began to build a fortresse and hasted so well the building that within a small time it was guardable This gouernour carried himselfe very ill towards the Sienois and the souldiers became so insolent and cruell The insolence of the Spaniards in Siena that they were not to be endured and the Sienois did but lose time to go to the gouernour to complaine for hee was so farre from punishing the Spaniards for the euils which they committed that he himselfe fell to mocking of those which complained The Sienois then wearied with the ill behauiour of Don Diego and his souldiers resolued to send an honourable ambassade to the Emperour and hauing made choice of the principall gentlemen of their citie they sent them to the Emperour to complaine of the iniuries and indignities which were done vnto them by his gouernour and the Spaniards which were with him The Ambassadours were heard by the Emperour and were but slightly beleeued and in conclusion were sent backe to Don Diego who being offended that they had complained against him did and suffered to be done vnto them worse then was done before Wherfore the Sienois againe sent other Ambassadours in greater number then before to complaine to the Emperor of the same outrages committed by Don Diego and brought back the same answer which they likewise had before and were againe sent back to the same Gouernour by reason whereof the Sienois despairing of due reuenge and not expecting any release of their troubles for that they could not be heard by the Emperor fearing wholy to lose their libertie began to talke of rebellion of yeelding themselues to the French King which they did with all possible expedition and hauing slaine sundrie Spaniards and shut vp the rest in their Citadell they set vp the armes of France and submitted themselues vnto King Henry the second and if then Don Diego had bin taken in the towne and fallen into the hands of the Sienois in that furie surely they had done him no great pleasure And so Caesar for giuing too much credit to Don Diego and would not by other secret meanes be enformed of the truth and the complaints of the Sienois the Citie was brought to rebellion and infested with a most dangerous warre and finally Don Diego betooke himselfe to a priuate life which hee ought to haue done before Let Princes then vnderstand attentiuely them which complaine of their Gouernours let them enforme themselues of the truth and doe iustice to him who shall require the same if they will hold the Gouernours in their dutie and deliuer themselues from many displeasures CHAP. 52. Publike officers and ministers of Princes ought to be punished for example when they are found to haue done iniustice THere are some men the which confuted with certaine apparant reasons haue been of opinion that a Prince ought not to punish his publike officer being in publike charge of Magistrate when hee committeth in iustice and say that he ought not to be punished for three reasons to wit for not to diffame or dishonor the Magistracie or publike charge for not to be esteemed of small iudgement in chusing such a one for not to be accounted cruell and couetous in bereauing him both of his life and goods This opinion hath no good foundation and cannot stand but very weakly but Princes ought to haue this consideration that they suffer not to escape vnpunished the wrongs done by their officers constituted in charges and dignities and that for sundrie reasons and occasions that is to wit to shew themselues conseruers and preseruers and maintainers of their lawes which haue prescribed iust punishments for vniust Magistrates to maintaine their owne reputation which consisteth in this that they support and endure not in places of charge and gouernment vniust and couetous persons and that for example for in punishing one all the rest will beware the Prince shall not need to doe too great execution William King of Sicile caused a certaine Iudge to be â—leyed because he did not iustice in his charge William King of Sicilie surnamed the good imitating herein Artaxerxes caused an vniust Iudge to be fleyed and commaunded his skin to be fastened to the Iudgement seate vpon the which he afterwards set the sonne of the deceased Iudge to exercise iudgement and successiuely many others which proceeding alwaies iustly gaue no further occasion to the King to vse any more punishment Cosmo de Medicis great Duke of Tuscane during all the time of his raigne which was 38. yeeres or thereabouts had no occasion to inflict ouermuch punishment for that once only he cassed all the Magistrates of eight from the Balia for not proceeding in a certaine matter as they ought which gaue so great terror to all in generall that during his life time hee needed not to vse any such correction towards any such Magistrate and so all the rest gouerned themselues well and performed their dutie A Prince ought to punish the said officers and Magistrates to maintaine his owne reputation and to auoide the dishonor which he might incurre to be accounted a man of small effect or a wicked man of little wit for that he knoweth not or hath not the heart to punish or of wicked for that he will not punish which things make him contemptible and odious because that debilitie or basenes of minde maketh him despised and wickednes maketh him to be hated which are the most pernicious poysons that may be in any estate And hence it would follow that many would be of opinion that he did participate and had his share in such wrong doings for seeing that hee endureth the same a man might iudge or stand in great doubt that he had a hand therein and durst not punish them which enriched his coffers by any meane whatsoeuer Moreouer the Prince ought to punish his euill officers thereby to acquire vnto himselfe the generall good will of his subiects and opinion of a iust Prince for it is to be beleeued that such an officer is ill beloued of all And for this cause when a man seeth such a one punished they praise and loue their Prince which peraduenture before was ill beloued for suffering him Duke Valentin well knew this humour who seeing himselfe hated by the Romanes Duke Valentin caused Ramire de orco a Spaniard his Lieutenant to be slaine in Romania for doing iniustice by reason of the crueltie iniustice and ill behauiour of Remire de Orco a Spaniard his LieutenaÌ„t in Romania wherfore he caused him one morning to be slaine and cut in two pieces in the place of Cesena by which deed he acquired to himselfe the good will of all that prouince A man getteth nothing to say that he ought not to be punished which is in publike charge and dignitie for feare to dishonour the Magistracie and dignitie of the place for the Prince is more diffamed and dishonoured in supporting his iniustices then in punishing them And in like
