes, quhilke are but excrementis of
nature, & beurayes sicc misusers of thaime to be ather of a
uindictif, or a uaine licht naturall, especiallie make na uouis
in sicc uaine & outuarde things as concernis ather meate or
claithis, lett youre self & all youre courte ueare na ordinaire
armoure uith youre claithis, bot sicc as is knichtlie &         #
honorable
I meane rapper-suordis & daiggeris, for tuillesome
ueapons in the courte betaikinnes confusion in the cuntree,
<P 177>
& thairfore banishe not onlie from youre courte all traiterouse
offensiue ueaponis forbidden be the lauis as gunnis & siclyke
(quhairof alreaddie I spake), bot also sicc traiterouse         #
defensiue
armes as secrettis, pleatesleues & siclyke unseene armoure,
for besydes that the ueareris of thaim maye be praesupposid
to haue a secreit euill intention, thay uante baith the usis
that defensiue armoure is ordained for quhilk is to be
able to haulde out uiolence, & be thaire outuarde glauncing
in thaire ennemies eyes to strike a terroure in thaire hairtis,
<P 178>
quhair be the contraire thay can serue for nather, being not
onlie unable to resiste bot dangerouse for shottis, & geuing
na outuarde glaunce aganis the ennemie being onlie ordained
for betraying under truste, quhairof honeste men shoulde be
ashamed to beare the outuairde bagee not resembling the
thing thaye are not, & for ansoure against thir arguments I
knau nane but the aulde skottis facon, quhilke gif it be urang
is na maire to be alloued for ancientnes, nor the aulde messe
is, quhilke also oure forbearis used. the next thing that ye
haue to take heade to is, youre speiking & langage, quhairunto
I ioine youre gesture, sen action is ane of the cheifest        #
qualities
<P 179>
that is requyred in ane oratoure, for as the tounge speakis to
the eares sa dois the gesture speake to the eyes of the         #
auditoure,
in baith youre speiking & youre gesture then use a naturall
& plaine forme not fairdit uith artifice, for as the frenshe
men sayes, (\rien conterfaict fin\) , bot escheu all affectate  #
formis / 
in baith, in youre langage be plaine, honest naturall, cumlie,
clene, shorte & sententiouse escheuing baith the extremities
alsueill in not using a rusticall corrupt leid, nor yett booke
langage & penn & inkorne termes, & least of all mignarde &
aeffeminate termis, but lett the greatest pairt of youre        #
eloquence
<P 180>
consiste in a naturall, cleir, & sensibill forme of the         #
deliuerie
of youre mynde, beildit aye upon certaine & goode groundis
tempering it uith grauitie, quikenes, or mirrienes according
to the subiect & occasion of the tyme, not taunting in
theologie, nor alleadging scripture in drinking purposis, as
ouer many dois, use also the lyke forme in youre gesture,       #
nather
looking sillelie lyke a stupide pedante, nor unsetledlie uith   #
ane
unkouth morgue, lyke a neu come ouir caualier, but lett youre
behauioure be naturall, graue, & according to the facon of
youre cuntree, be not ouer spairing in youre courtesies, for
that uill be imputed to inciuilitie & arrogance, nor yett ouer
prodigall in iouking, or nodding at euerie steppe, for that
<P 181>
forme of being populaire becummis bettir aspiring absalons,
then laufull kings, framing euer youre gesture according to
youre present actions, looking grauelie & uith a maiestie quhen
ye sitt in iudgement, or giues audience to ambassadouris,
hamelie quhen ye are in priuate uith youre awin seruauntis,
merrilie quhen ye are at any pastyme or mirrie discourse, &
lett youre countenance smell of curage & magnanimitie
quhen ye are at the uarris, & remember I saye ouer againe to
be plaine & sensibill in youre langage, for besydis that it is
<P 182>
the toungis office to be the messinger of the mynde, it maye
be thocht a pointe of imbecillitie of spreit in a king to       #
speake
obscuirlie, mekle maire untreulie, as gif he stoode awe of any
in uttering his thochtis, except sum unhappie mutinie or
suddaine rebellion uaire bleasid up, then indeid it is a
laufull policie to beare uith that present fyrie confusion be
faire generall speichis (keiping you als farre as ye can fra    #
direct
promeisis,) quhill the fyre be quenshit & that confusid masse
separatid, & to doe otheruayes it uaire na magnanimitie bot
