THE SECOND BOOK. 179 



(47) Concerning government, it is a part of knowledge secret 

 and retired in both these respects in which things are deemed 

 secret ; lor some things are secret because they are hard to 

 know, and some because they are not fit to utter. &quot;We see al] 

 governments are obscure and invisible : 



Totamque infusa per artus 

 Mens agitat molem, et magno se corpore miscet.&quot; 



Such is the description of governments. We see the govern 

 ment of God over the world is hidden, insomuch as it seemeth 

 to participate of much irregularity and confusion. The govern 

 ment of the soul in moving the body is inward and profound, 

 and the passages thereof hardly to be reduced to demonstration 

 Again, the wisdom of antiquity (the shadows whereof are in 

 the poets) in the description of torments and pains, next unto 

 the crime of rebellion, which was the giants offence, doth 

 detest the offence of futility, as in Sisyphus and Tantalus 

 jut this was meant of particulars : nevertheless even unto the 

 general rules and discourses of policy and government there is 

 due a reverent and reserved handling. 



(48) But contrariwise in the governors towards the governed 

 all things ought as far as the frailty of man permitteth to be 

 manifest and revealed. For so it is expressed in the Scriptures 

 touciiinr the s nvfimmpiTh r&amp;gt;f ri/-&amp;gt;rl v&amp;gt;o4- -4-v,;,, ~i,. u~ i_- i. ,-, 



^vx^v ..IMA ^TOO^OU.. j. ui u it is expressed i ^ 



touching the government of God, that this globe, which seemeth 

 to us a dark and shady body, is in the view of 

 M in conspectu sedis tanquam mare vitreum s 

 So unto princes and states, and specially towar 

 and councils, the natures and dispositions of te peope eir 

 jonditions and necessities, their factions and combinations 

 their animosities and discontents, ought to be, in regard of tha 



--._ _,, w.w,, uiicij. utubivnB aim comoinatioiLs 

 :ir animosities and discontents, ought to be, in regard of tha 

 lety of their intelligences, the wisdom of their observations 

 J the height of their station where they keep sentinel in 

 great part clear and transparent. Wherefore, considering that 

 1 write to a king that is a master of this science, and is so well 

 assisted I think it decent to pass over this part in silence as 

 willing to obtain the certificate which one of the ancient philo 

 sophers aspired unto ; who being silent, when others contended 

 to make demonstration of their abilities by speech, desfred it 

 might be certified for his part, &quot;That there was one that knew 

 how to hold his peace. &quot; 



(49) Notwithstanding, for the more public part of govern- 

 wS ^f fT^ * th i n \good to note onlyLe defidency ; 

 which is, that aU those which have written of laws have written 

 either as phi osophers or as lawyers, and none as statesmen 

 As for t lie philosophers, they make imaginary laws for imatSary 



