ADVICE TO SIR GEORGE VILLIERS. 413 



prudent in governing, powerful in their elocution to 

 persuade and satisfy both the parties and hearers ; 

 just in their judgment; and, to sum up all, they 

 must have these three attributes ; they must be men 

 of courage, fearing God, and hating covetousness ; 

 an ignorant man cannot, a coward dares not be a 

 good judge. 



4. By no means be you persuaded to interpose 

 yourself, either by word or letter, in any cause de 

 pending, or like to be depending in any court of jus 

 tice, nor suffer any other great man to do it where 

 you can hinder it, and by all means dissuade the 

 king himself from it, upon the importunity of any for 

 themselves or their friends : if it should prevail, it 

 perverts justice; but if the judge be so just, and of 

 such courage, as he ought to be, as not to be inclined 

 thereby, yet it always leaves a taint of suspicion be 

 hind it ; judges must be as chaste as Caesar s wife, 

 neither to be, nor to be suspected to be unjust ; and, 

 Sir, the honour of the judges in their judicature is 

 the king s honour, whose person they represent. 



5. There is great use of the service of the judges 

 in their circuits, which are twice in the year held 

 throughout the kingdom : the trial of causes between 

 party and party, or delivering of the gaols in the 

 several counties, are of great use for the expe 

 dition of justice; yet they are of much more use 

 for the government of the counties through which 

 they pass, if that were well thought upon. 



6. For if they had instructions to that purpose, 

 they might be the best intelligencers to the king of 



