feelde, cite, or towne by
mighty power of her hand. And it is saide by Job, .12^o. that Roboam,
whiche forsooke the counceile of olde men, and drew after the counceile of
yong men, lost the kingdom [of] whiche he had the gouvernaunce; and whiche
example is right necessarie to be had in remembraunce in every wise
governoure is hert. And so wolde the mightifulle God that every governoure
wolde have a verray parfit love to the governaunce of a comon wele by wise
and goode counceile, and to folow the pathis and weies and examples {59} of
the noble senatours of Rome, how they were attending to the commyn profit,
setting aside singular availe. So tho famous region and citeis aboute undre
theire obeissaunce reigned alle that tyme by many revolucion of yeris in
gret worship and prosperite, as I shalle in example put here in
remembraunce, and is founden writen in divers stories, as of one among
othir ys

[Sidenote: De preferramento rei publice.]

How Fabius the noble cenatoure set by no worship of vayne glorie, but only
laboured for the comon profit of Rome.

[Sidenote: Fabius cenator dexspexit vanam gloriam.]

[Sidenote: Quomodo Romani gentes fuerant divinatores et auguriste pro
conservacione rei publice.]

Tullius de Senectute the first partie maketh mencion of a noble prince
Romayne clepid Fabius, whiche had gret batailes and journeis withe Hanibal
prince of Cartage, to kepe the conquest of Romayne contreis, and to see
theire libertees and fraunchises observed and kept for the wele of alle
maner peple; whiche Fabius despraised renommee and vayne glorie, but onlie
gafe his solicitude, thought, and his bisy cure about the comon profit of
Rome; for whiche cause the saide Fabius after his dethe was put in gret
renomme and more magnified among the Romayns than he was in his liffe tyme.
And the saide Fabius, after the right and usage was in tho daies, did gret
diligence to lerne and know by augures and divinacions of briddis and by
other causes naturell after the ceasons of the yeris and in what tymes
prosperite, welthe, and plente, derthe, or scarsite of cornes, wynes, [and]
oilis shulde falle to the contre of Romayns, to his grettist comfort for
the avauncement of the comon wele. And he delited gretly to rede actis and
dedis of armes of straunge nacions, to have a parfiter remembraunce and
experience to rule a comon wele, that was moche bettir than before his
daies ne sithe was no consulle like to his governaunce except the