cause in the beginning were Societies instituted in the which if euery one should worke for his owne good without respecting that of his fellow doubtlesse they should be vaine and friutlesse Wherefore in these it is behooffull not to worke for proper commoditie but for publike benefit for that in this maner euery one as interessed doe agree to effect and facilize the obtaining of that good which is desired The end then of euery Society is the common good of those who are comprehended therin The respect and relation of him that commandeth towards him that serueth I dare not call it a Societie for such is the inequalitie of the termes that by many wise men the seruant is held the Commanders instrument whereby it followeth that among them there is no other end than the good of the master knowing it to be cleere that we can not distinguish the end of the instrument from that of the agent which mooues the same Heere-hence it followeth further that the Seruant oweth all his actions as a seruant vnto his Master and the Master nothing vnto his seruant and that therefore receiuing any benefit from the commander or Master he is by far more bound than by seruing he can oblige the other since in seruing he doth but the actions of an instrument the which are to be acknowledged from the agent but in receiuing of a benefit he hath the same from another as from an affected cause From the same principle many excellent and important consequences might be deduced the which notwithstanding I will reserue as for a place more fit in that part of actiue Philosophie which conteineth precepts of Oeconomicall prudence In the meane time wee say That not entreating heere of naturall or violent seruitude but of voluntary and electiue seruice it seemeth and not without reason it may pretend to haue in some sort the qualitie and nature of a Societie and that by consequence we may attribute vnto it for the end thereof a kinde of communion of good And certeinly that heerein the seruice due to the Master is most considerable may be gathered by what alreadie hath beene sayd as also by weying or iudging of their mutuall bonds for if any demand What is the seruants duetie or bond there is none I thinke that will not answer To serue his lord and master But on the other side seeking what is the Masters dutie we shall finde it To benefit the seruant according to his merit So that by this mutuall obligation these two termes Master and Seruant are vnited together in a societie the which as hath already been sayd hath for the end a common profit This granted it seemeth that the Masters scope or end is the seruants benefit and that of the Seruant the Masters seruice since their duties haue these references And if it be so there groweth a doubt how it may be verified that euery one worketh for his peculiar profit or that this is the naturall inclination of euerie man and of all working things But it is answered that the ends are of two sorts either desired or intended by themselues or by accident and caused by another Whereby it followeth that two which between themselues seeme contrary may desire one thing without repugnancy as in this present case it happeneth For the seruant desireth for himselfe and worketh for his proper benefit mooued vnto it by a naturall instinct but by accident and for this cause desireth and worketh in the seruice of his Lord since that from hence finallie hee draweth the profit and commodity which he longeth after whereby there is no contradiction at all that the seruant should haue for his end his proper benefit and withall the seruice of his Master Yet this doth not wholly resolue the propounded doubt because it seemeth that if the true and principall end of the seruant be his owne proper commoditie we might say that his dutie were to worke not for his Masters seruice but for his owne profit and therefore this is by euery man with great reason reiected Wherefore wee say that a seruant may two wayes be considered either as he is sociable or as he is associated if as sociable without doubt the end of his actions is his proper benefit if as associated by the bond of duty which bindes him his End is the seruice of his Master Or if in other termes we wil say the same thing that is that the seruant hath two Ends or Respects one which moueth him to contraâ—… this societie and this out of aâ—… question and resolutely is his proper benefit the other is the end of the societie and this doubtlesse is the commoditie or seruice of the master though not disbanded or disioyned from the profit of the seruant by the participation that this habitude or respect of societie hath betweene the Master and the seruant the which as it is said endeth alwaies in a common profit To conclude then and to reserue that vnto another place which heere as not so proper we will but briefly touch We say That the end for the which the Courtier voluntarilie submits his necke vnto the yoke of seruitude is his owne profit for the which as his end principally intended he both laboureth and endureth much But his end as a Courtier obliged in societie and duetie of seruitude is the seruice of his Lord the which he vseth as a meanes vnto the former and more principall which is his proper benefit with the intercourse of fauour which followeth the actuall seruice For the Courtier first of all longeth after his owne profit but not able otherwise to