he be farre or neere and to procure to know the state of his owne affaires and to prouide for them for feare that comming to the knowledge of his enemies they may make benefit of his disorder and confusion for the victorie of King Francis at Marignan had no other foundation but that hee knew the state of his owne affaires the will and desseignes of his enemies and gaue order for a new battaile CHAP. 63. Spies are necessarie for Princes or Generals of Armies and in what sort a man ought to carrie himselfe with them ALthough that the vse of a Spie be most profitable it is neuerthelesse most necessary for euery Prince and for euery Generall or Lieutenant of an Armie and principally for new Princes which liue in some doubt and feare of their states being vncertaine and vnassured of the loue of their Citizens and subiects yea and some haue iudged it so necessarie for a Prince to haue Spies that there haue been Princes who being disguised haue by night gone vp and downe in their Cities to vnderstand what was spoken and reported of them haue serued themselues for Spies as we reade of Nero and of others which is a thing very dangerous because it is a danger hazard of a mans life without any occasion as I will tell you hereafter This exercise of Spies hath not been vsed but by most vile and base persons of a most base blood and condition which being vnable or not knowing how otherwise to get their liuing applie theÌ„selues hereto which yeeldeth them great profit The Prince ought to be well aduised concerning such men because that being naturally wicked when they find in him any alteration and see him inclined to suspition and desirous to see bloud entertaining alwayes the euill like euill Physitions and oftentimes also augmenting the same they make him fearefull and melancholike and being most cunning in their reports being ouercome by false perswasions they make him become cruel Wherfore it is necessarie What harme espie may do by their report to Princes they make him become cruel Wherfore it is necessarie that the Prince bee discreet well aduised not standing vpon the report of one Spie onely but he ought to enfourme himselfe of the trueth by some other and he ought not to be negligent herein for feare to commit some faults being perswaded by the efficacie of the speeches of one onely spie who to maintaine his credit and profit regardeth not another mans hurt neither his Princes dishonour Wherefore it is good and profitable that the Prince haue sundrie and that the one know not the other to the end that the trueth of the reports agreeing many wayes he may redresse disorders A Prince ought to haue many spries the one not know â—ng the other and if they agree not hee may know the deceit of the spie which would haue had the Prince to haue made some faults and one spie alone may bee deceiued or deale maliciously these men euer beeing of ill meaning which haue a desire not so much to shew themselues zealous of the Princes profite as to see some euil And as for making account of such men they ought not to be esteemed so much as that the Prince should raise them to honours and publike dignities for it shal suffice to giue them profit and gaine without giuing them honours and magistracies in cities if perchance some Gentleman of a noble house which happeneth not oft to procure his Princes fauour 〈◊〉 ought not by the â—rince to be advanced to honours and publike charges set himselfe secretly to worke in this most profitable occupation for in this case publike dignitie being agreeing with the noblenes of his house it seemeth lawfull to me that the Prince depriue him of the honour of a Magistrate to be his secret spie because that in this manner hee should come to make himselfe manifest But speaking of other spies they ought not to be made great or raised to honour to dishonour the dignitie of the Magistrate by their presence being vnlawfull that Gentlemen which haue alwayes liued honourably should haue such a kind or manner of men for companions but they may be rewarded to the end that through the hope of profit they may be the more vigilant and prompt to do their endeuour Moreouer that spies are very necessarie for Generals and chiefe Commanders of Armies they which mannage and gouerne them know it well for without them hardly will it be knowne as it is said in the last Chapter the behauiour and practises of the enemie and to say the trueth it is impossble to know it Wherefore wise Warriours haue vsed all meanes to haue both tongue and eares euen in the very Tent and Pauillion of their enemie as also a wise Prince enforceth himselfe to haue friends and intelligence euen in the chambers of Emperous Kings by whose meanes they may be aduertised aduised of all that passeth For this cause the old Marques of Pescara The opinion of the Marques of Pescara wisely iudged it to be a matter of great importaÌ„ce to haue spies in the enemies Armie and not to faile to entertaine them with great kindnes money and rewards he did vse to say that things could not proue well to a Generall if he tooke not paine and care by all endeuour and expence to haue in the enemies Armie many spies to the end that according to the behauiour and practises of the enemie he might be resolued to take all occasions offered which might procure victorie It is true that they ought to take good heed in whom they trust for there are many which are double spies which to get from the one and the other make their affayres ill to prosper which repose trust in them and one double spie may doe more hurt and harme than ten faithfull and loyall doe good and profit to those which employ them Wherefore it is needfull that a Generall be well aduised and know him well in whom he repose trust if he will not be deceiued For this cause through aduenture The subtiltie of Gonsaluo Fernandez the great Captaine accompanied with his valour the great Captaine Gonsaluo Fernandes obtained so many victories in the Kingdome of Naples for he spared nothing to entertaine Spies Wherefore being in Spaine after the warres an account was demaunded of him of the administration and distribution of the money employed in those warres he shewed an account wherein were set downe two parties the one of them contained the summe of money employed vpon Spies and the other in almes vpon the religious and shewed that hee had employed more vpon Spies than vpon the poore for that the hyre of Spies amounted to the summe of 600494. Crownes and the Almes giuen to those which prayed to God to giue him the victorie amounted to the summe of 200736. Crownes CHAP. 64. Sundrie Captaines haue obtained very great victories in the warres with very little losse of their owne