rashe tempting of god, remember also to putt a difference
<P 183>
betuixt youre forme of langage in reasoning & youre
pronouncing of sentences or declaratoure of youre uill in
iudgement or any other uayes in the pointis of youre office,
for in the former cace ye man reason pleasantlie & patientlie
not lyke a king bot lyke a priuate man & a skoller, otheruayes
youre impatiencie of contradiction uill be interpreted to be
for lake of reason on youre pairte, quhaire in the pointis of 
youre office ye soulde rypelie aduyse indeid before ye giue
furth youre sentence, bot fra it be geuin furth, the suffering
of any contradiction diminishes the maiestie of youre           #
autoritie 
& makis the processis endles, the lyke forme soulde also be
obseruid be all youre inferioure iudgis & magistratis. nou
as to youre uritting quhilke is nathing ellis bot a forme of
<P 184>
enregistrate speache use a plaine, shorte bot statelie style
baith in youre proclamations & missiues, especiallie to         #
forraine
princes, & gif youre engyne spurre you to uryte any
uorkes ather in uerse or prose, I can not bot allou you to
practise it bot take na langsum uorkis in hande for distracting
you from youre calling, flatter not youre self in youre         #
labouris,
bot before thaye be sett furth lett thaime first be preuilie
censured be sum of the best skilled men in that craft that in
these uorkis ye mell uith, & because youre urittis uill remaine
as treu pictouris of youre mynde to all posterities, lett
<P 185>
thaime be free of all uncomelines & unhonestie, & according
to horaces counsall (\de arte poetica nonum premantur in        #
annum\)
I meane baith youre uerse & youre prose, letting first that
furie, & heat, coole at laiser quhairuith thay uaire uritten
& then as ane unkouth iudge & censoure reuising thaime ouer
againe (\antequam ultimam adhibeas manum\) , gif ye uolde       #
uritte
uorthelie choose subiects uorthie of you that be not full of
uanitie but of uertu, escheuing obscuritie & delyting euer to
be plaine & sensibill, & gif ye uritte in uerse, remember that
<P 186>
it is not the principall pairt of a poeme to ryme richt, & flou
ueill uith monie prettie uordis, but the cheif comendation of
a poeme is that quhen the uerse sall be shaikin sindrie in      #
prose
it sall be founde sa riche of quike inuentions & poetike        #
flouris, as
it sall retaine the lustre of a poeme althoch in prose, & I     #
ualde
also aduyse you to uritte in youre awin langage for thaire
is nathing left to be said in graeke & latin allreaddie, & aneu
of poore skollairs ualde matche you in these langages, &
besydes that it best becumis a king to purifie & make famouse
his awin langage quhairin he maye ga before all his subiectis 
as it settis him ueill to doe in all laufull things. & amang    #
all
<P 187>
unnecessaire things that are laufull & expedient I thinke
exercises of the boddie maist commendable to be used be a
young prince, in sicc honest games or pastymes as maye
further habilitie & mainteine health, for albeit I graunt it
be maist requisite for a king to exercise his engyne (quhilke
suirlie uith ydilnes uill rouste & becum blunte) yet certainlie
bodilie exercises & ghames are uerrie comendable, als ueill
for banishing of ydilnes (the mother of all uyces) as for
making his boddie abill & durabill for trauell quhilke is       #
uerrie
<P 188>
necessaire for a king, but from this compte I debarre all
rumling uiolent exercises as the fitball meitter for laming
nor making able the useris thairof, as lykeuayes sicc tumbling
trikkis as onlie seruis for comoedians & gysairis to uinne      #
thaire
breade uith, but the exercises that I uolde haue you to use
(althoch but moderatlie not making a crafte of thaime) are
rinning, leaping, urestling, fensing, dansing, & playing at the
cache & the honorablest, & maist comendable ghames that
ye can use are ghames on horsebake, for it becumis a prince
best of any man to be a faire & goode horseman, use thairfore
to ryde & dantoune great & curagiouse horsis, that I maye
<P 189>
saye of you as philippe sayed of great alexander his sonne
[^GREEK^] , & use speciallie sicc ghames on horse-bake 
as maye teache you to handle youre airmis thairon sicc
as the tilte, the ring, & laiche ryding for handling of youre
