well; The Cord breaketh at the last by the weakest pull.

The Caufes and Motions of Seditions are, Innovation in Religion, Taxes, Alteration of Laws and Cuftoms, Breaking of Priviledges, General Oppreffion, Advancement of unworthy Perfons, Strangers, Dearths, Disbanded Soldiers, Factions grown deSperate. And whatsoever in offending People, joyneth and knitteth them in a Common Cause. For the Remedies; there may be fome general Preservatives whereof we will speak; as for the juft Cure, it must answer to the particular Difeafe, and fo be left to Counsel rather than Rule.

The firft Remedy or Prevention is, to remove by all means poffible that Material Caufe of Sedition, whereof we fpeak; which is Want and Poverty in the Estate. To which purpose serveth the Opening and well Ballancing of Trade, the Cherishing of Manufactures, the Banishing of Idlenefs, the Repreffing of Wafte and Excefs by Sumptuary Laws, the Improvement and Hufbanding of the Soyl, the Regulating of Prices of Things vendible, the Moderating of Taxes and Tributes, and the like. Generally it is to be forefcen, that the Population of a Kingdom (especially if it be not mowen down by Wars) do not exceed the Stock of the Kingdom, which fhould maintain them. Neither is the Population to be reckoned only by number; for a fmaller number that spend more, and earn lefs, do wear out an Eftate fooner than a greater number that E 2

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live lower, and gather more. Therefore the multiplying of Nobility, and other Degrees of Quality, in an over Proportion to the Common People, doth speedily bring a State to Neceffity: and fo doth likewife an overgrown Clergy, for they bring nothing to the Stock. And in like manner, when more are bred Scholars than Preferments can take off.

It is likewife to be remembred, that forasmuch as the increase of any Eftate muft be upon the Foreigners; (for whatsoever is somewhere gotten, is fomewhere loft). There be but three things which one Nation felleth unto another; the Commodity as Nature yieldeth it; the ManuVecture facture and the Vture or Carriage: So that if thefe three Wheels go, Wealth will flow as in a Spring-tide. And it cometh many times to pafs, that Materiam fuperabit Opus; that the Work and Carriage is more worth than the Materials, and inricheth a State more: as is notably feen in the Low Country-men, who have the best Mines above ground in the World.

Above all things good Policy is to be used, that the Treasure and Moneys in a State be not gathered into few Hands. For otherwife a State may have a great Stock, and yet starve. And Money is like Muck, not good except it be fpread. This is done cheifly by fuppreffing, or at the leaft keeping a ftraight Hand upon the Devouring Trades of Vfury, Ingroffing, great Pasturages, and the like.

For

For removing Discontentments, or at least the danger of them, there is in every State (as we know) two portions of Subjects, the Nobless and the Commonalty. When one of thefe is Difcontent, the danger is not great; for common people are of flow motion, if they be not excited by the greater fort; and the greater fort are of small ftrength, except the multitude be apt and ready to move of themselves. Then this is the danger, when the greater fort do but wait for the troubling of the Waters amongst the meaner, that then they may declare themselves. The Poets feign, that the reft of the Gods would have bound Jupiter; which he hearing of, by the Counsel of Pallas, fent for Briareus with his hundred hands, to come in to his aid. An Emblem no doubt, to thew how fafe it is for Monarchs to make fure of the good will of common people.

To give moderate liberty for Griefs and Difcontentments to evaporate (fo it be without too great Infolency or bravery) is a fafe way. For he that turneth the Humours back, and maketh the Wound bleed inwards, endangereth malign Ulcers, and pernitious Impoftumations.

The part of Epimetheus might well become Prometheus in the cafe of Difcontentments; for there is not a better provifion against them. Epimetheus, when griefs and evils flew abroad, at laft fhut the Lid, and kept Hope in the bottom of the Veffel. Certainly the politick and artificial nourishing and entertaining of Hopes, and carrying

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carrying men from Hopes to Hopes, is one of the belt Antidotes against the Poyfon of Difcontentments. And it is a certain fign of a wife Government and Proceeding, when it can hold mens hearts by Hopes, when it cannot by Satisfaction; and when it can handle things in fuch manner, as no evil fhall appear fo peremptory, but that it hath fome out-let of Hope: which is the less hard to do, because both particular Perfons and Factions are apt enough to flatter themselves, or at least to brave that which they believe not.

Alfo the fore-fight and prevention, that there be no likely or fit Head, whereunto Difcentented Perfons may refort, and under whom they may joyn, is a known, but an excellent point of caution. I understand a fit Head to be one that hath Greatnefs and Reputation, that hath Confidence with the Discontented Party, and upon whom they turn their eyes; and that is thought Difcontented in his own particular; which kind of Perfons are either to be won, and reconciled to the State, and that in a faft and true manner; or to be fronted with fome other of the fame Party that may oppose them, and fo divide the Reputation. Generally the dividing and brea king of all Factions and Combinations that are adverfe to the State, and fetting them at diflance, or at leaft diftruft among themselves, is not one of the worft Remedies. For it is a defperate cafe, if thofe that hold with the proceeding of the State, be full of Discord and Faction, and those that are against it, be Entire and United.

I have noted, that fome witty and sharp Specches, which have fallen from Princes, have given fire to Seditions. Cæfar did himself infinite hurt in that Speech, Sylla nefcivit literas, non potuit dictare: for it did utterly cut off that Hope which men had entertained, that he would at one time or other give over his Dictatorship. Galba undid himself by that Speech, Legi à se militem, non emi, for it put the Soldiers out of Hope of the Donative. Probus likewife by that fpeech, Sivixero, non opus erit amplius Romano Imperio militibus: A Speech of great despair for the Soldiers: And many the like. Surely Princes had need, in tender matters, and ticklish times, to beware what they fay; efpecially in these short Speeches, which fly abroad like Darts, and are thought to be hot out of their fecret Intentions. For as for large Discourses, they are flat things, and not fo much noted.

Laftly, Let Princes against all Events not be without fome great Perfon, one, or rather more, of Military Valour near unto them, for the repreffing of Seditions in their beginnings. For without that, there ufeth to be more trepidation in Court, upon the firft breaking out of Troubles, than were fit. And the State runneth the danger of that, which Tacitus faith; Atque is habitus animorum fuit, ut peffimum facinus auderent panci, plures vellent, omnes paterentur. But let fuch Military Perfons be affured, and well reputed of, rather than Factious and Popular, holding alfo good correfpondence with the other E 4

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