d
Scholler, proued sutch an Emperour and victor ouer himselfe, as
schoolinge and rulinge were in him miraculous, and surmounting
Paragon of piety and vertue: wherefore not to stay thee from the
perusinge of those Letters, the right image of himselfe: thus
beginneth Plutarch to write vnto his famous Scholler Traiane.

_A Letter of the Philosopher Plutarch to the Emperor Traiane,
wherein is touched how Gouerners of Common wealths ought to be
prodigal in deedes and spare in words._

My most dread soueraygne Lorde, albeit of longe tyme I haue
known the modesty of your mynde, yet neyther I nor other liuing
man did euer know that you aspired to that, which many men
desire, which is to be Emperour of Rome. That man should
withdrawe himselfe from honour, it were cleane without the
boundes of wysedome: but not to lycence the heart to desire the
same, that truely is a worke diuine, and not proceedinge of
humayne nature. For he doeth indifferently well, that represseth
the works which his handes be able to do, without staying upon
his owne desires, and for good consideration wee may terme thine
Empire to be very happy, sith thou hast so nobly demeaned thy
selfe to deserue the same without search and seekinge
industrious pollicy to attayne thereunto. I haue known within
the city of Rome many great personages, which were not so mutch
honored for the offices whych they bare, as they were for the
meanes and deuises whereby they sought to be aduaunced to the
same. May it please you to vnderstand (most excellent Prince)
that the honor of a vertuous man doth not consist in the office,
which he presently hath, but rather in the merites that
preferred him thereunto: In such wise, as it is the office that
honoreth the partye, and to the officer there resteth but a
painful charge. By meanes wherof, when I remember that I was
your gouerner from your youth, and instructed your vertuous mind
in letters, I can not chose but very much reioyce, so well for
your soueraigne vertue, as for your maiestie's good fortune,
deming it to be a great happinesse vnto me that in my time Rome
hath inioyed him to be their souraigne lord, whom I had in tymes
past to be my scholler. The principalities of kyngdomes some
winne by force, and maintayne them by armes, which ought not so
to be in you, nor yet conceiue opinion of your selfe, but rather
to thinke that the empire which you gounerne by vniuersall
consent, yee ought to entertayne and rule with g