suorde: I can not omitte heir the hunting speciallie uith
rinning houndis quhilke is the maist honorabill & noblest
sorte thairof, for it is a thifteouse forme of hunting to       #
shoote
uith gunnis & bowis, & greuhunde hunting is not sa martiall
nor noble a ghame, bot because I ualde be thocht a partiall
praiser of this sporte I remitte you to xenophon ane aulde
<P 190>
& famouse urittaire, quha hadd na mynde of flattering ather
me or you in this purpois, & quha also settis doune a faire
patrone for the education of a younge king under the supposed 
name of cirus: as for hauking I condemne it not, but
I man praise it maire spairinglie, because it nather ressembles
the uarris sa neir as hunting, dois, in making a man hardie
& skillfull riddin in all groundis & is maire uncertaine &
subiect to mischances, & (quhilke is uorst of all) is           #
thairethrou
ane extreame stirrer up of passions, but in using ather of thir
ghames obserue that moderation, as ye slippe not thairuith
the houris appointed for youre affaires, quhilke ye aucht euer
praeciselie for to keipe, remembring that these games are bot
<P 191>
ordained for you in enhabling you for youre office for the
quhilke ye are ordained: & as for sitting house pastymes,
quhairuith men be dryuing tyme spurris a free & fast aneuch
rinning horse (as the prouerbe is) althoch thay are not         #
profitable
for the exercise, ather of mynde or boddie, yett I can
not utterlie condamne thaime, sen thay maye quhyles suplee
the roume quhilke being toome ualde be patent to perniciouse
ydilteth, (\quia nihil potest esse uacuum\) , I uill not        #
thairfore
agree uith the curiositie of danaeus in his booke (\de lusu     #
alaee\)
<P 192>
& maist of the frenshe ministeris (althoch otheruayes suirlie
I reuerence thaime as notable & godlie men,) for thay are
deceaued thairin in founding thaire argument upon a mistaken
grounde, quhiche is that the playing at cairtes or dyce is a
kynde of casting of lotte & thairfore unlaufull, quhairin
thay deceaue thaime selfis, for the casting of lotte uas used
for tryall of the treuth in any obscure thing that otheruayes
coulde not be gottin cleired, & thairfore uas as a sorte of     #
prophesie,
quhaire be the contraire na man gangis to any of
thaise playes to cleire any obscure treuth, bot onlie to
gage sa mekill of his awin money as he pleisis upon the hazarde
<P 193>
of the rinning of the cairtes or dyce, alsueill as he ualde doe
upon the speid of a horse or a dogge or any siclyke gagoure, &
sa gif thay be unlaufull all gagoures upon uncertainties
must lykeuayes be condemned, not that heirby I take the
defence of uaine cairteris & dyceris that uaistis thaire moyen
& thaire tyme (quhairof few considderis the pretiousnes)
upon prodigall & contineuall playing, na I ualde rather allou
it to be dischairged quhaire sicc corruption can not be         #
escheuid,
bot onlie I can not condemne you at sum tymes, quhen ye
haue na other thing adoe (as a goode king uill be seeldome) &
are uearie of reading, or euill disposed in youre personne,     #
then
<P 194>
I saye maye ye laufullie playe at the cairtes or tables, for as
to dycing I thinke it becummis best deboshed soldatis to
playe at on the heade of thaire drummis (, being onlie
reulid be hazairde & subiect to knauishe cogging, & as for
the chesse I thinke it ouer fonde because it is ouer uyse, &
philosophike a folie, for quhaire all sicc licht playes are
ordained to free mennis headis for a tyme from the fashouse
thochtis on thaire affaires, it be the contraire fillis &       #
trubles
mennis headis uith als manie fashouse toyes of the playe,
as before it uas filled uith thochtis on his affaires: bot in 
youre playing I uolde euer haue you to keepe three reullis,     #
first
<P 195>
or ye play considder ye doe it onlie for youre recreation,
& resolue to hazairde the losse of all that ye playe, &
next for that cause playe na maire nor ye caire to caste among
paages, & last playe alluayes faire playe praeciselie, that ye
cum not in use of trikking, & lieing in mowis, otheruaies gif
ye can not keepe thir reulis my counsall is that ye sall        #
alluterlie
absteine from thaise playes, for nather a madde passion for
losse, nor falset used to gaine uith, can be callid any playe.