compasse the same than by the loue and fauour of his Prince he propoundeth his seruice and diligently working therein obteineth his fauour which breedeth his owne profit and commoditie aboue all other things by him desired It appeareth then that the ends or scopes that the Courtier hath are three that is his proper interest and this is that which chiefly he endeuoureth next the fauour of the Prince as the cause of his first end and then the seruice of the Prince as the efficient cause of that fauour But because these things haue in themselues some difficulties a larger declaration is necessary CHAP. II. A declaration of the foresaid ends PRoper interest Seruice and the Princes fauour are as it is said the Courtiers ends of the which his proper interest is the first and by it selfe desired the others by accident and as meanes Now what is meant by this terme fauour is so manifest that it needs no other explication but those of proper interest and the Princes seruice are not so well vnderstood both the one the other terme conteining many things vnto the which it may be the end and dutie of a Courtier doth not extend Let vs first then consider the Seruice and say thus There is no doubt but the Prince hath diuers and many sorts of men which serue him as the souldiers in the war the Magistrates in
hold it fit to begin vpon this ground saying that Adulation generally is an honour which either deseruedly or vndeseruedly is giuen by the inferior vnto the superior to the end to please him for his owne benefit or interest And this for the present shall bee the definition the which wee leaue to examine as not proper to this place and only tie the consideration to our purpose wee say also that commendations or praise is an honour done with wordes and vnder this kinde flatterie is contained whereof we must speake in this place supposing it to be a false praise amplified to the end aforesaid the which because it is little to purpose in this our treatise we will heere serue our turnes only with the first part wherein the most inward and essentiall nature thereof is contained that is that it is a Commendation then will wee examine the differences which are false or amplified Insomuch then as it is Praise or Commendation it is necessary that it fall vpon some good part in the Prince since the obiect of praise is good parts The good parts because it is now no time to play the Phylosopher wee say are of three sorts of the minde the body and the externall The good parts of the minde are vertue and the naturall powers and faculties because we doe not onely praise temperance fortitude liberalitie c. but a pregnant and quicke vnderstanding a vigilant and prouident minde and because these are sometimes the efficient cause or cause conseruant of the outward parts it followeth that praising the externall parts wee commend also the causes of them But to conclude the principall commendations and most of all to be desired is that of the vertues of the mind true it is that these are not of all men alike prised and esteemed there being many who had rather be commended for wealth power and honour than for wisedome magnanimity and beneficence nay there be some so blind of vnderstanding that had rather be accompted faire comely agile and gallant of body than more or as learned as Aristotle or eloquent as Cicero and who doubteth but that it was more gratefull and pleasing to Nero the praise of his singing than whatsoeuer other commendation either of temperance modesty or iustice And questionlesse if any man should take vpon him to adde vnto the female sex all those commendations and applauses that pleasing eloquence could figure or paint out but would abate their beauty out of it I thinke there is none but knowes how welcome and how gratefull such honor should be to any woman Wherefore though the true and reall commendations is principally to be attributed to the aboue named good parts it is notwithstanding very necessary if the courtier will commend with profit to be pleasing that he praise that whereunto he sees the Prince most inclined and best to satisfie himselfe vrging this as a thing of most speciall importance aiding himselfe with the knowledge of his nature custome and inclination There is yet an other aduertisement of great consequence for the better vnderstanding whereof we say thus that it is cleere praise and commendation is naturally desired of euery man the reason is because there is in all men an innated desire of perfection the which not alone in it selfe is most acceptable and gratefull but with a particular pleasure makes those things to bee receiued which giue testimony thereof no otherwise thā as we see that the comming to passe of such things which we haue longingly desired not only to be pleasing vnto vs but withall euen the messenger of such newes is very acceptable and oftentimes munificently rewarded for his tidings and therefore by the same reason whosoeuer commendeth vs as a witnesse of our perfection is beloued of vs. But as in all ratifications false testimonies are by vs greatly hated in like manner are vntrue commendours who once knowen for such doe highly displease vs because we seeme not to receiue commendations or testimony of any perfection which we know to be farre from vs but rather an vpbraiding that wee are not such as they would make vs seeme to bee besides the deformity of the falshood