Of Sutours

Many ill Matters and Projects are undertaken; And Private Sutes doe Putrifie the Publique Good. Many Good Matters are undertaken with Bad Mindes; I meane not onely Corrupt Mindes, but Craftie Mindes, that intend not Performance. Some embrace Sutes, which never meane to deale effectually in them; But if they see, there may be life in the Matter, by some other meane, they will be content to winne a Thanke, or take a Second Reward, or at least to make Use, in the meane time, of the Sutours Hopes. Some take hold of Sutes, onely for an Occasion, to Crosse some other; Or to make an Information, whereof they could not otherwise have apt Pretext; without Care what become of the Sute, when that Turne is served: Orgenerally, to make other Mens Businesse, a Kinde of Entertainment, to bring in their owne. Nay, some undertake Sutes, with a full Purpose, to let them fall; To the end, to gratifie the Adverse Partie, or Competitour. Surely, there is, in some sort, a Right in every Sute: Either a Right of Equity, if it be a Sute of Controversie; Or a Right of Desert, if it be a Sute of Petition. If Affection lead a Man, to favour the Wrong Side in Justice, let him rather use his Countenance, to Compound the Matter, then to Carry it. If Affection lead a Man, to favour the lesse Worthy in Desert, let him doe it without Depraving or Disabling the Better Deserver. In Sutes, which a man doth not well understand, it is good to referre them, to some Frend of Trust and Judgement, that may report whether hee may deale in them with Honour: But let him chuse well his Referendaries, for else he may be led by the Nose. Sutours are so distasted with Delayes, and Abuses, that Plaine Dealing, in denying to deale in Sutes at first, and Reporting the Successe barely, and in Challenging no more Thanks then one hath deserved, is grown not onely Honourable, but also Gracious. In Sutes of Favour, the first Comming ought to take little Place: So farre forth Consideration may bee had of his Trust, that if Intelligence of the Matter, could not otherwise have beene had, but by him, Advantage bee not taken of the Note, but the Partie left to his other Meanes; and, in some sort, Recompenced for his Discoverie. To be Ignorant of the value of a Sute, is Simplicitie; As well as to be Ignorant of the Right thereof, is Want of Conscience. Secrecie in Sutes, is a great Meane of Obtaining; For voycing them, to bee in Forwardnesse, may discourage some Kinde of Sutours; But doth Quicken and Awake Others. But Timing of the Sute, is the Principall. Timing, I say, not onely in respect of the Person, that should grant it, but in respect of those which are like to Crosse it. Let a Man, in the choice of his Meane, rather choose the Fittest Meane, then the Greatest Meane: And rather them, that deale in certaine Things, then those that are Generall. The Reparation of a Deniall, is somtimes Equall to the first Grant; If a Man shew himselfe, neither dejected, nor discontented. Iniquum petas, ut Æquum feras; is a good Rule, where a Man hath Strength of Favour: But otherwise, a man were better rise in his Sute; For he that would have ventured at first to have lost the Sutour, will not in the Conclusion, lose both the Sutour, and his owne former Favour. Nothing is thought so Easie a Request, to a great Person, as his Letter; And yet, if it be not in a Good Cause, it is so much out of his Reputation. There are no worse Instruments, then these Generall Contrivers of Sutes: For they are but a Kinde of Poyson and Infection to Publique Proceedings.