Hall-Paradox I – 1650

Paradox I – 1650

100

105

110

115

120

125

130

135

140

145

150

155

160

165

170

175

180

185

190

195

200

205

210

215

220

225

230

235

240

245

250

255

260

265

270

275

280

285

290

295

300

305

310

315

320

325

330

335

340

345

350

355

360

365

370

375

380

385

390

395

400

405

410

415

420

425

430

435

440

445

450

455

460

465

470

475

480

485

490

495

500

505

510

515

520

525

530

535

Paradoxes.

PAR. I.

That anabſolute Tyranny

is the beſt Government.

S Ince that power

is the very life

and eſſence of

everyGovern-

ment , and thoſe Go-

vernments are the moſt

perfect, that have the

moſt power , and that

that power is moſt in

tenſe, which reſides in

one, and more weak and

faint which is diſperſed

among a many , ſince

that all people hate to

be Governed by their

equalls, and therefore

choſe to put themſelves

under anUmpire,it muſt

needs follow,that,Lord–

ly or abſolute Monarchy

is the beſt and moſt

naturalGovernment.For

if all Governments , if

they doe not at firſt be-

gin with Monarchy,yet

in proceſſe of time they

grow up fromrepublciks

into Monarchies as into

more perfect eſtates ,

and all Monarchies turn

intoTyrannies,after ave-

ry little time, why may

we not inferre that all

other Governments are

imperfect ſpecies till

they beconſummated and

made Tyrannicall.

If we conceive that

moſt correſpondent to

the law of nature ,

which moſt Nations do

agree in ( though in o-

ther things they diſ-

ſcent) and that we ſee

upon all the Globe very

few and little Republicks,

but many and vaſt King-

domes, we may deduce

from thence, that moſt

people, do deſire to be

under the ſway of one,

who if he be not in^dued

with a ſupreame and un–

limited Power, is rather

their ſervant then their

Prince, and it is but re

diculous to thinke that

ſo great a part of man-

kind, would be content

to obey their ſlaves.

Nor doth it proceed

from cowardize : for we

ſee the old and modern

Perſians , the ſtouteſt

Septentrionall Nations,

the Turks,Scithians,and

Muſcovites at this day,

pride themselves ſo

much in this Govern-

ment, that they adore

their Emperors as gods;

Nor doth it proceed

from Stupidity, for the

wiſest and politeſt Na-

tions have imbraced it,

and though ſome politi-

tians have termed it but

the privalian or diſeaſe

of Government , by

many more, have ac-

counted it the onely beſt

way of rule, and that

from the courſe and or-

der of nature, which in

every kind formes a Su–

premacy , as the Eagle

among Birds, the Lyon

among Beaſts, the Vine

among the tables, and

the Rubye among ſtones.

Nay , and Divines of

all ſorts except ſome

J^eſuites and Indepen-

dants)unanimouſly con=

clude, that all Govern-

m^ent must bee obeyed

without reſiſtance ;

Now they aſſume, that

Royalty is the only go-

vernment that God

hath ordained, and is

pleaſed with ( Kings be-

ing ectypes of him and

bearing his name ) and

therefore they ought to

be obeyed without reſiſt–

ance , and none ought

to lift their hands againſt

them. Now if none

ought to bee the leaſt

diſobedient, and that

Rebellion is as the sin of

witchcraft,they inveſt an

a^bſolute power inthem

who they ſay are not to

be controled,for if they

might be controled, it

ſhould be for the impo-

ſition of ſome unjuſt cō=

mands,which ifSubj^ects

might actually diſobey

& cal to account,all the

world would b^ee filled

with confusion and Re–

bellion. But ſay they,

Kings are onely anſwera–

ble to God whoſe Vice

gerents they are , an^d

not ſubordinate to any

humaine power , and

above all law, which

evinc’d , whatſoever

they doe is lawfull and

not examinable.

Beſides , what more

contrary to the eaſe and

order of the people,then

the multiplicity of Laws, li-

tigious interpretations of

them, and obſtreperous

Lawyers? but all this

is cut off , and ſaved,

when the fountaine of

Law is in one breaſt, and

the people may preſent-

ly know the reſolution

and interpretation from

one that cannot doe

wrong. For all Law be-

ing in the King, and hee

by maxime not capable

of doing any wrong,

whatever he doth muſt

be juſt and right ; and

what greater happineſſe

to a people,then grant-

ing them speedy juſtice.

The proportion of ev^e–

ry mans ſpirit may bee

meaſured by his wi–

shes : Now the greateſt

ſoules aime at nothing

ſo much as at rule , and

at no rule in compari-

ſon of that over men.

