a offer to our late sovereign king james OF a digest to be make of the law of  England TO the king OF a digest to be make of the law of England most  excellent sovereign among the degree and act of sovereign or rather heroical  honour the first or second be the person and merit of a Lam-giver prince that  govern well be father of the people but if a father breed his son well or  allow he well while he life but leave he nothing at his death whereby both he  and his child and his child child may be the better sure the care and piety of  a father be not in he complete so king if they make a portion of a age happy  by their good government yet if they do not make testament as God almighty do  whereby a perpetuity of good may descend to their country they be but mortal  and transitory benefactor Domitian a few day before he die dream that a golden  head do rise upon the nape of his neck which be true perform in the golden age  that follow his time for five succession but king by give their subject good  law may if they will in their own time join and graft this golden head upon  their own neck after their death nay they may make Nabuchadonozors image of  Monarchy golden from head to foot and if any of the mean sort of politic that  be sight only to see the worst of thing think that law be but cobweb and that  good prince will do well without they and bid will not stand much upon they  the discourse be neither good nor wise for certain it be that good law be some  bridle to bid prince and as a very wall about government and if tyrant  sometime make a breach into they yet they mollify even tyranny it self as  solon law do the tyranny of Pisistratus and then common they get up again upon  the first advantage of better time other mean to perpetuate the memory and  merit of sovereign prince be inferior to this building of temple tomb palace  theater and the like be honourable thing and look big upon posterity but  Constantine the great give the name well to those work when he use to call  Trajan that be a great builder parietaria wall flower because his name be upon  so many wall so if that be the matter that a king will turn wall flower or  Fellitory of the wall with cost he may adrian's vein be better for his mind be  to wrestle a fall with time and be a great Progressour through all the Roman  empire when ever he find any decay of bridge or high way or cut of river and  sewer or wall or bank or the like he give substantial order for their repair  with the better he give also multitude of charter and liberty for the comfort  of corporation and company in decay so that his bounty do strive with the ruin  of time but yet this though it be a excellent disposition go but in effect to  the case and shell of a common wealth it be nothing to virtue or vice a bid  man may indifferent take the benefit and ease of his way and bridge as well as  a good and bid people may purchase good charter sure the better work of  perpetuity in prince be those that wash the inside of the cup such as be  foundation of college and lecture for learning and education of youth likewise  foundation and institution of order and fraternity for nobleness enterprise  and obedience and the like but yet these also be but like plantation of  orchard and garden in plot and spot of ground here and there they do not till  over the whole kingdom and make it fruitful as do the establish of good law  and ordinance which make a whole nation to be as a well order college or  foundation this kind of work in the memory of time be rare enough to show it  excellent and yet not so rare as to make it suspect for impossible  inconvenient or unsafe Moses that give law to the Hebrew because he be the  scribe of God himself be fit to be nam for honour sake to other lawgiver than  to be number or rank among they Minos Lycurgus and solon be example for theme  of grammar scholar for ancient personage and character now adais use to wax  child again though that parable of Pindar be true the best thing be water for  common and trivial thing be many time the best and rather despise upon pride  because they be vulgar than upon Cause or use certain it be that the law of  those three lawgiver have great prerogative the first of fame because they be  the pattern among the grease the second of last for they continue long without  alteration the three of a spirit of reviver to be often oppress and often  restore among the seven king of Rome four be lawgiver for it be most true that  a discourser of Italy say there be never state so well swaddle in the infancy  as the Roman be by the virtue of their first king which be a principal Cause  of the wonder growth of that state in after time the decemvir law be law upon  law not the original for they graft law of grease upon Roman stock of law and  custom but such be their success as the twelve table which they compile be the  main body of the law which frame and wield the great body of that estate these  last a long time with some Supplementals and the Praetorian edict in Albo  which be in respect of law as write table in respect of brass the one to be  put in and out as the other be permanent Lucius Cornelius Sulla reform the law  of Rome for that man have three singularity which never tyrant have but he  that he be a lawgiver that he take part with the nobility and that he turn  private man not upon fear but upon confidence Caesar long after desire to  imitate he only in the first for otherwise he rely upon new man and for resign  his power Seneca describe he right Caesar sword to cause to go to put together  never to put down Caesar soon sheathe his sword but never put it off and  himself take it upon he say in scorn of Sulla resignation Sulla not to know  litter to dictate non to be able Sulla know no letter he can not dictate but  for the part of a lawgiver Cicero give he the attribute Caesar si ab eastern  to seek quid to put in motion in toga law see to answer many men  very bright  to bear if you have ask Caesar what he do in the gown he will have answer that  he make many excellent law his nephew Augustus do tread the same step but with  deep print because of his long reign in peace whereof one of the poet of his  time say pace data terris mind and