are deceiued. For princes are God’s lieutenauntes or deputies, to see God’s lawes executed among theire subiects, not to rule according to their owne lustes or deuises, but by the prescript of God’s lawes: so that the chiefest poynt of a prince’s office consisteth in obedience to God and to his ordinaunces, and what shoulde let but that a woman may bee as obedient vnto God, as a man? The second poynt of a prince’s office is to prouide for the impotent, nedy, and helples, as widowes, orphanes, lame, and decrepite persons: and seing women are by nature tender harted, milde and pitifull, who may better then they discharge this duty? Yea but a woman lacketh courage, boldnesse, and stomacke, to withstand the aduersarie, and so are her subiects an open spoyle to their enemies. _Debora_, _Iaell_, _Iudith_, _Thomeris_, and other doe proue the contrary. But graunt it were so: what harme were that, seing victory consisteth not in witte or force, but in God’s pleasure.[1867] I am sure that whatsoeuer prince doth his duty in obaying God, and causing iustice to bee ministred according to God’s lawes, shall not only lacke warre (bee hee man, woman, or childe) but also bee a terroure to all other princes. And if God suffer any at any time to be assayled, it is for the destruction of the assayler, whether he bee rebell or forayne foe, and to the honour and profit of the vertuous prince, in whose behalfe, rather then hee shall miscary, God himselfe will fight with enfections and earthquakes from the lande and waters, and with stormes and lightenings from the ayre and skies. Moe warres haue bene sought through the wilfull and hauty courages of kings, and greater destructions happened to realmes therby, then by any other meanes. And as for wisdome and pollicy, seing it consisteth in following the counsayle of many godly, learned, and long experienced heades, it were better to haue a woman, who considering her owne weaknes and inability, should be ruled thereby, then a man which presuming vpon his owne fond brayne, will heare no aduise saue his owne. You muse peraduenture wherefore I say this. The franticke heades which disable our queene, because shee is a woman, and our king because hee is a straunger, to bee our princes and cheife gouernours, hath caused mee to say thus mutch. For whatsoeuer man, woman, or childe, is by the consent of the whole realme established in the royall seate, so it haue not bene iniuriously procured by rygour of sworde and open force, but quietly by tytle, either of enheritaunce, succession, lawfull bequest, common consent or election, is vndoubtedly chosen by God to bee his deputye: and whosoeuer resisteth any suche, resisteth agaynste God himselfe, and is a ranke traytour and rebell, and shalbe sure to prosper