Now ifVertue and excel–

lent endowments, cannot

be truly rewarded with

any thing that is evil^l;

and Nature never tea-

ches any man uſelesse in–

clinations ; it muſt fol-

low that ſuperiority

ſeems to bee ſet as a

whetſton and reward of

Vertue. And what ſoul

would not diſdaine to

governe , where hee is

pounded up with ſervile

reſtrictions, and limited

by thoſe who were

borne to obey him.

Caeſar choſe rather to be

the firſt of a Village,then

the ſecond in Rome; and

would not hee , thinke

we , chooſe rather to

have been Duke of one

ſtreet of Florence, then a

^idiculou^s Pageant to

^{all th}e Dominion of

Venice?

Now for the happi–

neſſe of a State , what

better way to it then

peace , and what better

way of preſervation of

peace, then by having

continually ready ar-

med force , which may

quel every inſurr^ection,

and ſtifle it in the birth,

and yet ſ^erve for out-

ward magnificence and

attendance upon the

Prince ? what better

plentation of wealth,

then to have a Court

entertained with all de-

lights , and glittering in

all the ^ſpoyles both of

the Sea and Mines , and

as it were triumphing in

all the productions and

curioſities of Art ? and

yet this without Prin-

ces Courts is vainely

expected.

Rome had never known

Nero’s goldenhouſe, had

it not beene for Nero;

nor the great Arch,

had Trajan never lived;

nor had Spaine ever

dreamt of an Epicuriall,if

he had wanted a Philip.

And yet things are a-

mong their chiefeſt and

laſting glories. Beſides

what better way to

keepe a Kingdome quiet

then by employing the

poorer ſort of people,

upon ſuch workes as

the Prince ſhall either

fancy or delight in ?

Thus we ſee the Pyra–

mids at this day remai-

ning , the fame of the

place whereon they

ſtand. And we read of

the Horti penſiles of Ba–

bilon,&c. none of which

had ev^er beene done or

knowne , had not the

care and noble wiſdome

of the King employed

the people that way,

who else might have

ſunke into Luxury , or

ſnorted themſelves into

implacable enmities.

Beſides , all the wiſ–

dome of the Politicians

could never ſhape out

but three kindes of Go-

vernment , Democracie,

which is nothing but

dregs and confuſion , and

anaudaciouslicence to do

every thing;& indeed an

interſtice of government,

rather then government.

Ariſtocracy, when onely

the nobles have thereign

in their hands,and are ſo

apt to burſt into factions,

that it could not thrive

nor prosper any where.

Aristotle indeed in his

Politicks mentions ſome

f^ew o^bſcure one^s,and we

know but one extant at

this day. And Monarchy

which is the onlyperfect

ſyſtem of government,

whichindeed includesop–

timacy within it ſelf; for a

Prince muſt have Coun-

ſellours , who if they

were Guardians to him,

and might impoſe their

advice , what a repug–

nant , inconsistent , con–

trary thing were a Mo-

narch to himselfe. But

if the last judgement

of every thing be to be

left to him, and no man

can ſo abſolutely rule

his underſtanding , but

that it must bee

ſomewhat ſway’d and

byaſs’d by his will ,

it will follow, that it is

neceſſary to the very

eſſence of a Prince, to

have his own wil free &

uncontrolable , and then

what a poore thing

is a Prince, if he be not

obeyed.

Besides, ſince all par-

ticulars do aſcend and

diſſolve into univerſals,

there muſt among ſo

many private fathers,be

one publicke Father, to

be the great Archetype

of all the reſt. And if

private fathers have

ſuch intire authority o-

ver their ſonnes ; (Nay

which the Romans and

ſome wiſe Nations had

power of life and death

over their children ) it

is but equitable , that

publicke Fathers should

have Analogicall autho-

rity over those who

ſtand bound to them in

that relation.

You will ſay , they

may be vicious perſons.

But their vices are only

as private men, and can-

not render them in their

publick capacity either

leſſe just or leſſe skilfull.

Beſides they ſtand open

to the eyes and envy of

all men , and ſo every

little ſlip of theirs may

be obſerv’d and blaz’d,

which if they had beene

private persons , had

been as obſcure as Mid–

night. Or put the caſe

their vices be high and

big, they ſeldome want

ſuperiour vertues to

cloud and shadow them.

For every thing being in

great and high ſoules,ex–

ceſsive , it is impoſſible

for them to keep a me–

diocrity in their vices,

which are commonly

illuſtriouſly great , and

rather matter of obſer–

vation , then hate or

ſcorne : for theGrandeza

andGayety of them , ex-

empts them from thoſe

poore ridiculous conſe-

quences which fall on

the ſlips of more meane

and ſordid natures.

And you will ſay,

they may be ravenous :

great fires must have

great ſtore of fewell;

great magnificences that

cannot ſtoop to thrift,

must ſtray to gaine, and

who ſhould better

ſupply the head with

ſpirits , then the lower

parts of the ſame body?

