emperour Iustinian overcame them in Italie and in Affrica Charlamaine and many other kings of France which were both Christians very humble have notwithstanding gained and obtained goodly victories against the Paynims as wee have otherwhere said The emperour Charles the fift of late memorie obtained also in his time goodly victories in Africa against the Turke Breefely this point needs no further to be debated upon For it is clearely seene That Machiavell is a filthie lier to say That the Christian Religion is the cause that Christians fall to be a prey unto the Paynims For contrarie a small number of Christians have often beaten a great number of Gothes Turkes and other Infidels And it is no more true that which the Machiavelists say That such as doe horribly sweare and blaspheme with Mortdieu Sangdieu and such like do fight better than they that say Surely and Truly because say they Surely and Truly do effeeblish and weaken mens hearts for experience sheweth in many places that this is false When I thinke upon and consider where Machiavell hath fished this goodlie Maxime I can hardlie be persuaded but he learned it out of the historie of Aygolant Annales of the life of Charlemaine a Paynim king of Affrica of Mahumets religion this king was a great and puissant ruler who demeaned and maintained great warres with Charlemaine king of France but he was alwaies vanquished and Charlemaine victorious so that to escape from the hands of Charlemaine by the cheapest and best means he could devise none better than one day to make Charlemaine understand that he the said Aygolant would become a Christian and be baptized Charlemaine rejoyced therat and caused him to come into his lodging with intent to feast him give him good enterteinment When he came in to Charlemaine his lodging he did see thirteen poore men beggerlie apparrelled eating on the ground without cloath as beggars vse to do which Charlemaine did to have alwaies before his eyes an image of povertie to remember Christ and his Apostles and their humilitie Aygolant at the sight of these poore men desired to know what they were Charlemaine aunswered him These be the servants of God yea said Aygolant hath thy God his servants in so evill order and are thy servants so brave trulie I will never bee baptised to become the servant of thy God for I will never yeeld to so base an estate as I see thy Gods servants hold so Aygolant would not bee christened for the humilitie he saw in the estate of God his servants So Machiavell rejecteth the Christian Religion because that thereby humilitie is recommended unto us but loveth much better the Paynim Religion of Aygolant because saith he it maintaineth the heart haughtie and fierce And as for that that he saith That the Christian Religion promiseth not Paradice Christian Religion alloweth not an idle and contemplative life but to idle contemplative people he sheweth well that he never knew what Christian Religion meant for it commandeth us to travaile not to be idle and everie man loyallie to exercise his vocation Verie true it is that amongst Christians there must be some contemplatives that is to say studious people which give themselves to holie letters for to teach others but we finde not by the documents of that Religion That there is allowed any idle contemplation of dreamers which doe no other thing but imagine dreames and toyes in their braines but a contemplative life of labouring studious people is only approoved which give themselves to letters to teach others for after they have accomplished their studies they ought to put in use and action that which they know bringing into an active life that which they have learned by their studie in their contemplative life and they which use this otherwise follow not the precepts of the true Christian Religion Touching that which he saith That the Christian Religion disposeth rather men to receive blowes than to vengeance I confesse that it is true that our Religion forbiddeth us to take vengeance of our owne enmities and particular quarrels by our owne authoritie but the way and course of justice is not denied us And if it were lawfull for everie one to vse vengeance that should be to introduce a confusion and disorder into the commonwealth to enterprice upon the right which belongeth to the magistrate unto whom God hath given the sword to doe right to everie one and to punish such as are faultie according to their merites but what is all this to purpose touching the generositie of hart that men should have in war for although a man should not be quarrelous nor vindictative to find quarrels for needles points yet will he not cease to performe his dutie in warfare for the service of his prince yet Men that are not quarellous are not the lesse generous is there one point in Christians more then in Paynims that is That a Christian being well resolved in his conscience that he beareth armes for a good and just cause as for the good of his prince or of his countrey or some such like good cause hee will lesse esteeme of his life and will more willingly hazard it than a Paynim or an Infidell will doe because hee hath a firme trust and beleefe that hee shall enjoy the eternall life after this fraile life Caesar writeth That our auncient Gaules were very generous and warlike because they held as resolute the immortalitie of soules and that they that die die not at all How much more then ought Christians to bee generous which not onely are resolved of the immortalitie of soules but do also know that God hath prepared for them an eternall rest an immortall glorie and a perdurable beatitude with him and his angels Surely as the life and eternall felicitie are more excellent than this fraile life full of miseries and calamities so the Christian will never doubt nor feare to change the one for the other but with a magnanimous and generous heart will willingly alwaies bestow his life in a just quarrell Machiavell and all his schoole of Atheists which have nothing that so much fears their conscience as to thinke of God have no such mind They shew themselves generous and valiant to execute some massacre to sley men unarmed which have no meanes to defend themselves but otherwise they are resolute people to hold themselves far from blowes Finally when Machiavell saith That the Christian Religion teacheth us to despise A Christian may desire honour by lawfull meanes honor he shewes himselfe a stinking lier True it is that a man must distinguish the vertue and that which is good from that which is the vice and the evill which resembleth it For ambition is a vice which commeth very nigh the desire of good reputation which good men ought to have If then a man travaile and take paines to come to some estate and greatnesse by all lawfull and unlawfull meanes and beeing
