what a Calm (as in a smooth Sea) has reigned in the whole Palatinate; how peaceable and quiet all things have continued:  How piously and religiously they have been governed:  Go on most Gracious Prince in the same Meekness of Spirit, which I to the utmost of my Power must always extol.  Proceed in the same Course of gentle and peaceable Virtue; Macte Virtute; not in the Sense which Seneca tells us the Romans used this Exclamation in, to salute their Generals when they return’d all stain’d with Gore Blood from the Field of Battel, who were rather true Macellinus’s:  But do you proceed in that Moderation of Mind, Clemency, Piety, Justice, Affability, which have occasion’d the Tranquility of your Territories.  And because the present Condition of your Germany is such as we see it, Men now-a-days run away from Countries infested with Plunderers and Oppressors, to take Sanctuary in those that are quiet and peaceable; as Mariners, who undertake a Voyage, forecast to avoid Streights, &c. and Rocky Seas, and chase to sail a calm and open Course.

There was indeed a Time, when young Gentlemen, desirous of Improvement, flock’d from all Parts to the Schools and Academies of our Francogallia, as to the publick Marts of good Literature.  Now they dread them as Men do Seas infested with Pyrates, and detest their Tyrannous Barbarity.  The Remembrance of this wounds me to the very Soul; when I consider my unfortunate miserable Country has been for almost twelve Years, burning in the Flames of Civil War.  But much more am I griev’d, when I reflect that so many have not only been idle Spectators of these dreadful Fires (as Nero was of flaming Rome_) but have endeavour’d by their wicked Speeches and Libels to blow the Bellows, whilst few or none have contributed their Assistance towards the extinguishing them._

I am not ignorant how mean and inconsiderable a Man I am; nevertheless as in a general Conflagration every Man’s Help is acceptable, who is able to fling on but a Bucket of Water, so I hope the Endeavours of any Person that offers at a Remedy will be well taken by every Lover of his Country.  Being very intent for several Months past on the Thoughts of these great Calamities, I have perused all the old French and German Historians that treat of our Francogallia, and collected out of their Works a true State of our Commonwealth; in the Condition (wherein they agree) it flourished for above a Thousand Years.  And indeed the great Wisdom of our Ancestors in the first framing of our Constitution, is almost incredible; so that I no longer doubted, that the most certain Remedy for so great Evils must be deduced from their Maxims.