man then doth deferre and loseth time the enterprise is pestered and in danger to proue ill Wherefore when a man hath concluded to doe a thing and the qualitie of the matter requireth diligence it ought speedily to bee executed for the delaying may in an instant alter the estate of the affaires prouided that a man be not troubled by certaine accidents which he could not foresee and so turned from that which he ought to haue put in effect principally in the warres and conseruation of things alreadie gotten for the least fault which a man committeth may giue leisure and occasion to the enemie so to prouide that all the plots and counsels how good soeuer shall serue to no purpose Enterprises ought to be consulted of in cold blood and executed in hot blood And for this cause men say that counsels and enterprises are to be taken in hand in cold blood and the execution thereof to bee done in hot blood That to deferre and delay the execution of things first well deuised is the occasion of losse and harme may plainly be seene by Charles the 8. King of France who hauing happily conquered the realme of Naples lost when he returned into France much time and was slow in sending according to the resolution taken garrisons and prouisions necessarie for the keeping of those things which he had gotten For he was no sooner out of Italie but hee began to lose all and the occasion was that while as he was at Lions and ought speedily to haue prouided for the wars and to returne presently againe into Italie hee tooke without reason and without consideration of the importance of the affaires post horse Guicci lib. 3. and rode to Paris to see a Ladie which hee much loued His departure was the cause that the affaires of Naples went from euill to worse for they which had the guard of Castles and Fortresses and did attend succours from France seeing it so farre off and so long a comming compounded with the enemie and lightly rendred that which they had easily gotten And so the losse of time and negligence in affaires of great importance well deuised but ill executed was cause of the shamefull losse of a Realme conquered with great glorie Don Hugues de Moncado Viceroy of Naples committed the same fault in the yeare 1528. when the Lorde of Lautrech was before Naples with a French Armie for the said Moncado had determined to disperse and scatter the Fleete and armie by Sea of Phillipin de Doria which held all the coast of Salern in subiection and did stoppe the passage of victuals and other prouision to goe to Naples he rigged certaine vessels and furnished them with braue Souldiers with whom went many Lords and the same Don Hugues himselfe in person The said Armie in good order being parted from Polisippo arriued at the Isle of Capra where Don Hugues did this notable fault that to no purpose hee lost much time and this losse of time with the diligence of Phillipin who hauing sented the determination of the Imperialists had somewhat prouided for his affaires was the cause that the succours which hee had demaunded of the Lord of Lautrech had time to arriue at Doria his Armie and to put themselues in order to fight and the time was so short that the French had scarcely setled themselues in the Gallies when Don Hugues arriued and they must fight where Doria remained victour and Don Hugues was slaine and many Lords were taken prisoners and so Moncado to his hurt and losse gaue example to others not to lose time about needlesse things in enterprises which haue neede of diligence He deserueth not to bee blamed who doth not speedilie execute his determination if he be hindred by some strange accident which could not be foreseene before it came and whereto a man could yeeld no remedie after it was come as that which happened to Peter de Medicis when with his forces hee tooke his way towards Florence and to haue reentred into it for if he had not been hindred his comming was so sudden that they within had not had leasure to haue made resistance But when Peter was vpon the way there fell so great and continuall raine that he was constrained to stay and could not get to the Citie before it was late and this stay gaue time to his aduersaries within to Arme themselues and to make him resistance CHAP. 76. Those Princes which make no account of their Generals which faithfullie serue them but giue them occasion to forsake their pay and seruice commit great faults THe dishonest and vituperable vice of ingratitude ought by Princes Common-wealths to be auoyded as most vnworthie to be lodged in royall hearts and the breasts of noble Senatours and if a man euer ought to flye it in any thing he ought principally to doe it in the behalfe of Captaines and others chiefe Commaunders in the warres by whom the Prince hath been faithfully serued prouided that the fault grow not from themselues And whether it be either Prince or Common-wealth that be reduced to this point to be ingratefull to those who valiantly and faithfully haue serued them a man may say that they are fallen blinde and that not onely they haue small care of their reputation but that they perceiue not that they incurre great dangers which are of importance This ingratitude of custome riseth through many occasions among which this is one that a man knowing sometime that he hath receiued a great pleasure and cannot sufficiently recompence it he resolueth to pay it with ingratitude But speaking to the purpose I say that a Prince which giueth occasion to his Captaines to forsake him after that they haue well and truly serued him and to goe oftentimes to the seruice of his enemies besides the spot and staine of ingratitude he incurreth the dishonour and blame of auarice and it is to be deemed that the same proceedeth from the inconsideration of him who is now escaped out of the necessitie and danger wherein he was who thinketh that he shall neuer returne and reenter into the same againe Of this condition are those who hauing had a Generall or other chiefe and valorous conductor in their seruice in the warres for the least occasion that may happen estrange themselues vnto them and displace them with small reputation for their parts and vsing vnciuill demeanour toward them giue them occasion to leaue them and goe to their enemies This manner of proceeding is very dangerous and draweth after it many euils which afterwards proue remedilesse for a man can giue no greater ioy to an enemie than this to wit to giue him meanes to draw from him men that are valiant and faithfull and to bring them to his seruice for this cause the sayings of Artaxerxes vsed to Themistocles the Athenian who was banished by his Citizens and comming to see him were much commended I cannot said he desire a greater euill to mine enemies than that being