which is discouered in them whereupon we gather the small confidence that wee may giue vnto them in any other thing as false and mendacious besides the disgrace they fall into as base and vulgar persons Of all this thus much may be gathered that we must not only be considerate in cōmending not to incur suspition of falshood but withall that it is not alwaies true that Galba is reported to say in Tacitus that adulatio erga Principem quemcumque sine affectu peragitur Flattery or assentation to what Prince soeuer is done without affect Wherefore we say that the commendations being to bee credited it is necessary to ground the same vpon some vertue or good part really and in trueth existing in the Prince or at least in opinion thought to be in him and what commendable parts are in the prince hee may easily know who hath that notice of him as we suppose the Courtier should haue but of which of them the Prince makes most esteeme must by obseruance bee learned noting that for the most part we thinke our selues best indued with those things whereof we make profession the musitian of singing well the Philosopher of the perfect knowledge of naturall causes the Souldier of the arte of warre wherein being praised we easily beleeue it willingly accept it Those which are proper to a Prince are wisedome iustice magnificence riches power glory and such like vertues and qualities belonging to a person of so high degree from whence groweth an affect which wee call veneration which doth meet or encounter his perfection and is as a testimony as wee haue said of praise and should say of all honour of the good parts which we esteem to be in him the which testimony by how much it is giuen in greatnesse by so much is it thought his abilities and qualities doe exceed Of this kinde is that of Seianus when he saith Se ita insueuisse vt spes votaque sua non priùs ad Deos quà m ad principum aures conferret The great signes and expectation of Tiberius had framed such a custome in him that he would not sooner offer vp his hopes and vowes to the gods than vnto the eares of Princes the which adulation could not with more cunning haue beene set downe because hee doth not only compare but preferres his Prince before the gods in a thing easily to be credited and so shewing that which is too common in experience that there bee some so affectionate deuote in their Princes seruice that forgetting their due recourse to God lay the whole burden of their hopes vpon the fauour of their Lord. But because what hath beene said hitherto consisteth in the credit and testimony that the person of the Prince and his vertues or good parts do yeeld we must
that by this action there springeth an especiall beneuolence in the benefactor towards the fauourite as his creature and as it were worke of his hands as his testimonie of the practise of a vertuous action or deed For if Nature herselfe brought not forth the effect of this loue for the reason alleadged election and free choice doubtlesse would produce the same because who doth not perceiue how simple he should be who by many benefits hauing obliged one vnto him would voluntarily make choise to lose him Wherefore it is not true that Satias capiat Principem quod omnia tribuerit the Prince is at a stand hauing giuen as much as he can Neither is it true also that the Courtier hauing receiued so many benefits of his Prince that there is no more place of further expectation should bee a cause on the Courtiers part to make that potentiae sint raro sempiternae great fauours should be seldome euerlasting For albeit Tacitus in another place saith beneficia eousque gratae sunt dum videntur exolui posse vbi multum anteuenêre pro gratia odium redditur good turnes are so far acceptable as there is possibility of requital when they grow greater in stead of thanks hatred is returned Yet it proueth false in true nobilitie and gratefull mindes in whom loue and regard to benefactors groweth in true counterpoise with the grace and benefits receiued or rather doth surpasse it for hee who can not with effects be correspondent to the fauour done must yet at least deuise to make some shew of an inward gratuitie and as wrath is not contented to manifest the wrong in that measure it receiueth it but in desire of reuenge reteineth a farre greater scope in like sort that facultie wherein thankfulnesse and gratitude reside doth not desire by nature which makes vs euer striue to be more than other men onely to giue equall recompense with the benefit but much more then what hath beene receiued supplying want of outward meanes with abundance of inward good wil so that in loue he answereth not alone in iust proportion to his dutie but by the foresaid reason endeuours to outstrip the same Thus much is sayd to shew the falshood of that reason the which though it should be granted the cause would easily appeare whereby seruants sometimes euen voluntarily depriue themselues of that fauour which they reteine with Princes But there resteth yet a doubt how it comes to passe that so often times the fauorites fall in dsgrace with their Lords and this is that which for the most part is common whereof the examples of Seianus of Crispus Salustius and Moecenas set downe by Tacitus giue euident testimonie Whereupon it appeareth that in reason we can not rest our selues vpon these causes and that therefore it were necessary we see if