EEBO page image 62 A notable and a rare example of Gods iust iudgement and seuere punishment, vpon all such as doo resist and rebell against the higher powers and his annointed: which is so greeuous an offense in his sight, that next to the capitall offenses against the first table, this is accounted the greatest and in the highest degree. For as it is written, Who resisteth against the higher power, resisteth against Gods ordinances, and he shall receiue iudgement. And the Lord shall root him from out of the face of the earth that shall blaspheme his gods, and curseth the prince of Rom. 13. the people. Euen as of the contrarie, when the people liue in all subiection, humblenesse, and obedience, the Lord defendeth and keepeth them, and with his manifold blessings prospereth them; as hir maiesties good subiects The prosperi|tie and quiet|nes in the English pale. dwelling within the English pale, and inhabiting within hir cities and townes can witnesse. They sow and till the land, and doo reape the fruits. Their fields are full of sheepe, and they are clothed with the wooll. Their pa|stures are full of cattell, and they inioie them. Their cities and townes are well inhabited, and they liue in safetie. All things go well with them, and peace and plentie resteth in their houses. Two notable examples (I saie) and woorthie to be throughlie obserued; the one of Gods iust iudgement against the rebels and traitors, and the o|ther of mercie and loue towards the obedient and dutifull subiect. Which examples the later they are, the more should they imprint in vs an inward affection and an vndoubted resolution, to yeeld to the superiours all dutie and obedience: and by the examples of the rebels, to shun as a pestilence all disobedience and rebellion; least in dooing the like, we doo receiue the like iust iudgements with them. Let therefore the examples of the elders be sufficient persuasions and instructions to the posteritie, to follow that which is good, and to eschew that which is euill. For albeit good counsell of our friends, and conferences with the good men, maie much preuaile with vs, yet none can so much preuaile nor be of such vertue and effect, as the examples of our ancestors, and the actions of our forefathers when they be laid before vs: Magis enim exemplis potest persuaderi, quàm argumentis extorqueri. Patric. de in [...] reip. And therfore in times past, the surest course which our forefathers tooke, either in ciuill gouernment or in marti|all affaires, was that which they drew from the examples of their ancestors before them. And for as much as such is the value and vertue of the footsteps of our forefathers, I trust it shall not be offensiue vnto you, that I doo a little digresse and speake somewhat of your selfe and of your ancestors; who the more honourable they were in their times, the greater cause haue you to looke into the same: that what in some of your later forefathers was con|sopited, maie not in you be consepulted, but rouzed and raised vnto his former and pristinat state. And for as much as I am somewhat acquainted in their descents, let me make bold with you to laie the same downe be|fore you.

There were sundrie of your ancestors by the name of Raleigh, who were of great account & nobilitie, and alied as well to the Courtneis earls of Deuon, as to other houses of great honour & nobilitie, & in sundrie succeeding The descent of the lord warden. descents were honoured with the degree of knighthood. One of them being your ancestor in the directest line, was named sir Iohn de Raleigh, who then dwelled in the house of Furdell in Deuon, an ancient house of your ancestors, and of their ancient inheritance: and which at these presents is in the possession of your eldest brother. This knight maried the daughter and heire to sir Roger D'amerei, or de Amerei, whome our English chronicles doo name lord de Amereie, who was a noble man and of great linage, and descended of the earls de Amereie in Britaine, and alied to the earls of Montfort in the same duchie and prouince. This man being come ouer into England, did serue in the court, and by the good pleasure of God and the good liking of the king he maried the ladie Elisabeth, the third sister and coheire to the noble Gilbert earle of Clare and of Glocester, who was slaine in the battell of Banokesborough in Scotland, in the time of king Edward the second. This earle died sans issue, he being the sonne and the said ladie Elisabeth the daughter to Gilbert de Clare earle of Glocester, by his wife the ladie Iane de Acres or Acon, daughter to king Edward the first. This Gilbert descended of Robert earle of Glocester, sonne to king Henrie the first, and of his wife the ladie Mawd, daughter and heire to Robert Fitzha|mon, lord of Astrouill in Normandie, coosen to the Conqueror, knight of the priuie chamber to king William Rufus, and lord of the lordship of Glamorgan in Wales. So that your ancestor sir Iohn de Raleigh married the daughter of de Amerie, Damereie of Clare, Clare of Edward the first, and which Clare by his father descended of king Henrie the first. And in like maner by your mother you maie be deriued out of the same house. These all were men of great honour and nobilitie, and whose vertues are highlie recorded sparsim in the chronicles of England; some greatlie commended for their wisedomes and deepe iudgements in matters of counsell, some likewise much praised for their prowesse & valiantnesse in martiall affaires, and manie of them honored for both.

But yet as nothing is permanent in this life, and all things variable vnder the sunne, and time hath deuoured and consumed the greatest men and the mightiest monarchs, and most noble commonwealths in the world, ac|cording to the old countrie saieng; Be the daie neuer so long, yet at length it will ring to euensong: so this hono|rable All things haue an end. race, though for so manie descents, and for the course of so manie yeares it continued in great honor, nobi|litie, and reputation, yet in processe of time the honour became to be of worship (neuerthelesse alied alwaies and matched in houses of great honour and nobilitie) and so euer since possessed by knights of your owne name, vntill by little and little the honour and estimation of your noble and worthie ancestors seemed at length to be buried in obliuion, and as it were extinguished and to be vtterlie forgotten as though it had neuer beene. And now when all was past anie hope and vnremembred to the world, it hath pleased God to raise the same euen as it were from the dead, and to looke vpon you the yoongest sonne of manie, as he did vpon Ioseph, one of the yoongest sonnes of Iacob; and in you hath left a hope to restore the decaied house of your sept and familie. He hath brought you into the good fauour of your prince, who hath pleased to reward and honour in you the approoued faithfull seruice of your late ancestors and kindered deceassed, and inclined hir princelie hart, conceiuing a great hope of your owne sufficiencie and abilitie to restore you againe, being the last branch remaining of so manie noble and famous houses descended. And whereof commeth this, that the Lord hath thus blessed you, and so bountifullie hath dealt with you? but onelie (as the wise man saith) Vt noscas in omni virtute omnibus prodesse, and that you should be beneficiall and profitable to all men. And therefore in all our actions, Semper aliquid ad communem v|tilitatem Cicero de offic. est afferendum: for we are not borne to our selues alone, but the prince, the countrie, the parents, freends, wiues, children and familie, euerie of them doo claime an interest in vs, and to euerie of them we must be benefi|ciall: otherwise we doo degenerate from that communitie and societie, which by such offices by vs is to be conser|ued, & doo become most vnprofitable: Nam inutilis prorsus est, qui nullam vtilitatem reipublicae ac communi socie|tati possit afferre, and euerie such man, as a member vnprofitable is to be cut off. And as the bee is no longer suf|fered Cicero. to haue a place in the hiue, than whiles he worketh; no more is that man to haue place in the publike weale than whiles he dooth some good therein, bicause through idlenesse they doo not onelie no good, but as Cato saith, Cato. Idlers ought not to haue place in the common|wealth. they doo euill: Nihil agendo homines male agere discunt. Idlenesse therefore the mother of all wickednesse, and idlers the sonnes of so bad a mother, are vtterlie to be exiled and expelled out of all well gouerned common|weales; and they onelie to be fostered, nourished and cherished, who as they are borne to the countrie, so if they doo good and be beneficiall to the same.