rights both of Sovereigns and Subjects, fo that profound knowledge you have discover'd of the fcriptures and the fathers, as well as of the laws of the realm, when those rights have call'd for your defence, demonftrate that you have the abilities both of a lawyer and a divine. Father PAUL too made fuch a noble ftand under both thofe characters, for the liberties of his country, that his memory must needs be grateful to your Lordship upon that particular account, as well as for his vaft learning, wisdom, integrity, and moderation; virtues which are fo refplendent in your Lordship, that they cannot but naturally incline you to have a more than ordinary efteem for all perfons adorn'd with thofe amiable qualities.

My LORD, I beg pardon for taking up fo much of your time; but

the

the entrance of the new year puts me in mind that I am oblig'd by duty, as I am sway'd by inclination, not to conclude without wishing you the happy enjoyment of this and many more to come. Whether fuch a wifh in itfelf may be agreeable to your Lordfhip I know not; but if it be a fault, 'tis what every one is guilty of who wifhes well to his country. And of this number I take leave to fubfcribe my felf,

THE

PREFACE

HE book, which is here prefented to the reader, was first published this year at the Hague, by M. Scheurleer, both in the Italian and French languages, and by him dedicated to M. MAURICE LE LEU DE WILHEM, lord of Waelwyck, eldest prefident of the fovereign Council, and of the feodal court of Brabant, at the Hague; a perfonage of an illuftrious family, of an established character for his knowledge and love of the Belles Lettres, and of undoubted probity and candour.

Thefe reafons, added to the fingular veneration which both this gentleman, and his honourable father always paid to the memory of FATHER PAUL and his writings, were what principally determi ned the bookseller to make choice of fo eminent a name to patronize, and protect his book, against the clamour that might naturally be expected from the Romish clergy, on feeing a book of this kind,

compofed

composed by one of the greatest men of their communion, first published 100 years after the author's death, in a country which paffes with the court of Rome for a land of herely.

In order to remove all manner of doubts of the book's being authentic, M. Scheurleer the bookfeller obferves, that his learned patron was fo thoroughly acquainted with the FATHER's ftile, and way of writing, that he could not poffibly be impofed upon in this refpect; and his French tranflator fatisfies the world how he came by the original Italian manuscript, from which he printed it, and why it faw the light no fooner.

To take off the reader's wonder why a manufcript of fuch importance to all the fevereigns in christendom was fuffer'd to le fo long dormant, the tranflator obferves, that it was the author's own defire it should be confined to the archives of Venice, for the fole and proper use of the government under which he was born, whenever they should have occafion, as they had then, to withstand the ufurpations and incroachments of the neighbouring court of Rome. And in confirmation of this, he takes notice of the Father's own words (page 3) where he says: I muft own however, that as much as I defire to comfort all ranks alike, yet I don't think it proper that every thing I have to fay on this head fhould be published, because the prince and the fubject cannot help thinking differently on affairs of this kind For this reafon I could wish that these few advices might be fet apart,

like a prince's private treasury, for their fervice only who are at the head of affairs. Your lordships can make a proper use and improvement of them in due time and place; but the common people, like a man's taking phyfic in a fit of the ague, would weaken their conftitution instead of mending it.

The most illuftrious lords inquifitors of the state of Venice, to whom Father Paul dedicated this work in 1606, thought his request fo just, and his arguments for it fo rational, that they made no fcruple to comply with it, and were content to fight with his weapons against all attacks that were made upon their Rights of Sovereignty, without letting either their friends or enemies know from what armory they took them.

The French tranflator proceeds in the next place to give some account how M. Scheurleer came to be mafter of fuch a fecret and valuable copy. He does not make fo full a difcovery as fome perhaps would expect, for fear, among other reafons, of offending and prejudicing certain perfons, to whom he owns himself obliged for it. Therefore he hopes he need fay no more, than that a certain (nameless) Gentleman brought the copy of the Father's manufcript from Venice, and put it into the bookfeller's hands, and that the original still remains entire in the fenate's library, to be confulted by those that may happen to have any doubts concerning the genuineness of the copy. However, there are thefe farther circumstances, for the fatisfaction of fuch as are not acquainted

a 2

with