But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, [and] which stood before him:
Ver. 8. But he forsook the counsel of the old men.] With whom he consulted only for fashion's sake - as Xerxes did when he went against Greece, a - resolved beforehand to stand upon his pantofles, and not at all to stoop to the people. He had those about him, doubtless, that would tell him - as some court parasites did our king John, when he had yielded to the requests of his barons for the subjects' liberty b - that now he was "a king without a kingdom, a lord without a dominion, and a subject to his subjects."
And consulted with the young men.] So did our king Richard II, to his utter ruin. So did Xerxes despise the grave counsel of his uncle Artabanus; and was wholly led by young Mardonius, to the loss of all. c The like is reported of Dionysius, king of Sicily; Croesus, king of Lydia; Nero, emperor of Rome; d James, that reigned in Scotland in Edward IV's time; e and Lautrer, of whom it is reported that he lost the kingdom of Naples from the French king his master, and all that he had in Italy, because he would not ask nor follow the advice of them that were wiser than himself. f
a Val. Max.
b Daniel.
c Herodot., lib. vii.
d Sueton.
e Daniel.
f Sir R. Berk., Sum. Bon.