bands of faith dutie honour and neerenes of blood being generall of the Army royall high Constable of the Kingdome of Naples and owner and possessor of many estates in that Kingdome notwithstanding all this seeing it was not in his power to saue the King his benefactor neither to warrant him against the victorious armies of Trance and finding it not expedient to come to ruine with him to the great meruaile of the French themselues consented that his Sonnes should compound with the French and serue the King of France Wherefore it may well be said that Virginio did this through extreme necessitie and bitter griefe of heart the proper interests being of such nature that they cause pleasures receiued to be forgotten how great soeuer they were by reason whereof it may be said that if the little acknowledgement or ingratitude of Vrsin was not lawfull yet neuerthelesse it was excusable The other example was of Prospero and Fabritio Colonna who hauing shewed great prowesse and done many feates of armes for the King of France in the conquest of Naples and were much honored by that King and receiued of him many benefits yet neuerthelesse when the French power began to decline in Italie after the seruice of Tare Prospero and Fabritio considering that Charles going into France could not maintaine them in the estates which he had giuen them and that Ferdinand his great enemie began to haue the better hand in the warres of Naples constrained likewise by necessitie and through desire to continue in their estates concluded an agreement with Ferdinand and comming to his seruice holpe him to recouer againe that estate which a little before Guicciar lib. 2 Prospero and Fabritio Columna returne to the seruice of Ferdinand King of Naples they sought by all meanes to make him to leese They are likewise excused for departing from the French Kings seruice for as much as Virginio Vrsin and the Countie de Petiglian without any desert were highly cherished and much made of by the King whereat being grieued as at an iniurie receiued they forsooke his seruice and serued King Ferdinand wherefore if the ingratitude of the Colonnois to the Crowne of France were not lawfull yet it was in some sort excusable seeing that ordinarilie an iniurie hath greater power in our hearts then a pleasure or a good turne receiued and he which doth an iniurie or wrong through necessitie is farre more excusable then he who doth it willingly for such a one can neuer yeelde any sufficient excuse CHAP. 4. He who by himselfe or another beginneth any dangerous enterprise without consideration of the end bringeth both himselfe and others into danger and is often constrained to do things little to his Honour ONe of the most principall parts that are in a wise man yea the first and the greatest is to consider the end and issue of any enterprise which as well in the beginning as in the pursute and end thereof may be very dangerous as well for him which doth it as for those which are by him perswaded to be a partie and with him to enter into the action For those which before hand consider not of the end weighing and balancing the same with good aduise and counsell neither taking any care or regard vntill the last harme and danger that may happen ought not to meruaile if afterwards to their great dommage blame and shame they be constrained to doe some thing very little for their honour and whosoeuer to please his present humour and to doe that which commeth into his fantasie vndertaketh such an exploite without hauing regard vnto the good which he might foresee if he followed the rules of reason and by foresight might embrace certainely sheweth himselfe vnwise And as for him who by perswasions and allurements seeketh to draw another into such an action if he who is so perswaded to intermeddle therein haue not the same consideration a man may well say that one blind man leadeth another vntill both fall into the ditch and are constrained in the end the one to lose his reputation and honour another his goods and his meanes another his estate and dignitie and another his life It is true that it may seeme impossible to be able to discouer and foresee the last losse and perill which may happen in a dangerous enterprise yet neuerthelesse to consider of the generall harmes and most neere vnto the last ruine and destruction seemeth not very hard and difficill to him who hath although neuer so little experience in the affaires of the world and especially in the wars For who so feeleth and knoweth himselfe able and sufficient to begin such an enterprise and to support and maintaine the same may boldly vndertake it but hee who knoweth himselfe insufficient ought not to enter into any such action neither to be perswaded or inticed thereunto by those which take pleasure aloofe off to see other mens tragedies which sometimes perswade and exhort one man to doe another man a mischiefe Let not him which is not of power sufficienterprises enterprises which he cannot maintaine Guicciar lib. 2. little knowing what wrong they doe therein and afterward repent them of their former sayings when they are constrained to thinke better of their fault when it is too late and pastremedy One of the reasons as saith Guicciardin which moued Pope Alexander the sixt not to accord and agree with Charles the eight King of France when he with his victorious armie ouerranne the territorie of Rome was this That he remembred himselfe to haue bin one of the first which by all meanes incited and procured the French King to the enterprise of Naples and afterward without any occasion with all hostilitie he resisted him imploying therein both authoritie counsell and armes which proceeded of no other thing then through want of foresight and consideration of the euils and harmes that might arise through the passage of so mightie a Kings armie through the middest of his Countrey going to execute that enterprise which by his instignation was vndertaken the execution whereof could not be effected without some discommoditie and trouble vnto him Lewes Sforce was led by the like inconsideration who would with all post-hast satisfie his owne will and humour which he had to rule and to bereaue his Nephew of his estate he called the French into Italie and when he perceiued his fault and could not remedie it and had well considered in the end that which he should haue foreseene and considered in the beginning this vnwise and vnaduised Prince lost miserably both his estate and his life a thing which will euer happen vnto those men which without considering the last end begin and vndertake or cause to be begun and vndertaken enterprises of great danger CHAP. 5. That the euill Genies or vncleane Spirits suffer themselues to be seene and heard by men and haue appeared vnto sundry foretelling them of many things to come I Would not willingly let passe without