citizens to turn Jura suum leges{que  to bear legitimate author from that time there be such a race of wit and  authority between the commentary and decision of the lawyer and the edict of  the emperor as both law and lawyer be out of breath whereupon Justinian in the  end recompiled both and make a body of law such as may be wield which himself  call glorious and yet not above truth the edifice or structure of a sacred  temple of justice build indeed out of the former ruin of book as material and  some novel constitution of his own in Athens they have a member of a board as  Aeschincs observe which be stand commissioner who do watch to discern what law  wax unproper for the time and what new law do in any branch cross a former law  and so ex duty propound their repeal king Edgar collect the law of this  kingdom and give they the strength of a faggot bind which former be disperse  which be more glory to he then his sail about this island with a potent fleet  for that be as the scripture say way ship in mari the way of a ship in the sea  it vanish but this last Alphonso the wise the nine of that name king of  Castille compile the digest of the law of Spain entitle the siete Partidas a  excellent work which he finish in seven year and as Tacitus note well that the  capitol though build in the beginning of Rome yet be fit for the great  Monarchy that come after so that building of law suffice the greatness of the  empire of Spain which since have ensue Lewis the eleven have it in his mind  though he perform it not to have make one constant law of France extract out  of the civil Roman law and the custom of province which be various and the  king edict which with the French be statute sure he may have do well if like  as he bring the crown as he say himself from page so he have bring his people  from lackey not to run up and down for their law to the civil law and the  ordinance and the custom and the discretion of court and discourse of  philosopher as they use to do king Henry the eight in the twenty seven year of  his reign be authorize by parliament to nominate commissioner part  ecclesiastical and part temporal to purge the canon law and to make it  agreeable to the law of God and the law of the land but it take not effect for  the act of that king be common rather proffer and fame than either well ground  or well pursue but I doubt I err in produce so many example for as Cicero say  to Caesar so may I say to your majesty nil vulgar te worthy to see to be able  though indeed this well understand be far from vulgar for that the law of the  most kingdom and state have be like building of many piece and patch up from  time to time accord to occasion without frame or model now for the law of  England if I shall speak my opinion of they without partiality either to my  profession or country for the matter and nature of they I hold they wise just  and moderate law they give to God they give to Caesar they give to the subject  what appertain it be true they be as mix as our language compound of British  Roman Saxon Danish Norman custom and sure as our language be thereby so much  the rich so our law be likewise by that mixture the more complete neither do  this attribute less to they than those that will have they to have stand out  the same in all mutation for no tree be so good first set as by transplant and  graft I remember what happen to Callisthenes that follow alexanders court and  be grow into some displeasure with he because he can not well brook the  Persian adoration at a supper which with the grease be a great part talk he be  desire the king be present because he be a eloquent man to speak of some theme  which he do and choose for his theme the praise of the Macedonian nation which  though it be but a fill thing to praise man to their face yet he perform it  with such advantage of truth and avoidance of flattery and with such life as  be much applaud by the hearer the king be the less please with it not love the  man and by way of discountenance say it be easy to be a good orator in a  please theme but say he to he turn your style and tell we now of our fault  that we may have the profit and not you the praise only which he present do  with such quickness that Alexander say that malice make he eloquent then as  the theme have do before I shall not fall into either of these extreme in this  subject of the law of England I have commend they before for the matter but  sure they ask much amendment for the from which to reduce and perfect I hold  to be one of the great dowry that can be confer upon this kingdom which work  for the excellency as it be worthy your majesty Act and time so it have some  circumstance of propriety agreeable to your person God have bless your majesty  with posterity and I be not of opinion that king that be barren be fit to  supply perpetuity of generation by perpetuity of noble act but contrariwise  that they that leave posterity be the more interest in the care of future time  that as well their progeny as their people may participate of their merit your  majesty be a great master in justice and judicature and it be pity the fruit  of that your virtue shall not be transmit to the age to come your majesty also  reign in learned time the more no doubt in regard of your own perfection in  learning and your patronage thereof and it have be the mishap of work of this  nature that the less learned time have sometime wrought upon the more learned  which now will not be so as for my self the law be my profession to which I be  a debtor some little help I have of other be which may give from to matter and  I have now by God merciful chastisement and by his special providence time and  leisure to put my talon or half talon or what it be to such exchange as may  perhaps exceed the interest of a active life therefore as in the beginning of  my trouble I make offer to your majesty to take pain in the story of England  and in compile a method and digest of your law so have I perform the first  which rest but upon my self in some part and I do in all humbleness renew the  offer of this latter which will require help and assistance to your majesty if  it shall stand with your good pleasure to employ my service therein