ir health, without curing of the sick. The first of these nations
(which if you stay her leisure, will in my mind be France) that recovers
the health of ancient prudence, shall certainly govern the world; for
what did Italy when she had it? and as you were in that, so shall you in
the like case be reduced to a province; I do not speak at random. Italy,
in the consulship of Lucius AEmilius Papus and Caius Attilius Regulus,
armed, upon the Gallic tumult that then happened of herself, and without
the aid of foreign auxiliaries, 70,000 horse and 700,000 foot; but as
Italy is the least of those three countries in extent, so is France now
the most populous.

"'I, decus, I, nostrum, melioribus utere fatis.'

"My dear lords, Oceana is as the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the
valley. As the lily among thorns, such is my love among the daughters.
She is comely as the tents of Kedar, and terrible as an army with
banners. Her neck is as the tower of David, builded for an armory,
whereon there hang 1,000 bucklers and shields of mighty men. Let me hear
thy voice in the morning, whom my soul loves. The south has dropped,
and the west is breathing upon thy garden of spices. Arise, queen of the
earth, arise, holy spouse of Jesus; for lo, the winter is past, the
rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time for the
singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our
land. Arise, I say, come forth, and do not tarry: ah! wherefore should
my eyes behold thee by the rivers of Babylon, hanging thy harps upon the
willows, thou fairest among women?

"Excellent patriots, if the people be sovereign, here is that which
establishes their prerogative; if we be sincere, here is that which
disburdens our souls, and makes good all our engagements; if we be
charitable, here is that which embraces all parties; if we would be
settled, here is that which will stand, and last forever.

"If our religion be anything else but a vain boast, scratching and
defacing human nature or reason, which, being the image of God, makes
it a kind of murder, here is that empire whence 'justice shall run down
like a river, and judgment like a mighty stream.' Who is it then that
calls us? or, what is in our way? A lion! Is it not the dragon, that old
serpent? For what wretched shifts are these? Here is a great deal; might
we not have some of this at one time, and some at another?

"My lords, permit me to give you the sum, or brief: