Final answer:
Thomas Moore encouraged monarchs to be virtuous through 'advice for a king,' merging religious, philosophical, and historical insights to counsel just and moral governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Moore utilizes advice for a king to persuade monarchs to be virtuous. This form of guidance typically includes tenets derived from various sources such as religious doctrine, philosophical reasoning, and past wisdom of successful governance. The goal of such advice is to promote virtues like truth, justice, temperance, and the overall moral good of society. Monarchs were often reminded of the prevailing belief that righteous rule would lead to a just and prosperous kingdom, free from the corruptions of power.
Monarchal advice can be seen through historical texts where rulers would receive education on their duties and responsibilities to their subjects. Literature for monarchs often intersected with Calvinist theology, emphasizing orderly and hardworking lives as reflections of the ruler's salvation. Advisors sought to support monarchs in becoming socially virtuous leaders, harmonizing religious law with secular governance for the greater good of the state.