Beſides the publicke

loſſe is nothing all this

while, for it is in the

ſame Country , onely

gathered into one hand,

and gloriouſly ſpent ,

whereas otherwiſe it

might have been inſen-

ſiblymiſledaway in ama–

ny,& Princes what they

draw up from their Sub-

jects in Vapours , they

returne down to them in

ſhowersandinrichandfat–

ten the places where e^–

ver they reſide.

And in caſe they

ſometimes fall heavy on

private perſons, ’tis but

exerciſing that ſeverity

which the law provide^s

againſt vice, and then

tis worke of excellent

juſtice,Or if happily the

parties be innocent and

blameleſſe, weſhouldac-

count him but a badCi-

tizen that would not re-

deem a publick Burden,

with his own privat ſuf-

ferings,&cheerfully re-

the Commonwealth ,

ſhould either gaine or

ſave ſo much by it:

But then you may ob-

ject, they are Usurpers ,

no man envies reward

to danger , and what

greater danger , then

for a man with all his

relations and intereſts, to

encounter a preſent

power , which if they

overthrow, ’tis fit they

ſhould injoy the fruits

of it. And then com-

ming by this meanes, in-

gages them to a great

warineſſe , and to ma-

ny flatteries and obligati–

ons of the people,which

otherwiſe they would

have neglected. And

they must alſo walke

providently, leaſt they

leave holes for others to

creep in at upon them,

as they did upon their

Predeceſſors, Withall

it hath beene knowne

that a many Princes

haveſweetnedand diſgui–

ſed the memory of their

acceſſe to Government,

by making many excel-

lent lawes and proviſions

in their ſeverall Domi-

nions, which heredita–

ry and succeßive Princes

( confident of their titles

and ſtrengthened by the

ſtock of their Ancestors

reputation ) either omit,

to doe the contrary.

You will ſay further,

that the rayes of theſe

ſunnes will but quicken

bad humours, and be-

get abundance of In–

ſecta’s and Monſters, and

among all Monſters

none ſo eminently evill

as Flatterers and favo–

rites. But I pray you

will you not give peo-

ple that do great things

leave to injoy the poor–

eſt reward, the relation

and report of them? Or

in caſe they did nothing

memorable, would you

not allow them that

groane under the burden

of publicke affaires, ſo

ſmall a diverſion and en-

tertainment as flattery?

which indeed ſoberly

conſidered, is ſo neceſ–

ſary to allay the miſe-

ries of lⁱfe,that the moſt

unfortunate men, whey

they want others to do

it to them, do it for

themſelves,andpleaſantly

chaſe away all ugly

thoughts and Idea’s by

their happie feeding

themſelves with a few

lovely dreames.

For Favorites , will

you deny them the pri-

viledge of private per-

ſons , to make choice

of their own Privadoes ?

or if you ſuffer them to

make choice, will you

ſtrangle their friend-

ſhips, denying a mutu–

all interchange,and cor-

reſpondence of Courte-

ſies ? Or will you bee

ſo injurious to good

parts, as where you ſee

them any where bright–

ly breake forth deny to

entertaine them ? And

what more powerfull

provocation of vertue

then the aim and deſign

of the particular affe–

ctionsandendearments of

a Prince , which ſel-

dome pith in any body

wherein they doe not

finde ſomewhat like

themſelves, that is, di–

vine.

In a word, ſince the

very Heathens could ſee

that royalty ſtreamed

forth immediately from

Jove himſelfe, and that

royalty is but a dull lan–

guid thing if it be clog-

ged with the least re–

striction : That Monar–

chy which enjoies the

moſt perfect Liberty is,

the moſt majeſticke and

excellent, and is cloathed

with the greateſt abun-

dance of Names and At–

tributes. And ſince Du–

ality is the very Damne

of Diviſion , and the

utter destroyer of all

Prerogative, it is but

juſt that al Soveraignty

reſide in one. And even

thoſe Philosophers ,

which ſtand moſt ſtoutly

for the infinity of worlds

doe alſo conſent and ac–

knowledge that there is

but one God.

3||A2<r>

faint

4||A2<v>

5||A3<r>

who

6||<A3v>

Nor

7||A4<r>

all

8||<A4v>

Re–

9||A5<r>

evinc’d

10||<A5v>

11||<A6r>

cli–

12||<A6v>

Now

13||<A7r>

14||<A7v>

poorer

15||<A8r>

Be-

16||<A8v>

know

17||<A9r>

ſome-

18||<A9v>

ver

19||<A10r>

all

20||<A10v>

ſcorne :

21||<A11r>

while,

22||<A11v>

’tis

23||<A12r>

en-

24||<A12v>

have

25||B<1r>

none

26||<B1v>

then

27||B2<r>

ſo

28||<B2v>

Jove

29||B3<r>

for

30||<B3v>