consideration this place of our author where hee telleth of the appearing of the Spirit of Ferdinand to his Chirurgion whose words are these Guiâ—â—iaâ— lib. 1 The report also is if it be lawfull altogether not to contemne such things that the Spirit of Ferdinand did three seuerall nights appeare to Iames A 〈…〉 Iaques a 〈…〉 of Ferdinand King 〈…〉 the chiefe Chirurgion of the Court and that first with fayre words and afterwards with many threatnings he charged him to say vnto Alphonse from him that hee should not thinke or account himselfe able to withstand the King of France for that it was predestinated that his race being tyred with infinit troubles and accidents and being deprined of so excellent a kingdome should at last be extinct c. Vpon which words I haue deemed and thought it fit to discouer and know whether these apparitions be true and reall or phantastick imaginations whereof there is so good testimonie as well in holie Scripture as prophane writers so as it might seeme rashnes and heresie 〈…〉 to affirme the contrarie Secondly it is said that Spirits are of two sorts to wit good and euill and that both the one and the other appeare the good are sent from God and the wicked by Gods permission are forced by Magicke and vnlawfull arts to appeare and shew themselues and sometimes shew themselues voluntarilie as that which tempted our Sauiour Iesus Christ in the desart The good Spirits which are sent from God are for the good and benefit of man but those which are constrained through Magicke are for the most part Ambassadours and messengers of euill Thirdly I say that they appeare either in bodies taken and borrowed or in dreames to him that sleepeth which is common aswell to the good as the wicked as the Angell of Tobie who tooke a humane bodie A Spirit appeared to Saul in the likenes of Samuel and that of Saul also who by the meanes of the Enchantresse tooke the likenes of Samuel for it seemeth that wicked Spirits haue this propertie to shew themselues in such forme as they desire which see them wherefore he appeared in the shape and likenes of Samuel to Saul who desired to see and speake to Samuel for the Scripture saith that he knew him by his garment and by his face Moreouer they appeare in diuers shapes Spirits appeare in â—â—â—ers formes and most commonly monstrous fearefull and hideous as may well be gathered out of sundry histories Plutarch saith that the euill Genius or Daemon of Dion of Syracusa appeared vnto him in the likenesse of a woman clothed in blacke sweeping the house the which did so much amaze him lying alone that he was much afraid The Genius or Daemon of Brutus appeared to him in the forme of a horrible humane bodie at his Tent or Pauillion doore as Appian Alexandrin and Plutarch doe both witnesse And to the Emperour Iulianus Apostata a Spirit appeared in the likenesse of a leane pale-faced man holding a horne of abundance in his hand couered with a black cloath They appeare also in dreames to those which sleepe which is of the good To what kind of men they appeare as wee reade of the spirit of Ferdinand which appeared to his Chirurgion Some are of opinion that they appeare to good and religious men and to couragious wicked men and to such as certainly beleeue that there are such The wicked Genius appeare vnto holy and good men as wee reade of many Saints they appeare to valiant wicked men as is said of Dion of Brutus and Iulianus Apostata the one of which shewed himselfe an ouer-hardie and audacious freer of his countrie the other was ingratefull and betrayed Caesar the third renounced Christ They doe likewise shew themselues to them who beleeue that there are such for the Spirit which appeared to Brutus did not appeare to Cassius who did not beleeue that there were any such for he was an Epicurian and for that cause when Brutus told him what he had seene hee fell into a great laughter and said it was but a melancholy humour Fourthly some say that they neuer prognosticate but euill which they doe either by voyce by signes or by doubtfull speeches by the voyce which is vnderstood they foretell the euill to come as that which represented Samuel who told Saul that his armie should be ouerthrowne and put to flight prognosticating to him his own death and the death of his sonnes and all that which happened vnto him in the Mount Gilboa They foreshew euill to come by signes as that which appeared to Dion in the shape of an vgly woman which went vp and down the house with a beesome for a little after this vision Dion was slaine through a conspiracie and a sonne of his which was then well growne in a melancholike humour cast himselfe from the top of the house 〈…〉 and was slaine and Areta his wife and sonne which was borne to him in prison Aristomacha his sister and Ipparin his nephew were drowned in the sea by Iretas sometimes a friend to Dion And so the diuell foreshewed vnto him that death should sweepe his house that is to say should extinguish his whole race And by another contrarie signe hee foreshewed vnto the Emperour Iulianus his death when hee appeared vnto him with a heauie countenance couered with blacke which is the token of death They prognosticate also by doubtfull speeches without resolution as it did to Brutus when his Daemon said vnto him I will see thee againe in the plaines at Philippos And sometimes by expresse and plaine words as the Spirit of Ferdinand to his Chirurgion who told him expressely of the losse of that kingdome and that his great linage and race should be extinct This discourse shall suffice for this place which I accounted worthie to be considered of CHAP. 6. That it is a dangerous matter to iest and scoffe with men which are of valour and as some say which haue their blood in their nayles THE small consideration which is sometimes held in conuersing with men maketh some persons to fall into errors which they perceiue not vntill they are committed and they beare the losse and dishonour thereof Of which number there are some which make profession of laughing iesting and scoffing with others nothing perceiuing when they doe it that they are held for fooles for their labour or else incurre certaine danger which maketh them afterwards repent that euer they vsed such iesting Iests ought not to passe but betweene equall persons or such as are neere equals or sometimes betweene the greater and his inferiour or betweene the inferiour and the greater When a iest passeth betweene persons of equall qualitie and seemeth rather a greeting then a nipping or dog-biting it is tolerable there is no danger therein as that of Lewes Sforce with Peter de Medicis Peter excusing himselfe for that hee did not meete Lewes to doe him honour vpon the way Guicciar