king how vicious soever he be but alwaies impute vices and faults to some of his governors and Counsellors rather than to him Truly if princes had alwaies good men about them they could never bee vicious at the least to the detriment of the Commonwealth Therefore by good right men do impute the evill government of a countrey rather to a princes Counsellors than to himselfe as we have proved in another place 10. Maxime A Prince ought not to trust in the amitie of men MEn generally saith Machiavell are full of ingratitude variable Cap. 17. of a Prince dissemblers flyers from dangers and covetous of gaine and so long as they profit by thee so long thou maiest hold them in thy lap and they will offer thee their lives goods and all they have even when there is no neede but in a necessitie they will turne their garment and away So that a prince which leaneth upon such a rampire shall at the first fall into ruine yea they vvill sooner be offended when a man will use love tovvards them than if by rigour hee seeke to bee feared because men make lesse accompt to offend him vvhich useth him gently and lovingly than him of vvhom they are afraid Because amitie is onely founded upon some obligation vvhich easily may bee broken but feare is founded upon a feare of punishment vvhich never forsakes the person AS well this Maxime as the former is a plain tyrannous precept For as saith the Poet Aeschilus No friend to trust what common more Amian Marcell lib. 16. Each tyrant hath this ill in store This is the reason why Denis the tyrant of Sicile caused a strong house to be built where he dwelt environed with deepe ditches full of water on all sides over which there was no entrie but a draw bridge which was every night taken in by himselfe and certaine lose planks of the bridge brought into his bed chamber which ever the next morning hee carried himselfe to the bridge againe Hee caused also his daughters to learne to bee barbars to poule and trimme his head and beard and all this did he because hee durst trust no man in the world to doe those things Yet Commodus a cruell tyrant also used another more Lamp in Commod sure receit For trusting no man with his haire of head or beard hee himselfe burnt them with a candle I leave you to thinke if such people bee miserable whose consciences are tormented in such sort that it judgeth them worthie to have all the world for a capitall enemie in such sort as they dare put no confidence in any but are in continuall feare and torment Far contrarie from this doctrine of Machiavell is the exhortation which Misipsa â—aâ—ust in bello Iugurth the good king of Numidia gave a little before his death to Iugurtha and his other children admonishing them amongst themselves to maintaine a good amitie and concord It is not sayth he puissant armies nor great treasures by the meanes of which a prince ought to conserve and maintaine his estate but by his friends which are not acquired either by force of armes or by gold silver but by good offices loialtie But who ought to be a more loiall friend than one brother to another or whome can he trust who shall be an enemie to his owne blood I leave you a kingdome firme and assured if you be good but feeble and weake if you be wicked for by concord small things encrease but by discord great things fall to ruine Behold a breefe exhortation but very weightie to shew how necessarie it is to have good friends and to maintaine good amity and loyaltie amongest parents Like unto this is the oration which Silla made to king Boccus of Mauritania Wee are very joyfull said hee that thou rather seekest to bee a friend than an enemie of the Romane people for even from her birth the Romane people being poore have alwaies better loved to acquire friends than slaves servants have ever thought it more assured to command voluntary people than any by constraint King Boccus then cannot chuse a better amity than ours which can both favour thee aide thee will never hurt thee to say truth neither we nor any other can have too many friends The amitie and friends which a prince may obtaine by a good and just government may serve so to assure him of every man in his estate that hee shall have neede of no guard if hee thinke good to bee rid of them as did that good emperour Traian who often went to visit see his friends onely accompanied with foure Dion in Traian or five gentlemen without any guard of souldiers The like did the ancient kings of France which knew not that kind of guard wee have now of gunners and halberdiers but ordinarily marched without other companie than gentlemen which onely bare their swords about them Amitie saith Cicero is the true bonde of all humane societie and whosoever will take amitie from amongst men as Machiavell doth from amongst princes he seekes to take away all pleasure solace contentment and assurance that can bee amongst humane creatures For the friend is another our selfe with whom wee rejoyce in our prosperitie and our joy encreaseth when wee have unto whom to communicate it for wee are also comforted with him in our adversitie and sorrowes and our sadnesse is more than halfe diminished when wee have upon whom to discharge by amiable communication the bitternesse of our heart Moreover although wee bee sometimes blind in our owne causes yet our friend marketh our faults and kindly sheweth them unto us and giveth us good counsell in our affaires which we cannot take of our selves Briefely humane life without amitie seemes no other thing then a sad widowage destitute of the chiefe sweetnesse and comfort that can bee gathered in humane societie as Cicero Plutarch and other great philosophers have learnedly discoursed unto which I send them which will more amply understand the good and utilitie of Amitie I will not denie but many such friends will bee found like them whereof Machiavell speaketh which will seeme to bee our friends as long as they hope to draw any profit from us and which will make us faire offers when they see we have neede but will turne their backes in our necessities There are indeede but too many such and wee are but too often deceived with them yet wee may not disdaine the good for the evill neither may wee defame friendship for the vices and incommodities which accompanie it For amongst corne commonly growes darnell and amongst wholesome hearbs some are venemous which in outward shew seeme to bee faire and good yet men may not cast away a thing so necessarie as corne for the feare to finde darnell or drauke in it nor the wholesome hearbs for such as bee venemous But wee must seeke as much as may bee to know and to separate that which is evill
