that may insue where sutch wickednesse shalbe
dissembled without due correction." Sayinge so, the great teares
ran downe his hory Bearde, and by reason of his interrupted
sighes and continual sobbes, the panting of his stomack might
easily haue bene perceiued all riueld for age, and Sunneburned
with heate and continuall Countrey trauaile: and that which
moued most the standers by, was the ruefull loke of the good old
man, who casting his lookes heare and there, beheld eche one
with hys holowe and dolorous Eyes, in sutch wise as if he had
not spoken any word, hys countenance would haue moued the Lords
to haue compassion vpon his misery, and his teares were of sutch
force, as the Duke which was a wyse man, and who measured
thinges by reason's guide, prouided with wisedome, and
foreseeinge not without timely iudgement, would know the cause
whych made that man so to make his plaint, and notwithstanding
assailed (with what suspition I know not) would not haue him
openly to tel hys tale, but leading him aside, he sayd vnto him:
"My frend, albeit that greeuous faultes of great importance,
ought grieuously and openly to be corrected, yet it chaunceth
oftentimes, that he which in a heate and choler doth execution
for the guylt (although that iustly after hee hath disgested his
rage, at leasure hee repenteth his rigor and ouer sodaine
seueritie,) offence being naturall in man, may sometyme (where
slaunder is not euident) by mild and mercyfull meanes forget the
same without infringing or violating the holy and ciuil
constitutions of Lawmakers. I speake thus mutch bicause my heart
doeth throbbe that some of my house haue don some filthy faulte
against thee or some of thine. Now I would not that they openlye
should be slaundered, and yet lesse pretend I to leaue theyr
faultes vnpunished, specially sutch as by whose offensiue cryme
the common peace is molested, wherein I desyre, that my People
shoulde lyue. For which purpose God hath constituted Prynces and
Potestates as shepheardes and guides of hys flocke, to the ende
that the Tyrannicall fury of the vitious, mighte not destroy,
deuoure and scatter the impotente flock, of no valoure if
it be forsaken and lefte forlorne by the mighty Armes of
Pryncipalities and Monarchyes.{"} A singuler modesty doubtlesse,
and an incredyble example of Clemencye in hym, whome hys
Cytyzens thoughte to be a Tyrant and vniust vsurper of a free
Segnyorye, who so priuily and with sutch familiarity, as t