kingdome of Naples Peter hauing resolued to continue constant in the friendship of Alphonse of Arragon King of Naples would neuer giue eare to the French King who desiring to enter into league with him and offered him many faire conditions to which league all the whole citie seemed to leane and to yeeld as inclined and well affected to the French nation For afterwards when the French armies began to haue the better in Italie and the name of the French to be terrible and the affaires of those of the house of Arragon to decline from ill to worse Peter repenting him of his resolute determination to asswage the wrath of Charles 〈…〉 Charles the S. King of 〈…〉 to Peeter de Medicis went to S. Peters to see and speak with him in person where being receiued by the King with better countenance then good will the King made vnreasonable demaunds which were that presently the Fortresses of Serezana and Serezanell which are the keyes of the Florentine Seignorie should be giuen into his hands with the Fortresses of Liuorne and of Pisa and that the Florentines by his meanes should lend him 200000. Ducats and vpon this condition hee would take them into his protection Peter yeelded to all these demands and taking vpon him more authoritie then he ought yeelded the Holds and Fortresses aboue said without out the counsel of the citizens without order from the Magistrates and without giuing the Common-wealth to vnderstand thereof Which being vnderstood at Florence did so moue the harts of the people against him that being returned to the Citie hee was verie vnwelcome Peter de Medicis chased from Florence and by the furie of the Citizens was driuen from the Pallace and out of the Citie and declared and proclaimed a Rebell If in any case it be a matter doubtful yea or very dangerous to passe the bounds of the authoritie receiued and as a man may say play the Prince whereas is no neede it is principally in charges and commaunds in the warres where euery fact done in this manner by a Generall is sufficient to put such iealousie in the hearts of his superiours and make his trust and faith so suspect to the Prince who gaue him such charge that he cannot be put from his gouernment without preiudice of his reputation and daunger of his life Paulo Vitellio a man most valorous and in his time one of the chiefe and most renowned Captaines in Italie being by the Florentines established and made Generall of their armie against the Pisans in that time wherein they were vnder the sauegard and protection of the Venetians for one onely fact wherein he vsurped more authoritie then belonged vnto him put the Florentines in such iealousie and suspition of him that taking all his doings in ill part in the end they bereued him of his life This man being at Casantin against the Venetian armie led by the Duke of Vrbin Bartelmy Liuiano Astor Baglioni and other honourable Captaines all which he did so valiantly resist that he did not onely stop the passage against them but also besieged them with their principall Captaines within Bibienna a Castle of the Casantin The Duke of Vrbin fell sicke in this siege who desired Vitellio to giue him a safeconduct to goe to take Phisicke and to cure himselfe and this Paul vsurping a little too much authoritie Guicciar lib. 4 without acquainting the Florentine Commissioners herewith who represented the state of the Common-wealth gaue safeconduct to the Duke and to Iulian de Medicis a rebell to the Seignorie Common-wealth which made him so suspected that they began to marke his behauiour and the manner of his proceedings for they mistrusted him to haue some secret intelligence with the enemie And for this cause when they afterwards sawe that without any occasion hee abandoned the Fortresse of Stampace which was taken by force and that being able to followe the victorie against the Pisans he tooke no care to pursue them but vsurping supreame power and authoritie hee raised the siege from before Pisa without the leaue or knowledge of the Florentine Commissioners they began to hold for certaine that which before they but doubted Paulo Vitellio condemned to dye by the Florentines in such sort that to rid themselues of this suspition and feare and to giue example to their other Leaders and Commanders of armies they put him to death by order of Iustice But except it were vpon some extreame accident or to auoide some manifest and present danger it were ill done for a man to attribute to himselfe more authoritie then he ought and to promise also that which is not in his power to performe as the Lord of Tremouille who being for Lewes the 12. King of France Generall of his armie against Henry the 8. King of England which made warre against the French King before Terouenne and Tournay The said Generall hauing vnderstood that an armie of 20000. Swissers had besieged Dijon the head Citie of Bourgundy thereby to constraine the French King to giue ouer his claime to the Dutchie of Milan and the said Lord of Tremouille seeing the great danger wherein the realme of France was The Lord of Tremouille with absolute power coucluded a peace with the Swissers notwithstanding that it was vpon very vnworthie conditions hee vsurped and attributed to himselfe more authoritie then to him appertained so as promising that which he could not performe neither had commission to promise he came to parley with the chiefe conductors of the Swissers and promised them that the King of France should surrender the right which he pretended to the state of Milan and to assure his promise he gaue thē 4. French gentlemen in ostage The Lord Generall took this resolution knowing that if the citie of Dijon were taken and lost and that if that nation should not giue ouer to vexe the French King being alreadie tired with warres the Swissers on the one side and the English on the other might without any let march to Paris gates Peter de Medicis might peraduenture haue the same consideration in making his treatie with the King of France who seeing his countrie in great daunger for that the King was in armes victorious displeased with the Florentine Common-wealth and neere vnto Florence but this warlike people easily to bee moued to despite and indignation iudging otherwise of his doings then hee deserued chased him out of the towne and proclaimed him Rebell So as in summe a man ought so moderately to vse the authoritie receiued and to carrie himselfe in such sort that he giue his Prince no cause to be iealous of him by taking vpon him as a Prince when as he is but an inferiour and a seruant it is farre better to shew that he respecteth his Prince by giuing him to vnderstand of all his purposes and enterprises than by vsurping equalitie seeme to make no account of him CHAP. 14. VVhether a publike seruant of a Prince or Common-wealth