clemencie yea your own and let none die that be culpable let no Senator be punished nor noble blood bee shed let such as are banished be called againe and let their consiscated goods be yeelded unto them againe and would to God that I could revoke and call again to life such as are dead For there was never found that a prince committed a good vengeance of his owne greefe but it was alwayes thought too rigorous and sharpe though never so just I would have you then to pardon Cassius his children his sonne in law and his wife How should I not say pardon since they have done nothing let them live in all assurance and so know that they live under the empire of Marcus Let them enjoy their fathers patrimonie his gold his silver and other their goods that they may be rich assured free and let them be examples of our pietie and clemencie also of yours in the mouth of al the world Neither ô ye Conscript Fathers is it any great clemencie to pardon the children and wives of such as are banished and condemned since I demand and pray for pardon even of the culpable themselves whether they be Senators or knights that you may deliver them from death from confiscations from infamie from feare from envie from all injuries and that you will do this whilest we raigne that they which were slaine in the tumult for enterprising against us bee not defamed After this missive was read in the Senate house all the Senators with an honorable acclamation begun to crie The gods conserve Antonine the clement Antonine most pittifull Antonine most mercifull The gods perpetuate thy empire into thy race We wish all good to thy Wisedome to thy Clemencie to thy Doctrine to thy Nobilitie and to thy Innocencie This acclamation declareth well how amiable acceptable Clemencie makes a prince for there is nothing in the world that better gains the hearts of men nor that brings to a prince more reverence and love than this gentlenesse and lenitie of heart And indeed this good emperour by his Clemencie got thus much that after his death all Rome made a certaine account that he was ascended into heaven as to the place of his originall Because said they it was impossible that so good a soule endowed with so excellent vertues shold come from any other place than from heaven either returne againe to any other place The very name of Antonine was also so reverenced and loved of all the world from father to sonne in many yeares and generations after him that many emperours his successors caused themselves to bee called Antonines that the rather they might be beloved of the people though that name belonged not unto them nor were of the race or familie of Marcus Antonine as did Diadumenus the emperour Macrinus his sonne and his companion in the empire and as also did Bassianus and Geta Severus his children and Heliogabalus they were all surnamed Antonines But as this name appertained not unto them so held they nothing of the vertues of that good emperour with whose name they decked themselves Yet many reprehended in Marcus Antonine this his great Clemencie whereby he so easily pardoned such as had conspired against him saying That he provided evill for the safetie of himself and his children to suffer conspirators to live This was but a meanes to emboulden wicked people to enterprise conspiracies and amongst others the empresse Faustine his wife found it evill and of bad consequence that he punished not rigorously the partakers of Cassius whereupon he writ a very memorable letter to this effect Very religiously dost thou ô Faustine my deare companion to have care of the assurance of us and our children but whereas thou admonishest me to punish the complices of Avidius Cassius I do advertise thee that I had rather pardon them for nothing more recommendeth a Romane emperour amongst all nations than Clemencie That was it which placed Iulius Caesar in the number of the gods which hath consecrated Augustus which gave that most honourable title of Pius that is gentle and godly to thy father Finally Cassius himselfe had not beene slaine if my advice had been demanded in the slaying of him I pray thee therefore my deare companion be not afraid but hold thy selfe assured under the protection of the gods who no doubt will guard us because pietie and Clemencie are so pleasant and agreeable unto them For a resolution then certaine it is that nothing can so become or is so worthy of a prince to practise as Clemencie by pardoning such as offend him and even them which have committed some fault that may bee excused by some equitable reason and by mitigating the punishments of the law to such as upon custome commit no excesse and which otherwise are vertuous and valorous people and their offence not exceeding great and hainous for if otherwise a prince use his Clemencie without having these considerations before his eyes his fact will rather hold of crueltie and injustice than of clemencie but for a man to practise it with a counterpoise and equall ballance of equitie justice can be nothing interressed but rather shall bee reduced and applied to his true rule But assuredly as a princes Clemencie bringeth to his subjects the fruit of a good equitie so doth it also acquire unto himselfe this inestimable good to be beloved of every one as was Marcus Antonine the emperour The like happened to Vespasian Sueto Vesp Pas cap. 14. 15. in â—iâ—o cap. 1. 9. the emperour who was greatly beloved for his great Clemencie and gentlenesse for he was so gentle kind and clement that he easily forgot offences committed against him yea he would doe good to his enemies As when he maried and endowed very richly and honourably the daughter of Vitellius his enemie which warred upon him Moreover hee would never suffer that any were punished who did not well deserve it Likewise his sonne Titus was so good and clement that hee was never blamed for bearing evill will to any man often he had this word in his mouth That he had rather perish himselfe than lose any He was of the people surnamed The delights of mankind for his kindnesse and Clemencie In like sort Traian Adrian Pius Tacitus and many other Romane emperours were so beloved and reverenced of their subjects for their naturall humanitie and Clemencie that they are placed after their deaths in the rowle of their gods Moreover whensoever a prince shall be soft and clement there is no doubt but Clemencie cause of good works his subjects will imitate him therein for it is the peoples nature to conforme themselves unto their princes manners as the Proverbe saith The example of the princes life in all things commonly The subiect seekes to imitate with all his possibilitie But whensoever subjects doe imitate that most excellent vertue of Debonairetie and Clemencie certaine also it is that the whole bodie of the commonwealth