there be any others yet more true and of greater consideration which we will endeuour to discouer in the processe of our discourse saying in the meane time that the originall of the foresayd losse may grow either from the Prince or from the Courtiers comprehending vnder the same name aswell the kindred as the Priences friends the reasons as it shall appeare seruing all alike and therefore we must aduert both what must be obserued with the Prince and what likewise with the Courtiers peaceably and without danger to keepe that fauor which with so great paines and industrie hath beene procured CHAP. XXIX What is to be obserued with the Prince for the continuing in his fauour THere are three thinges which seeme necessarie to bee obserued with the Prince the first is that the fauor being obteined by diligence and satisfaction giuen in seruice he perseuere and goe forward in the same with the same termes The which thing not onely by those of meane capacitie but by great Courtiers many times to their greater detriment is neglected Tacitus saith of Seianus that nimia fortuna socors factus est ouer-great fortune had made him negligent a thing for two reasons very dangerous first the heat of your seruice relenting the Princes loue cannot but grow luke-warme next because by this meanes you giue occasion to some other more diligent and carefull to make his entry wherefore it followeth necessarily in no case to leaue off anie vsuall obseruances nor at anie time to make shew of lesse feruencie in seruice which is very requisite because if the hope of fauour be the cause of a diligent and commendable seruice by how much more ought the secure possession of the same cause the continuance therein The second aduertisement is no more to shew then to be in deed an vpright and honorable man I meane for no priuate respect to bee inticed to abuse the fauour of his lord either by making sale thereof by vniust oppressions or offering violence to please the vnbridled appetites of other men and such like to the damage and preiudice of any man because such like actions can by no means be pleasing to the Prince aswell for the discouerie of an euill qualitie in him that performeth them of whom it is to be coniectured he cannot in reason bee assured as for the wound that by so bad a friend he receaueth in his reputation whereof how much Princes make account or at least ought to esteeme Tacitus teacheth saying Caetera principibus statim adesse vnum insatiabiliter parandum prosperam sui memoriam Princes are in possession of all other things at their will but one thing they must insatiablie seeke after that is to leaue a happie memorie behind them And more plainely in an other place Caeteris mortalibus in eo stare consilia quid sibi conducere putent Principum diuersam esse sortem quibus praecipua rerum ad famam dirigenda other mens consultations only tend to their profit but it falleth out otherwise with Princes whose actions chiefly are to bee directed to fame and reputation The third last obseruation in this point is not one iot to diminish the reuerence and duty towards the Prince nor because of speciall confidence to presume to vse familiaritie And for certeine I haue bene aduertised by a most inward fauorite of a great Prince in Italy that by this one obseruation hee profited much and that the same Prince vsed publikely to say that in so manie occasions of familiaritie he seemed still more fresh like one but newly entred into his seruice the reason heereof is because obsequious reuerence is at all times pleasing as witnessing a superioritie in the person to whom it is vsed And as affectation is to be eschewed so to arrogate or attribute too much can by no meanes bee pleasing to the Prince for as before vpon other occasion wee haue alledged Quemadmodum pessimis principibus sine fine dominatio ita quamuis egregijs modus libertatis placet As a continuall rule is pleasing euen to the woorst Emperours so no lesse pleasing is a modest kinde of plainnesse euen to the greatest
their enemie the lesse heedfull wherby with the more ease they suppresse him quo incautior deciperetur palam laudatum saith Tacitus and to the end he might more vnwarily be deceiued praised him openly I know not to what purpose but for certeine this was the onely arte sleight of Tiberius which in particular he vsed against his nephew Germanicus and against Seianus his fauorite who liuing in the fauor of Tiberius did also practise it to the ruine and ouerthrow of many and Mutianus by the selfe same oppressed his Concurrent Antonius Primus These then are the two meanes to resist our enemies and persecuters in the Court But if one be but of little authoritie or fauour with the Prince and notwithstanding maligned in the obteining thereof there are two remedies the first is to humble himselfe to the detractours seeking all the meanes to procure them to be his friends and to make them beleeue hee pretendeth not any thing more than themselues The other is to be an adherent or dependent to the most potent of the court vnder whose protection he may liue or at least to be of the contrary faction to them if there shall be any as it is most vsuall and common among the Courtiers To conclude to shun or take away the occasion by insinuating into their fauor or by liuing vnder the shelter of some other or els to resist them by the succor and force of the contrary faction