certaine rules and precepts which this author giueth in diuers places it shall be seene that they failed not in doing as they did First I remember to haue read in one of his discourses wherein he sheweth that the Romanes neuer had two warres together at one time although they had many one after another but not two at any one time together standing vpon this ground I would aske the author how the Romanes would haue behaued themselues and maintained their greatnes if after the ouerthrow of Cannas by Hanniball they had had to deale with foure Hannibals togethers at one instant all conspired to their ouerthrow and ruine I am of opinion that being oppressed by their ill fortune they would hardly haue retained the hautie courage which they shewed hauing to deale but with one Wherefore if the Venetians after their ouerthrow at Vaila had had to deale but with the King of France alone as the Romanes with Hanniball alone this halfe ouerthrow of Adda had not made them so much discouraged yea they would not haue taken any great care with the rest of the armie which was saued with the Earle of Patiglian and one of their Pouruours amounting to the number of 25000. men and with many others which were gathered and ioyned togethers but would haue resisted the King and retained their former courage and peraduenture surmounted their aduersarie But being to fight not onely against one enemie but against fiue or sixe at once vnited and coniured together who had concluded in the Castle of Cambray and resolued to ruinate them and to make warre against them all at one instant and euery one apart it is not to bee wondred at though they could not shew the vertue that was within them by their exteriour forces seeing that according to the common Prouerbe men say Ne Hercules contra duos that Hercules himselfe is not sufficient to fight against two at once one onely Common-wealth then could worse resist and make head against Pope Iulius the second the Emperour the kings of Fraunce and of Spaine besides other pettie Princes which altogether rose and made warre against them in diuers places as the Duke of Ferrara the Marques of Mantoua and the Frangipani Infrioli So as it could not be said that the Lords of Venice had not one only warre as the Romanes had but foure together and each of them with great Princes each of which was sufficiently able to wage warre with them alone for this cause the Common-wealth of Venice did not deserue to be reckoned in the nomber of the weake Common-wealths neither was there any comparison betweene the disgraces happened to Rome and that which befell the Venetians And moreouer seeing that the Venetian Common-wealth by the Authour of these discourses is placed in rancke with weake Common-wealthes he ought rather for pitie to haue excused the weakenesse and debilitie thereof then to haue charged it with cowardize and to be basely discouraged for a weake person shewing weakenesse and debilitie deserueth not to be blamed for it but rather to be pitied Furthermore a man may say that the Venetians lost not the vertue of their courage but concealed and hid it for a time so as it plainely appeareth that so soone as there was but one haire of fortunes periwig presented vnto them that there began to shine but one little sun-beame of hope but presently they tooke hold thereof and then manifesting the vertue which for a time lay hidden they boldly reentred into their enterprises and mocking at the leagues and forces of their enemies vnited against them they recouered and in short space reconquered all that which they had rather let goe astray then lost in Lombardy To the rest the same Authour in the eleuenth discourse of his third booke ☞ giueth a rule and aduertisement that when many that are puissant and mightie are ioyned and vnited togethers against one other that is mightie although that they all being vnited be farre mightier then hee a man ought neuerthelesse to hope better of him alone which is the weaker then in all them although in number they be most mightie for this that he alone vsing a little industrie may disunite and separate them asunder prouided alwayes that he be so valorous as that hee may be able to resist the first brūts of their assaults temporizing and attending occasion Heare what this Authour saith and after addeth and alleadgeth the example of the Venetians when in the yeere 1484. they had all Italie banded against them by which meanes they were wholy ouerthrowne and vndone and could not keepe the field with their armie through an agreement made with Lewes More gouernour of Milan and a practise and deuice they deliuered themselues of that trouble recouered the countrie which they had lost and vsurped part of the Dutchie of Ferrara This aduertisement being founded vpon the example of the Venetians I know not wherefore a man should impute that to their basenes now which was then accounted for good industrie and I know not wherefore a man should say of them that in the yeere 1484. they were wise men and that in the yeere 1508. they were ill aduised There were many which were puissant vnited against one that was puissant they which were vnited and conioyned togethers were more mightie than this alone how could the Venetian Lords then hope to haue the better and to disunite the Princes vnited and combined in league togethers to their ruine but to serue their turnes by industrie to grant vnto the Pope that which he instantly demaunded to giue to the King of Spaine those Ports which hee desired and to demonstrate vnto the Emperour that they would doe that which he required wherefore should that be accompted basenes which afterwards shewed it selfe to be wisedome And if the Venetians were not so valorous as to resist and support the first force and assault they found neuerthelesse