is much better composed more quiet and better governed For when men are given to that vertue they will withall addict themselves to Iustice Temperance Charitie Pietie and all other vertues which doe ordinarily accompanie Clemencie from whence cannot but arise the estate of a most perfect common-wealth Therefore we reade That in the time of the aforesaid emperour Marcus Antonine the world Capit. in Marcel was commonly well reformed in good manners for every man studied to imitate him in his vertues and especially in his moderation and gentlenes insomuch saith Capitolinus as he made many good men of such as were very bad before and such as were good he made them better This is also the cause why debonaire and gentle princes are alwaies so praised and esteemed not onely by men of their time but also by all Hystoriographers and all posteritie because they are ordinarily cause of many goods to all their subjects as by contrarie cruell princes are alwaies diffamed during their lives and after their deaths because of great mischeefes whereof they are cause authors and executors This is well painted out by Homer when he saith A wicked man full of fierce crueltie Behind his backe of all accurst shall be Odys lib. 19. Both during life and after death also Defame on him in every place shall go But contrarie the good and sincere man Will grave in mind his praise all that hee can How all men in each place set forth his praise To borders even of nations strange alwaies But I doe well know that hereupon the Machiavellists will say and replie That if a A princes Clemencie is not the cause of evill prince will be so facile to pardon and to practise Clemencie he will thereby incite men to take experience of that his vertue and by consequent provoke them to commit evill and excesse under the hope of impunitie hereunto I answere in a tripartite sort First I say That if a prince use Clemencie without derogating from his justice as above we have said he ought to doe there will follow no impunitie of a punishable crime nor by consequent any provocation to commit any excesse punishable for justice shall alwayes have her course although by Clemencie it may bee moderated Secondly suppose that the Clemencie of a prince might bee a meanes or occasion unto men to take more license to doe evill yet could not this take place but in persons of evill nature for men of good natures and disposition will rather be incited by a princes clemencie to be good like him by following his vertues than to bee wicked and ungodly thereby The prince also which shall bee endowed with Clemencie will love and follow other vertues and hate vices and by consequent will honour and advance vertuous people and hate and recoile from him such as are vicious This will cause the wicked which are enclined to vices to guard themselves from committing punishable faults for although they promise to themselves an easinesse to entreat pardon for their faults by the princes Clemencie yet can they not promise to themselves to be beloved and entertained of him but rather evill liked and unadvanced Thirdly although Clemencie cannot but draw with it some iniquitie and injustice as verily a prince cannot so evenly poise and weigh his affaires in the practise of Clemencie but there will be alwaies found within them some injustice yet that evill which followeth Clemencie is not so great that we ought therfore altogether to take away Clemencie from a prince from whence proceeds infinit goods profitable and commodious as well to the prince himselfe and his estate as to his subjects the whole commonwealth as may easily be collected out of that which hath been already said and shall be spoken hereafter The auncient Romanes doe confesse that their facilitie to pardon hath many Titus Livius lib. 1. Dec. 4. times brought warres upon them as also revoltments of their allies and confederats But what then Left they therefore alwayes to shew themselves prompt and voluntarie to use Clemencie towards such as offended them nay rather it was the vertue whereof they made greatest estimation and which they most practised knowing well that Clemencie was the true foundation of the greatnesse and estate of the commonwealth And this is it which the embassadour of the Romanes spake in an assembly of the Aetolians a people of Greece which were sollicited rather to allie themselves with king Philip of Macedonie against the Romanes than with them to renew their alliance Our auncestors saith he have often experimented and we also have seene that because ever wee have beene easie to pardon wee have occasioned many to experiment our Clemencie yet were wee never so discouraged as we would not at all times use equalitie to such as have broken their Faiths unto us and such as holily observed them as also reason wills that such as are loyall and faithfull be better beloved favoured and respected than others Have wee nor warred upon the Samnites by the space of seaventie yeeres and during this time how many times have they broken their Faiths how many times have they risen up against us yet have wee alwaies received them for our allies after by marriages have wee come to an affinitie with them and finally wee have received them for concitizens into the the towne of Rome The Capuans revoulted from us to allie themselves with Anniball but after wee had besieged them there were more in the towne which slew themselves pressed with an evill conscience than wee caused to dye after we had taken the towne by force and left them their towne whole and their goods Having also vanquished Anniball and the Carthaginians which had done us so many mischiefes and so often broken their Faiths yet left wee them in peace and liberty Briefely ô Aetolians said hee you should know and beleeve that the Romane people will alwaies have Clemencie in most singular recommendation and you shall doe farre more for your selves to replant your selves into our amitie and alliance unles you love better to perish with Phillip than to vanquish and prosper with the Romanes Vnto this remonstrance of the Romane embassadors the Aetolians States would deliver no answere but amongst themselves resolved secretly neither to be on the one side nor the other and that at the end of the warre they would joyne themselves to the strongest which in the end was their bane yet found they refuge in the Romanes Clemencie And verely Clemency is such a vertue as a prince may never dispoyle himselfe of although sometimes it seeme hee get harme thereby For Clemencie is not cause of any evill but onely the malice of men doth abuse it yet it doth not therefore follow that it is to bee rejected because a man may abuse it no more than to cast away all wine as a pernitious thing because therewith many are drunke But let us now come to the other effect of Clemencie Besides the