nou it is not onlie laufull bot necessaire that ye haue         #
cumpanie
meit for euerie thing ye take in hande, alsuell in youre
<P 196>
ghames & exercises, as in youre graue & earnist affaires, bot
learne to distingue tymes according to the occasion choosing
youre cumpanie accordinglie: conferre not uith hunteris at
youre counsall nor in counsall affaires, nor dispache not
affaires at hunting or other ghames, & haue the lyke respect
to the seasonis of youre aage, using youre sortis of recreation
& cumpanie thair fore agreeing thairunto, for it becummis
best (as kyndliest) euerie aage to smell of the auin qualitie,
(insolence/ & unlaufull things being alluayes escheuid,) & not
that a colte shall drau the pleuch, & ane aulde horse rinne
auaye uith the harrouis, bot take heade speciallie that youre
cumpanie for recreation be choosed of honest personnis not
<P 197>
defamed or uiciouse, mixing filthie talke uith mirrienes,       #
(\corrumpunt
bonos mores colloquia praua\) , bot speciallie absteine
from haunting before youre mariage the ydle cumpanie of
damis quhilke are nathing ellis bot (\alliciamenta ueneris\)
& abuse not youre self in making youre sporters youre           #
counsaillouris,
speciallie delyte not to keepe ordinairlie in youre
cumpanie comoedians or balladins, for the tirans delyted maist
in thaime & delyted to make comoedies & tragedies thaime
selfis, quhaire upon the ansuere that a philosophe gaue ane
of thame thairanents is nou cum in a prouerbe, (\reduc me in
<P 198>
latomias\) , & all the ruse that nero maid of him self quhen he
died uas, (\hodie moritur optimus tragoeda\) , as indeid his
haill lyfe uas all but ane tragoedie: delyte not also to be
in youre awin person a player upon instrumentis, especiallie
on sicc as commounlie men uinnis thaire liuing uith, nor
yett to be fyne of any mechanike crafte, du bartas sayes
(\leur esprit s'enfuit au bout des doigts\) , bot spaire not    #
quhyles
by mirrie cumpanie to free you from importunitie, (for ye
soulde be moued uith reason quhilke is the onlie qualitie
quhairby men differis from beastis, & not uith importunitie,)
for the quhilke cause as also for augmenting youre
maiestie ye shall not be sa facill of accesse geuing at all     #
tymes
<P 199>
as I haue bene, & yett not altogether retired or lokkit up
lyke the kings of persia, appointing also certaine houris for
publique audience, & sen my truste is that god hes ordained
you for ma kingdomes nor this as I haue oft allreaddie,
saide prease be the outuairde behauioure alsueill of youre
awin personne as of youre courte in all indifferent things to
allure peice & peice the rest of youre kingdomes to follou the
<P 200>
facons of that kingdome that ye finde maist ciuill, easiest to
be reuled & maist obedient to the lawis, for outuairde &        #
indifferent
things are euer the shaddouis & allurairis to uertu
or uyce, bot beuaire of thrauing or constraining thaime
thairto, letting it be brocht on uith tyme & at laiser,         #
speciallie
be mixing throuch allyae & daylie conuersation the men of
euerie kingdome uith another, as maye uith tyme make thaime
to grou & uall all in ane, quhilke maye easilie be done in this
yle of brittaine being all bot ane yle, & allreaddie ioined
in unitie of religion, & langage: & for conclusion of this my
haill treatise, remember my sonne be youre treu & constant
depending upon god to procure a blessing to all youre actions
in youre office, be youre outuairde using of youre office to
