is much more like to God than he who is governed, it is plain that if he governs justly, he is more loved and rewarded by God than when in his own operations he does not govern, particularly as he who governs is in greater danger, and has greater labours of mind and body than he who does not govern, wherefore he deserves a greater reward.

On the contrary, he who wishes to be a tyrant is unhappy in this world, and weighed down with earthly infelicity, inasmuch as in respect of riches he cannot enjoy them, from his many afflictions of mind fears, and continual thought, and particularly because he must spend a great deal to maintain himself in his tyranny. And, wishing to keep every one subject, he himself is more subject to all, having necessity of serving all in order to create good will towards him. Moreover, he is deprived of friendship, which is the greatest and sweetest blessing that man can have in this world, because he wishes no one to be equal to him, and keeps every one in fear, and particularly because the tyrant is almost always hated on account of the evils he causes; and if he is loved by the wicked, it is not because they wish him well, but they like what they wish to get from him, and therefore amongst such there cannot be true friendship. He is also deprived of good reputation and honour for the evils he does, and for being always hated and envied by others. He can never have any true consolation without sadness, because he has always to think of, and to fear the enmities against him, wherefore he is always in fear, and never even trusts his own guard. He has also spiritual unhappiness, because he is deprived of the grace of God and of all his knowledge. He is encompassed by sins and by perverse men, who wait upon him and hurry him into many errors, as we have said above. Lastly, he will have never-ending unhappiness, because the tyrant is almost ever incorrigible, both on account of the multitude of sins which he sees himself to have committed, in which he has acquired such a habit that it is very difficult to leave off, because he has to restore so much ill-got property, and to repair so many wrongs, that he would have to remain despoiled of every thing, which every one can easily un

derstand how difficult it is for one accustomed to live in such pride and pleasures. Moreover, his flatterers make light of his sins, nay, they give him to understand that to be good is almost impossible, wherefore the tepid religious confess and absolve him, and therefore he is wretched in this world, and goes to hell in the other, where he suffers more grievous pain than other men, both on account of the multitude of sins he has committed and caused others to commit, as also on account of the office he has usurped; therefore, as he who rules well is highly rewarded by God, so he who rules badly is exceedingly punished.

All those who follow the tyrant, partake of his misery, as well in temporal as in spiritual and everlasting things; whence they lose liberty, which is above all treasures, besides that, their wealth, honours, sons and women are in the power of the tyrant, and they are continually imitating his sins, because they endeavour to do everything that pleases him, and to be like him as far as they can, and therefore they shall be in hell the sharers in his most grievous punishment.

Again, the citizens who are not content with citizen government, although they may not be tyrants, because they cannot share in these same miseries, wanting wealth, honours, reputation and friendship, all the hungry citizens and bad men gather round them; whence they must spend and are avoided by the good, and therefore they have no true friendship with any one, but every one who follows them seeks to rob them, and by their bad company they commit thousands of sins they would not otherwise, and they are uneasy in their heart, and always full of enmities, envy, and detraction, and have hell in this world and in the other.

He who rules well, being (as we have proved) happy, and like to God, and he who rules ill, unhappy, and like the devil, every citizen ought to leave off his sins, and own affections, and endeavour to govern well, and to preserve, augment, and make perfect this citizen government, for the honour of God, and salvation of souls, particularly as it has been specially given by him through the love he bears this city, that it may be happy

in this world and the next, through the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

UNFORTUNATE that I am, abandoned by all the world, who have sinned against heaven and earth, where shall I go? On what side shall I turn? To whom shall I address myself? Who will be my comfort in my misery? I durst not raise my eyes towards heaven, I have too much offended against it. I behold no asylum for me upon the earth, too great is the scandal I have given. What then am I to do? Must I give myself up to despair? God forbid it. Full of mercy is the Lord, my Saviour. To him alone will I have recourse; he will not disdain the work of his hands; he will not cast his image from him. Broken in spirit and sorrowing, to thee then I come, O most clement God, because thou art my only hope, my sole resource. But what shall I say to thee? Alas! I dare not raise my eyes towards thee? But I shall pour forth my sorrows; I shall implore thy mercy, and I shall say to thee :

Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

God, who dwelleth in light inaccessible, hidden God, whom corporal eyes cannot behold, nor created intelligence comprehend, nor tongues of men or angels can explain the nature of; incomprehensible God, it is you whom I seek, ineffable God, it is you whom I invoke! Whatsoever thou art, everywhere thou art. I know thou dost surpass in excellence all that is in

Ex. Edit. 16mo., Remboldi Ascensii, 1510.

the universe. If thus it be allowed to speak of thee, and not rather as the universal cause of all things; if thou mayest yet be called the cause, for no name can I find that I dare to give to thy inexpressible majesty. O God, who art all that is, is in thee, thou art thyself thy own wisdom, goodness, power, and sovereign felicity. Since thou art merciful, nay, thou art mercy itself. What, on the contrary, am I, but misery itself? Behold then, O God of mercy, misery presents itself before thee. What, then, will mercy do? Thy own work assuredly. Thou canst not act contrary to thy own nature. And what is thy work? To take away misery, and to relieve the wretchedness of Have mercy on me, then, O Lord of mercy; remove from me my misery. Take away from me my sins, for they are the cause of all my distress; raise me, unfortunate that I am; manifest in me the might of thy hands. Exercise thy power over

men.

me.

Abyss invokes abyss, the abyss of misery invokes the abyss of mercy, the abyss of sin invokes that of grace. Since, then, the depths of mercy exceed those of misery, let abyss swallow up abyss; let the abyss of mercy absorb the abyss of wretchedness. Have mercy on me, then, O God, according to thy great mercy; not according to the mercy of men, which is small, but to thy own, which is so great, which has no limits, is incomprehensible, and exceeds even all sin in its immensity; according to thy great mercy, through which thou didst so love the world, as to give up for it thine only Son; have mercy on me. What greater mercy can there be? what greater charity than this? Who can despair? Who will not trust in thee? God made man, and was crucified for the sins of men; have mercy on me therefore, O God, according to this great mercy, thou who didst give up thy Son for us, who didst deliver him up to death for the sins of the world, and by his cross didst illuminate all men ; who by him all things, both in the heavens and the earth, didst establish and restore, wash me, O Lord, in his blood, enlighten me by his humility, renew me by his resurrection.

Have mercy on me, O God, not according to thy ordinary mercy, for such is that compassion by which thou dost alleviate

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the bodily miseries of men. But great is thy mercy where thou remittest sins, and through thy grace dost raise men above terrestrial things. So, O Lord, have mercy on me, according to thy immense mercy, that I may be perfectly converted to thee, that thou mayest blot out my sin, and by thy grace thou mayest justify me.

And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out all my iniquities.

Thy mercy, O Lord, is the abundance of thy goodness, which compassionately regards our wretchedness. Thy mercies are thy works, and the effects of thy bounty. O my good Jesus! Mary Magdalen threw herself at thy feet, bathed them with her tears, dried them with her hair; thou didst pardon her, and sent her away in peace. This is, O Lord, one of thy commiserations. Peter denied thee, and with an oath declared against thee; he bitterly bewailed his sin, thou didst remit it to him, and confirm him Prince of the Apostles. Here, again, O Lord, is one of thy mercies. The thief upon his cross, by one word alone, obtained his salvation. Paul, in the heat of his persecution, was called by thee, and in one instant he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Behold, O my God, how great are thy mercies. Time would be insufficient to enumerate them all. The number of the just is equivalent to the number of thy mercies. No man can glory in himself. Let all the just in heaven and on earth stand forth, that in thy presence we may interrogate them, if it be by their own merit they have been deemed worthy to obtain salvation; assuredly will they all respond "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for thy mercy and thy truth." Not by any power of their own have they possessed the land, but by the might of thy right hand and arm, and the light of thy countenance which had shone upon them, when thou wert pleased to illuminate them.

That is to say, neither by their own merits nor by their deeds have they been saved, non ex meritis eos non ex operibus salvati sunt, that none may glorify themselves in anything but in being.