Lewis The good justice of Lewis which gave oedinarie audience to the complaints of their subjects and to doe them justice But it shall suffice to close up all this matter with the example of that good king S. Lewis who amongst other vertues wherewith he was endowed he was a very good and upright administer of justice This good king having a great zeale to establish a good Iustice in his kingdome first hee would and ordained That the good and auncient lawes and customes of the kingdome should be well and straitly observed upon the paine he would take of his Bayliffes Seneshals and other magistrates if they caused them not to bee well observed And to the end the said magistrates might carry themselves well in their offices he chose other officers the best that hee could find of which he secretly enquired of their vertues and vices And to the end they might administer good and breefe justice to the poore as to the rich without exception of persons he forbad them to take presents unlesse some present of victuall which may not exceed tenne shillings by the weeke nor any other benefites for them or their children neither of them which were in contention nor of any other person of their bailiwike and territorie and commaunded they should take nothing within their perfecture or jurisdiction For this good king considered that presents benefits and desire to gain are the means wherby magistrates may be corrupted and therfore to shun all corruption he must cut off the meanes therunto Moreover he very rigorously punished such officers of Iustice as abused their estates spared not even great lords themselves but punished them after their merits as happened to the lord de Coucy who caused to strangle two yong Flamins when he found them hunting in his woods For the king caused to be called before him the said lord who fearing to be handled as he had delt with the Flamins wold have taken the hearing of the cause from the king saying he was to be sent for before the peeres of France But the king forced him to abide his judgments indeed had made him die if great lords parents friends of the said lord de Coucy had not importuned so much the king for his pardon unto which the king accorded that he shold have his life but yet he condemned him to the warre against the Turks and Infidels in the holy land by the space of three yeares which was a kind of banishment and besides condemned him in a fine paiment of 10000 Paris pounds which were bestowed on the building of an Hostle Dieu at Ponthoise This king gave not easily any pardon nor without great deliberation And for a devise he had often in his mouth that verse of the Psalme of David Happie are they which doe iudgement and Iustice at all times He said also That this was no mercie but crueltie not to punish malefactors Moreover he was a king full of truth chast charitable and fearing God which are vertues exceeding woorthy for a good prince and which commonly accompanie good justice But the godly precepts hee The tenne commandemēts which the king S. Lewis at his disease gave to his eldest sonne gave being in extremitie of his life to king Philip the Hardie his sonne and successor doe well merit to be written in letters of gold upon the lintels of doores and the houses of all kings and Christian princes to have them alwaies before their eies My deare sonne saith he since it pleaseth God our Father and Creator to withdraw me now from this miserable world to carrie mee to a better life than this I would not depart from thee my sonne without giving you for my last blessing the doctrines and precepts which a good father ought to give to his sonne hoping you wil engrave in your heart these your fathers last words I command you then my deare sonne That above all things you have alwaies before your eies the feare of God our good Father for the feare of God is the beginning yea the accomplishment of all true wisedome if you feare him he will blesse you Secondly I exhort you to take all adversities patiently acknowledging that it is God which visiteth you for your sins not to wax proud in prosperitie accounting that it comes to you by Gods grace not by your merits Thirdly I recommend unto you charitie towards the poor for the good you doe unto them shall be yeelded unto you an hundred fold and Iesus Christ our Saviour shall account it done unto him After I recommend to you very straitly my deare sonne that you cause to keep well the good laws customes of the kingdome and to administer good justice to your subjects for happy are they which administer good justice at all times and to doe this I enjoine you that you be carefull to have good magistrates and command you them that they favor not your Procurators against equitie and that you rigorously punish such as abuse their Offices for when they make faults they are more punishable than others because they ought to govern other subjects and to serve them for an example Suffer not that in judgement there be acception of persons and so favour the poore onely as the truth of his fact doth appeare without favoring him as to the judgement of his cause Moreover I command you that you bee carefull to have a good Counsell about you of persons which be of staied good age which be secret peaceable not covetous for if you doe this you shall bee loved and honoured because the light of the servants makes their masters shine Also more I forbid you to take tallages or tributes upon your subjects but for urgent necessitie evident utilitie and just cause for otherwise you shall not bee held for a king but for a tyrant Further I command you that you be carefull to maintaine your subjects in good peace and tranquilitie and observe their franchises and priveledges which before they have enjoyed and take heede you moove no warre against any Christian without exceeding great occasion and reason Item I exhort you to give the benefices of your kingdome to men of good life and good conscience not to luxurious and covetous wretches My deere sonne if you observe these my commands you shall bee a good example to your subjects and you shall bee the cause that they will adict themselves to doe well because the people will alwaies give themselves to the imitation of their prince and God by his bountie maintaine you firme and assured in your estate and kingdome Thus finished this good king his last words full of holy zeale and correspondent to his life passed and yeelded his soule to his creator which had given it him His sonne king Philip third of that name called the Hardie because of his valiancie which he shewed against the infidels and against other enemies as well during the life as after the death of