testifie the inuarde uprichtnes of youre hairte, & be youre
<P 201>
behauioure in all indifferent things to sett furth the treu
shaddou of youre uertuouse disposition, & in respect of the
greatnes & uecht of youre burthene, to be patient in hearing,
<P 202>
keeping youre hairt free from praeoccupation caulde in          #
deliberations,
rype in concluding, & constant in youre resolution, for
bettir it is to byde at youre resolution althoch thaire uaire
sum urong in [{i{]t then [{b{]e daylie [{c{]hainging [{t{]o     #
effectuate
nathing taking youre patrone thairof from the microcosme
of youre awin boddie, quhairin ye haue tua eyes, signifeing
great forsicht & prouidence uith a narrou looking in all
things, & also tua eares signifieing patient hearing &
that of baith the pairtees, bot ye haue bot ane toung for
pronouncing a plaine, sensible, & uniforme sentence, & but
<P 203>
ane heade & ane hairte for keiping a constant & uniforme
resolution according to youre aprehension, hauing tua handis
uith many fingers for quike execution, in emploieing all
instrumentis meit for effectuating youre deliberations, bot
forgette not to digeste euer youre passion before ye determine
upon any thing, sen (\ira furor breuis est\) , uttering onlie
youre anger according to the apostles reule, (\irascimini sed   #
ne
peccetis\) , taking pleasure not onlie to reuairde, bot aduance
the goode (quhilke is a cheif pointe of a kings glorie) bot
make nane ouergreate bot according as the pouer of the
<P 204>
cuntrey maye beare, & punishing the euill but euerie man
according to his awin offence, not punishing nor blaming the
father for the sonne, nor the brother for the brother, mekle
lesse generallie to haite a haill race, (\nam omnia delicta     #
sunt
personalia\) , & aboue all lett the measure of youre loue to    #
euerie
ane be according to the measure of his uertu, letting youre
fauoure be na longaire bounde to any then the contineuance
of his uertuouse disposition sall deserue, not admitting the
excuse upon iuste reuenge to procure ouer sicht to ane
iniurie, for the first iniurie is comitted againis the          #
pairtie, bot
the pairties reuenging thairof at his awin hande is a urong
comitted againes you in usurping youre office, quhomto onlie
<P 205>
the suorde belongis for reuenging of all the iniuries comitted
against any of youre people: thus hoaping in the goodenes
of god that youre naturall inclination sall haue a happie
simpathie uith these praeceptis, making the uyse mannis
skoolmaister (quhilke is the exemple of otheris) to be youre
teacher, according to that aulde uerse (\foelix quem faciunt
aliena pericula cautum\) , escheuing sa the ouer laite          #
repentance
by youre auin experience quhilke is the skoolemaister of
<P 206>
foollis, I uill for ende of all requyre you my sonne as euer
ye thinke to deserue my fatherlie blessing, to keepe            #
continuallie
before the eyes of youre mynde the greatnes of youre
chairge, making the faithfull & deu dischairge thairof the
principall butte ye shoote at in all youre actions, counting
it euer the principall & all youre other actions but as         #
accessories
to be emploied as midisis for the furthering of that
principall, & being content to lett others excell in other
things, lett it be youre cheifest earthlie glorie to excell in
<P 207>
youre awin crafte according to that uorthie sentence of that
sublime & heroicall poete uirgill quhairin also my dicton is
includit. 
[^LATIN VERSE OMITTED^]



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