CHAP. XXXIIII How he may keepe backe his Concurrents and Corriuals BVt if the danger of being remooued from possession of this fauour grow from anothers well deseruing whereby the Concurrents indeuor themselues to be aduanced and preferred into the loue and grace of the Prince it should bee then necessary to take another way And truly howbeit it falleth out very seldome that any Master who hath bound and found a seruant confident vnto him can greatly loue any other since one and the same kinde of loue can hardly be branched and seuered into diuers subiects notwithstanding because it may fal out often times it hath been seene come to passe that Courtiers who for a time were fauorites and priuados haue beene expulsed and lost their grace it is necessary in such case to shew the meanes how to preserue the same The first precept therefore is that he endeuour by diligent seruice to out strip his Concurrents in good deserts this being the most reall honourable way succeedeth also more securely tending wholly and ending in the profit and commoditie of the Prince from whom as we haue often sayd proportionable fauour must be attended and expected according to the actual seruice done But when this course is not thought sufficient it is necessary as much as is possible to thrust off and keepe backe such Concurrents from the Princes seruice vsing meanes that either very seldome or neuer there be occasion giuen for them to insinuate either by seruice or familiarity into the pleasure of his Lord or Prince this will easily fall out if at the first he be vigilant in not permitting any man to thrust himselfe too forwards because out of this time the remedy will bee both hard and dangerous But to the performance heereof since one alone cannot with effect supply all charges and offices it is necessary to bring in others dependents on him and qualified in such sort as before hath beene declared so that the Prince being serued satisfied by these haue no cause to long after or desire the seruice of the others whose practice might happily breed matter both of feare and ielousie But this not succeeding I will not speake of badde offices since these as inhumane not fitting any woorthy or honorable man and also as not being very secure ought to bee banished the very thoughts of euery good and Christian Courtier CHAP. XXXV The meanes how to auoid enuy LEt vs now come to that other part which is the cause that Princes fauorites are seldome seene or looked on with a fauourable eie by the rest of the Courtiers and that is Enuy the which who shall well consider things antiently past shall finde it to haue beene the cause of the ruine of so many that the testimony of examples to so manifest a knowledge were meere superfluous and therefore with diuers sleights arts by the wisest Courtiers hath euer beene auoided the which we thinke fit in this place onely with breuity to point at First therefore with the Enuious wee must hold the same course and rule as with our persecutors in endeuouring to appease them and make them our friends with benefits and rewards since so being made our well willers they will not greeue at an other mans profit as at their owne damage the good of one friend being common to all friends Next for that the cause of Enuy is an others good profit in possession it shall be wisedome to conceale it or at least to make as slender esteeme thereof in apparence as may be not shewing himselfe arrogant or proud therof by any meanes but rather as not caring for it or desirous to leaue it or to make it common to some other Seianus great Master in the Courtiers arte considering how preiudiciall vnto him the concourse of the people and courting of him was resolued with himselfe minuere sibi inuidiam adempta salutantium turba sublatisque inanibus To diminish the enuy borne him by abandoning the idle salutations of the multitude and remoouing vaine shadowes Words of great consideration but little obserued vera potentia augere to encrease true power and authority and heerein consisteth the true essentiall iudgement and worth of the Courtier True it is that afterwards he considering assiduos in domum coetus arcendo infringere potentiam that driuing away or neglecting the continuall concourse of multitudes that came vnto his house hee should weaken his authority no lesse then on the other side receptando facultatem criminantibus exhibere enterteining them he should minister matter vnto enuious find-faults lastly thus straightned in this difficult counsell Huc flexit vt Tiberium ad vitam procul Romam amonis locis degendam impelleret he thus resolued that he would perswade Tiberius to lead his life in some pleasant places same from Rome And truly as this is a most considerable point so is it exceeding hard to finde the true square or roote thereof because that either not respecting or refusing some apparances he may greatly crase his credit and reputation which indeed is no other then opinion and this opinion groweth of the apparence and shew and not alone of being a fauorite but of the knowledge that is taken thereof by others and on the other side from these ostentations riseth enuie whose follower manie times is the ruine of the Courtier wherefore it is necessarie to walke with infinite warinesse and discretion betweene these two extreames with this particular aduertisement not to grow too great or familiar with the