Anno 140â— Monstre lib. 1 cap. 22. and Reporters a great enmitie arose betwixt Lewis duke of Orleans the kings brother and Iohn duke of Burgoigne conte of Flanders of Artois and lord of many other lands and territories Our hystories name not these Marmosets but simply say that their houshold servants incited them to band one against another the duke of Orleans his servants and favourits said and said truly That he was the chiefe prince of the blood the kings only brother also more aged and of riper and more staied wit than the duke of Burgoigne and that therefore he should not set his foot before him in the handling of the kings affairs For at this time the king having not perfect sences his affairs were handled with the princes of the blood and the privie Counsell but contrarie the duke of Burgoigne his Marmosets said That he was the chiefe peere of France and as they cal it le Doy en des Pairs that he was more mightie and more rich than the duke of Orleans and although he was not so neere of the blood Roiall as he yet was he more neere by alliance for the Dauphin who was yet very young had espoused his daughter and therefore he ought in nothing to give place unto the duke of Orleans but that hee ought to maintaine and hold the same ranke that Philip duke of Burgoigne his deceassed father did who whilest his father liued governed the king and the kingdome at his wil. Briefly these tatlers and reporters caused this duke of Burgoigne so to mount into ambition and covetousnesse to raigne that he enterprised to cause the duke of Orleans to bee slaine who hindered his deseignes and purposes and indeed he caused him to be most villanously massacred and slaine at Paris nie the gate Barbette by a sort of murthering theeves which he had hired as the duke of Orleans went to see the queene who had lately bene brought to rest of a child Great domage there was for that good prince for he was valiant and wise as possible one might be Of him descended king Henry the second now raigning both by father and mother For king Francis his father was sonne of Charles duke of Angolesme who was son also of Iohn duke of Angolesme who was sonne of the duke of that Orleance and Madame Claude queene of Fraunce mother of the said king Henry was daughter of king Lewis the twelfth who was son of Charles duke of Orleance who was the sonne of this duke Lewis whereof wee speake I would to God princes his descendants would well marke the example of this massacre most horrible which was committed upon the person of that good duke their great grandfather and the great evill haps and calamities which came thereof to shun the like miseries which ordinarily happen when such murders goe unpunished For because the duke Iohn of Burgoine was not punished for this fault but found people which sustained and maintained it to have been well done as we shall say more at the full in another place and that followed his part stirring up civile warres which endured two generations and caused the death of infinit persons in France and that the English got a great part of the kingdome and that the poore people of Fraunce fell into extreame miserie povertie and desolation there were many causes and meanes of so many evils for injustice ambition covetousnesse desire of vengeance and other like things might goe in the ranke of causes of so many mischeefes But the Marmosets of duke Iohn of Burgoigne were they which stroke the yron against the flint out of which came that sparke of fire a device fatally taken by the duke of Burgoigne which brought into combustion and into a burning fire all the kingdome for so long time and at last ruinated the house of Burgoigne Francis duke of Bretaigne a prince that was a good Frenchman and affectionate Monstre lib. 3. cap. 4 33. to the king of France his soveraigne had a brother called Gills who gave himselfe to the English in the time that they made warre in France and accepted of the king of England the order of the Garter and the office of high Constable of England The duke and his brother much greeved hereat found meanes to take him prisoner and put him in a strong castle whereunto he would never goe to heare or see him he so much disdained him But yet he sent men unto him which hee trusted which indeed proved very Marmosets and false reporters for after Giles of Bretaigne had remained within the castle a certaine time and that he had considered well his doings that he was borne the kings vassale of France and that he ought never to have disunited himselfe from his brother he then praied his brothers people that came to see him to tell him from him that he greatly repented what hee had done and that if it pleased him to pardon him that from thence forward he would follow with a good heart the part of the king of France and his and that if it pleased them hee would streight send to the king of England his Order and Constables sword What do his Marmosets then They report to the duke that Giles his brother was still obstinate and so perfect English that no reasons they could make could turne him unto that side The duke sent still many times the same men unto him but alwaies they made the like or worse report of him insomuch that this good duke fearing that his brother was invincible in his obstination fearing also that if hee should let him loose he would cause the English to come into Bretaigne to avenge himselfe commanded the same reporters to strangle him in prison which they did Afterward as God when he seeth his time brings the most hid things to light these murdering reporters could not hold but discover the truth of the matter and that Giles of Bretaigne would have done any thing that the duke his brother would have had him to doe which comming to the dukes eares he was nigh out of his wits for his brothers death and caused the reporters to be hanged and to die with great and rigorous paines and executions Behold the end of Giles of Bretaign and the reward which such Marmosets received which were cause of his death Hereof Princes may note a rule Not to beleeve too easily reports made of men without hearing them but especially when it toucheth life One day before the emperour Adrian there was one Alexander which accused I. 3. 9. idem Diu. D. de Testi 6. of certaine crimes one Aper and for proofe of those crimes he produced certaine informations in writing against Aper which he had caused to be taken in Macedon Adrian mocked at it and said to Alexander the accuser that these informations were but paper and inke and it might be made at pleasure but in criminall causes we must not beleeve witnesses in writing but witnesses themselves
