Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

First, It will be highly conducing hereunto, if they all would in their own Persons and Conversations make it their business to set good Examples. For that old saying doth carry a great deal of Truth in it, Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis. The manners of the People are much squared by and conformed to those of the Prince. The experiences of most, if not all Ages and Countries, do afford abundant proofs of this. Though you need go no further than the sacred History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. We see it to be thus in smaller Societies, Children will not question the doing of that which they have known done by their Parents before them, and usually Servants will conclude that lawful which they have seen practised by their Masters; and so the generality of Subjects will not stick at what they observe in the Life and Carriage of their Sovereign, so that it be not too high for them, and out of their reach, as perhaps some have found in these Cities to their cost and ruin. All examples have certainly in them a very attractive Power (exempla cogunt) specially those that are bad. The worst have the strongest influence, because they meet in others that see or hear of them with a wretched principle of Corruption that likes and approves of them, a vile Nature which delights (sequi deteriorem partem) to follow the worst part But of all bad Examples those that are set by great Persons are the most prevalent; and therefore it becomes them to walk circumspectly, and be very curious.

First, It will be highly conducing hereunto, if they all would in their own Persons and Conversations make it their business to set good Examples. For that old saying doth carry a great deal of Truth in it, Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis. The manners of the People are much squared by and conformed to those of the Prince. The experiences of most, if not all Ages and Countreys, do afford abundant proofs of this. Though you need go no further than the sacred History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. We see it to be thus in smaller Societies, Children will not question the doing of that which they have known done by their Parents before them, and usually Servants will conclude that lawful which they have seen practised by their Masters; and so the generality of Subjects will not stick at what they observe in the Life and Carriage of their Sovereign, so that it be not too high for them, and out of their reach, as perhaps some have found in these Cities to their cost and ruine. All examples have certainly in them a very attractive Power (exempla cogunt) specially those that are bad. The worst have the strongest influence, because they meet in others that see or hear of them with a wretched principle of Corruption that likes and approves of them, a vile Nature which delights (sequi deteriorem partem) to follow the worst part But of all bad Examples those that are set by great Persons are the most prevalent; and therefore it becomes them to walk circumspectly, and be very curious.