Venice, though she does not
see, or cannot help the corruption of her religion, is yet so
circumspect to avoid disturbance of her government in this kind,
that her Council proceeds not to election of magistrates till it
be proclaimed fora papalini, by which words such as have
consanguinity with red hats, or relation to the Court of Rome,
are warned to withdraw.
"If a minister in Holland meddles with matter of state, the
magistrate sends him a pair of shoes; whereupon, if he does not
go, he is driven away from his charge. I wonder why ministers, of
all men, should be perpetually tampering with government; first
because they, as well as others, have it in express charge to
submit themselves to the ordinances of men; and secondly because
these ordinances of men must go upon such political principles as
they of all others, by anything that can be found in their
writings or actions, least understand: whence you have the
suffrage of all nations to this sense, that an ounce of wisdom is
worth a pound of clergy. Your greatest clerks are not your wisest
men: and when some foul absurdity in state is committed, it is
common with the French, and even the Italians, to call it 'pas de
clerc,' or 'governo de prete.' They may bear with men that will
be preaching without study, while they will be governing without
prudence.
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