of their naturall effects as the fire cannot bee without his heating nor light without shining so that a man debonaire and gentle I speake of all men in generall but especially of a prince the chiefe meanes to obtaine the favour grace amity and reverence of the people he cannot avoide when he will but feele great utilities agreeable contentments pleasures benefits great assurance farre from all feare and most exceeding great repose and tranquilitie in his soule and conscience But in order to diduce the good effects utilities which proceede from clemencie I doe advertise the reader that I speake of that vertue in his most ample signification according whereunto it comprehendeth not onely mercie and kindnesse towards offenders but also bountie goodnesse of nature mansuetude of manners popularitie and facilitie to accommodate himselfe to the peoples humors and to all such as a man hath to command also humanity and officious affabilitie towards all men For briefely all these aforesaid vertues are like the honnie and sweetnesse of a well complectioned and setled soule which sweetnesse may well bee called in one word Clemencie although according to his divers effects and respects men give it divers names This naturall kindnesse and bounty of the soule then which men call Clemencie being in a prince the first produceth this effect that shee will soften and mitigate the punishments of offendors yea sometimes will forgive and altogether acquit them according as the circumstances of the fact and of the persons doe require For a prince ought well to consider When How To whom Wherefore he pardoneth a fault because it is not clemency but crueltie as the king S. Lewis said when a prince may doe justice and doth it not But forsomuch as equitie is the soule of justice which oftentimes is repugnant and contrarie to the rigour of lawes and ordinances therefore a prince must needes employ his clemencie to bring equitie in use by dispensing with the punishment of offendors which should suffer by the rigor of lawes But if there bee no equitie nor vailable reason to persuade a prince to dispense with the law then is hee bound to doe justice otherwise hee merits to be reputed not clement but cruell and culpable of the crime which he would not vouchsafe to punish And in this point very necessarie it is that a prince bee wise and vigilant to guard himselfe that hee be not surprised nor deceived and that he use not crueltie in steade of clemencie by the ordinarie opportunitie of such as sue for pardons And not to fal into this inconvenience whensoever the fact is of evill example and that the commonwealth hath interest therein the prince ought not to use remission and grace without knowledge of the cause and without good counsell The emperour Marcus Antonine governed himselfe very wisely in his use of clemencie to such as committed crimes for as to them which had not perpetrated Capit. Dio. in Marâ—o Vulc. Gallicanus in Avidio Cassio great and erronious faults and had not taken a custome therein he mitigated and lenified such punishments as were ordained by lawes by some other lighter punishment So in weightie crimes of evill consequence he was inexorable for them had no favour much lesse pardon And in regard of offences committed against himselfe particularly hee was as prompt and voluntarie to pardon as was possible and so it appeared in the case of Avidius Cassius For Cassius being in Esclavonia with a Romane armie hearing a false report that this good emperour was dead and beleeving this fame to be true he enterprised to make himselfe emperour and for such made himselfe to bee knowne and saluted by his armie After having certaine notice that he was in good health hee was much abashed and withall troubled that so rashly he had enterprised upon his masters estate yet notwithstanding hee desisted not from holding carrying himselfe as an emperour fearing that some would sley him so soone as hee forsooke his forces having so farre embarked and engaged himselfe therein yet could he not shun that which he so much feared for hee was slaine by certaine of his captaines which thought thereby greatly to please Marcus Antonine and carried to him his head Antonine seeing the head of Cassius was exceeding greeved and sorrowfull thereat and said to them which brought it That they should not have slaine him since hee had not so commaunded for so had they taken from him the use of mercie Hee rather desired they had brought him alive that he might have reproched the benefites received at his hands and with reason have shewed him how little cause he had to conspire against him so also might hee have shewed himselfe a better friend unto Cassius than Cassius had done to him Yea but Sir replied one of the captaines What if by sparing the life of Cassius he had gotten the victorie of you We doe not feare that answered the emperour for wee have not so honoured the gods nor lived in such sort as Cassius could have vanquished us No good princes or very few were at any time vanquished or slaine or despoiled of their estate but only such as well merited it as Nero Caligula Otho Vitellius and other like which were cruell and full of vices and like Galba and Pertinax which were exceedingly given to covetousnesse than which vice nothing becomes a prince worse But Augustus Traian Adrian our father Antonius Pius and such like as they modestly governed so deceased they honourably and without violence Cassius was a good and valiant captaine whose fault wee desired to have pardoned because it rather proceeded of temeritie than of evill will against us beeing persuaded when he made his enterprise that we had ben dead and although he could never have excused himselfe but that he had greatly injured our children which by right and reason ought to succeed us in our estate yet would not wee have had him to die for that for if our children merited to succeed us in the empite Cassius could not have overthrowne their estate but if contrary Cassius had better deserved than they to governe the comomwealth and had been better beloved it had also been reasonable and just hee had been emperour By this answere of that good emperour a man may see how facile and easie he was to pardon offences against him which is a very covenable vertue in a prince for a prince can hardly rigorously punish faults committed against himselfe but he shall be taxed and blamed for rigour and crueltie although the fault merit greevous punishment as the same emperour witnesseth by his missive rescribed unto the Senate which made too rigorous a pursute against the complices of Cassius And because the said letters containe notable sentences worthie of such a prince I will here translate them I pray saith he and require you Masters that in regard of the Cassian conspiration you will depose and lay aside your censure and conserve my pietie and
