a essay OF a king with a explanation what manner of person those shall be that  be to execute the power or ordinance of the king prerogative a essay of a king  write by sir Francis Bacon a king be a mortal God on earth unto who the live  God have lend his own name as a great honour but withal tell he he shall die  like a man lest he shall be proud and flatter himself that God have with his  name impart unto he his nature also of all kind of man God be least behold  unto they for he do most for they and they do ordinary least for he a king  that will not feel his crown too heavy for he must wear it every day but if he  think it too light he know not of what mettle it be make of he must make  religion the rule of government and not the scale for he that cast in religion  only to make the scale even his own weight be contain in these character Tekel  uphrasin he be find too light his kingdom shall be take from he and that king  that hold not religion the best reason of state be void of all piety and  justice the supporter of a king he must be able to give counsel himself but  not to rely thereupon for though happy event justify their counsel yet it be  better that the evil event of good advice be rather impute to a subject then a  sovereign he be the fountain of honour which shall not run with a waste pipe  lest the courtier ell the water and then as papist say of their holy Wels to  lose the virtue he be the life of the law not only as he be law to speak  himself but because he animate the dead letter make it active towards all his  subject prize penalty a wise king must do less in alter his law then he may  for new government be ever dangerous it be true in the body politic as in the  corporal that all men  to come under change be dangerous and though it be for  the better yet it be not without a fearful apprehension for he that change the  fundamental law of a kingdom think that there be no good title to a crown but  by conquest a king that set to sale seat of justice oppress the people for he  teach his judge to fall justice and praecio to make ready praecio bind  justicia bounty and magnificence be virtue true a royal palace but a prodigal  king be near a tyrant then a parsimonious for store at home draw his  contemplation abroad but want supply it self of what be next and many time the  next way and herein he must be wise and know wht he may just do that king  which be not fear be not love and he that be well see in his craft must as  well study to be fear as love yet not love for fear but fear for love  therefore as he must always resemble he who great name he bear and that in  manifest the sweet influence of his mercy over the severe stroke of his  justice sometime so in this not to suffer a man of death to live for beside  that the land do mon the restraint of justice towards sin do more retard the  affection of love then the extent of mercy do inflame it and sure where love  be bestow fear be quite lose his great enemy be his flatterer for though they  ever speak on his side yet their word still make against they the love which a  king owe to the weal public shall not be restrain to any one particular yet  that his more special favour do reflect upon some worthy one be somewhat  necessary because there be so few of that capacity he must have a special care  of five thing if he will not have his crown to be put upon he first that  to make like inviolability be not in the church for that be duplex unfairness  second that useless justice sit not in the Chancecery for that be absurd pity  three that useful unfairness keep not the exchequer for it be cruelly  brigandage fourthly that trusty rashness be not his general for that will  bring but Chinese  regret  five that not to be trusted discretion be not his  secretary for that he be snake sub green herba to conclude as he be of the  great power so he be subject to the great care make the servant of his people  or else he be without a call at all he then that honour he not be next a  atheist want the fear of God in his heart