Tullius in his book De Senectute saiethe that auncient men that bene growen in age bene more profitable in gyvyng counceile for the avaunsing and governyng a comon profit of a citee, towne, or village, as to bere offices, than othirs that bene yong of age, althoughe he be [of] mighty power of bodie. For an example he puttithe, as there be men in a ship som that be yonge of mighty power halithe up the ankirs, othirs goithe feersly aboute the ropis fastenyng, and some goithe to set up the saile and take it downe as the govenoure the maister avisithe hem. Yet the eldist man that is halde wisist among hem sittithe and kepithe the rothir or sterne [of] the ship, and seethe to the nedille for to gide the ship to alle costis, behofefulle to the savyng of the ship frome dangers and rokkis, whiche dothe more profit and grettir avauntage to the vesselle than alle tho yong lusty men that rennen, halithe, or clymethe. Wherfor it may be concluded that the auncien approved men by long experience, made governours and counceilours of roiaumes, contrees, citeis, and townes, done grettir dedis by theire wise counceile, than tho that labouren in the feelde, cite, or towne by mighty power of her hand. And it is saide by Job, .12^o. that Roboam, whiche forsooke the counceile of olde men, and drew after the counceile of yong men, lost the kingdom [of] whiche he had the gouvernaunce; and whiche example is right necessarie to be had in remembraunce in every wise governoure is hert. And so wolde the mightifulle God that every governoure wolde have a verray parfit love to the governaunce of a comon wele by wise and goode counceile, and to folow the pathis and weies and examples {59} of the noble senatours of Rome, how they were attending to the commyn profit, setting aside singular availe. So tho famous region and citeis aboute undre theire obeissaunce reigned alle that tyme by many revolucion of yeris in gret worship and prosperite, as I shalle in example put here in remembraunce, and is founden writen in divers stories, as of one among othir ys [Sidenote: De preferramento rei publice.] How Fabius the noble cenatoure set by no worship of vayne glorie, but only laboured for the comon profit of Rome. [Sidenote: Fabius cenator dexspexit vanam gloriam.] [Sidenote: Quomodo Romani gentes fuerant divinatores et auguriste pro conservacione rei publice.]