generositie and hardinesse came to besiege new Carthage in Spain which the Carthaginians of Affricke had founded there and did so much as hee got it by assault Besides the great riches which he found within the towne he found there also within that towne a good number of Spanish hostages which the Carthaginians held there for the better assurance of other townes of Spaine which they had regained upon the Romanes after the death and overthrow of the Scipioes and their hoast Scipio as soone as the towne was taken caused all the hostages to be brought before him and wished them to take good courage and that they should feare nothing for they were falne into the power of the Romane people which loved better to bind men unto them by good deeds than by feare and to joyne all strange nations unto them rather by a societie than by a sad servitude After hee had thus encouraged them hee dispatched messengers through all Spaine to the end every man might come thither to seeke his hostages and in the meane while gave expresse charge to Flaminius his treasurer to handle them well and honourably Amongst other hostages there was a young ladie of a great house which was brought to Scipio which was of so great beautie that as she passed by she dreweach mans regard upon her This ladie was fianced unto one Allucius prince of the Celtiberians Scipio taking knowledge of her parents and to whom shee was fianced also that Allucius extreamely loved her he sent for them all Her parents came with a great quantitie of gold and silver for her ransome Allucius came also They all beeing present before Scipio hee said to that young prince Allucius My deare friend understanding that ardently you love this young ladie as her beautie well meriteth it I thought it good to keepe her for you as I would my affianced should be kept for me if the affaires of the commonweale permitted me to thinke upon the action of legitimate love in favor then of your affections I have preserved your loves inviolated in recompence whereof I only desire and pray you that from henceforth you will be friends unto the Roman people and if you will credit me as a good man that is desirous to follow the traces of my father and uncle which you knew Know you that in our towne there be many like to us and that there is no people in the world which you ought lesser to desire for enemies nor more for a friend After Scipio had thus graciously entertained this young prince he was so filled with shame and joy that presently he prayed the gods that they would acquite to Scipio that great benefit for hee could never doe it The said ladies parents stepped forward and presented unto him a great quantitie of gold and silver for their daughters ransome which although Scipio refused yet they pressed it so sore upon him that he accorded to take it and bad them lay it before him which they doing Scipio called Allucius and said unto him Good friend besides the dowrie which your father in law will give you my desire is that you will take this silver at my hands as an encrease of her dowrie Allucius very joyfull of so great a benefit thanking him greatly returned with his lover in great contentment unto his countrey where as soone as he came he sowed the fame of those things through all Spaine saying That there was come into that countrey a young lord like the gods which vanquisheth all men by armes by clemencie and magnificence Within a smal time after he came to the service of Scipio with 1400 horse Not long after came also to Scipio the parents of the other hostages which he had taken in new Carthage all which he yeelded unto them conditionally to be the Romanes friends Hee gave also to a great lord called Mandonius his wife who was sister of another great lord named Indibilis which were exceeding joyous thereof and promised Scipio all fidelitie Amongst those prisoners also there was found a young prince called Massiva the nephew of Massinissa king of Numidia which he sent to his uncle after he had honourably apparrelled mounted and accompanied him This was the cause that Massinissa stucke so firmely to the Romane partie wherein he constantly persevered all his life and greatly aided Scipio to the overthrow of the Carthaginians And as for the Spaniards whose hostages Scipio had sent home without ransome they performed many great favours to him in all his Spanish wars Breefely this great Clemencie kindnesse and gentlenesse of Scipio were the cause that all his high mightie enterprises were ever facile easie unto him But herein appeared in him a double Clemencie namely that the two lords above-named Mandonius and Indibilis revolted and so caused all their countrey to revolt also upon a false fame that run of Scipioes death But after finding the report false they resolved yet once againe to proove his Clemencie as an assured refuge and so went fell on their knees before him desiring pardon confessing their faults Scipio after he had rebuked them said unto them in this sort My friends by your merits you shall die but you shall live by the benefit of the Romane people And although the custome be to take all armes from rebels yet I will not take them from you but if you fall any more into such a fault I shall have reason with armes to take armes from armed people but not from disarmed Therefore seeing you have many times experimented the Romanes Clemencie take heed also you prove not their vengeance and wrath By this example then of Scipio it appeares that a prince ought alwaies to be enclined to Clemencie wherby he may obtaine friends augment his dominations shun Gods indignation the envie of men and to do to another that which he would should be done to himselfe This is it which Romulus said to the Antenates and Caeninians which hee had vanquished subjugated Although said he you have merited to suffer al extreame things for that you rather loved warre against us than our amitie yet many reasons Dioni Halic lib. 2. moove us to use our victorie moderately in respect of the indignation of the gods unto whom pride is odious the feare of the envie evill will of men and because we beleeve that Mercie and Clemencie is a great releese and remedie for the miseries and calamities of mortall men which we would gladly entreat of others in our owne distresses and calamities We therefore pardon you this fault and leave you in the same enjoiance of your goods as you were before The Romane Senat had alwayes Clemencie in great recommendation yea even towards them which had often rebeled The Ligurians which now we cal Genevois Titus Liviuâ— lib. 2. Dec. 2. rose up against the Romanes many times insomuch as they sent against them Marcus Popilius Consull with a puissant armie Popilius having subjugated and vanquished them