the meanes to temporize vntil they might be able to disunite the other Princes from the King of France against whom was the principall quarrell and by whom they were ouercome and put to flight and for this cause they gaue especiall charge to Anthony Iustinian their Ambassadour with the Emperour to conclude a peace with him vpon what condition soeuer They sent no Ambassadours to the French King who had ouercome and defeated them neither to raunsome their prisoners neither did they make any shew to stand in any doubt of him alone Wherefore the resolution of these Lords was to haue warres onely with him as the Romanes had with Hanniball alone and therefore they vsed all meanes to bring it to passe that he might remaine alone for that they doubted not so to vnite and reinforce their troupes to fight with him and to ouercome him if possiblie And whosoeuer shall with iudgement reade Guicciardin shall see that the Venetian Lords did very wisely to vse this expedition to disunite the Princes for they were no lesse to feare some ciuill tumult within
Spanish Armie did yeeld to any of their demands without the performance of all that which they had required But the ambition of the Gonfalonier the deceitfull hope of the people and the desire of glory in him which gouerned put the State in great hazard So shall it euer come to those which grounded vpon the vanitie of their conceits loue better foolishly to follow the deceitfull hope of better fortune then to embrace and wisely accept of good and reasonable offers for a good composition can neuer be so base but that it is some honour to him which accepteth thereof and a man ought by so much the more to consider of this point by how much more the enemie with whom he is to deale is mightie and puissant CHAP. 45. Jt is a great fault when confederats are slow in helping one another in time of daunger and the losse and dammage that riseth thereof WHen a Prince or Common-wealth desireth league or confederacy to offend or defend this groweth not but through the consideration of his owne forces for an estate which would offend or defend it selfe from the force and violence of another and knoweth that their owne forces are not sufficient to resist or offend hath recourse to the ayde or succours neere or farre off according as it best fitteth his purpose though the succours which a man requireth from farre off be for the most part and to say the truth in a manner alwaies vnprofitable and hurtfull ☞ for a towne which cannot defend it selfe by their owne forces and desireth succours from farre off resembleth a man which falleth sicke of some dangerous disease in some village farre from the Citie in such sort that hee must send to the Citie for the Phisition through the farre distance whereof either the sicke man dyeth or the comming of the Phisition serueth to no purpose for that the disease hath taken so great hold on him that it is growne incurable and so when the aide and succour is farre off of force the Citie so assailed must fall into the enemies hands A man may see an example in Sagunt the which being besieged by the Carthaginians attended succours from Rome and Sienna being besieged by the Emperours armie hoped of succours from France in the yeere 1554. And finally the Isle of Cypres being assailed in the yeere 1570. by the Turkes forces had hope of succours though farre off from the Lords of Venice The leagues and confederacies are then much better which are made with neighbours neere at hand and those which may be easily called and may easily helpe But those which are bound in a league and required to giue succour and neuerthelesse deferre the giuing thereof or are cold in sending put their friends in daunger purchase blame to themselues and the name and report to be cold friends and little friendly and by this coldnesse they marre all the busines which might haue brought honour and profit to all for those which demaunde ayde are hot in their attempts and if they which are called be cold mixing this with that it maketh a luke-warmenes which is nothing worth and this is the reason why leagues for the most part come to no good effect And for this cause when two or three or more haue power to ioyne themselues together a man ought not then to be slowe in assembling and vniting his forces and to send them speedely where neede requireth because oftentimes they come too late The Carthagenians had a desire to sease and make themselues Masters of Sicilia and besiege Selinonte and the Selinontins which saw that their forces were not sufficient to endure a long siege neither to resist two or three hot assaults demaunded succours of the Siracusians their friends and allies which willingly promised them ayde but they were very flowe in the perfourmance for if the Siracusians had sent succours when the Silenontines demaunded the same Silenonte had neuer been taken and if it had been taken Silenonte was taken by the Carthagonians for that it was not in time relieued by the Siracusians the Silenontines had had no occasion to haue complained of their confederates and the Siracusians had not purchased the euill report which they did For notwithstanding that the Siracusians knewe that the Silenontines were besieged yet neuerthelesse they foreflowed the relieuing of them and notwithstanding that they were often solicited thereunto by the Ambassadours of Silenonte yet they went slowlie to worke in sending the ayde which at last was sent but the long stay gaue oportunitie to the Carthagenians so to force Silenonte that they tooke it by assault and sacked it and the Siracusians which were vpon the way being aduertised of the taking of it returned with repentance to haue too long deferred the sending of reliefe Lewes the 12. King of France fell into the like error being confederate with the King of Nauarre The King of Castile being enemie to King Lewes of France would haue passed into France with his Armie but the King of Nauarre for that he would not fayle his friend and allie denied and stopt his passage in such sort that the King of Nauarre procured to himselfe the warre and being vnable to resist the Spanish King had recourse to the ayde of France But King Lewes thinking that the King of Nauarre had been able for a time to haue defended himselfe from the forces of the Spaniard slacked to send him succours and this delay was the cause why the King of Nauarre was ouercome and forced to flie and abandon his Kingdome A man might produce many other examples of latter time but these may suffice for the present I will onely say that the Leagues are of this nature that they are hot in the beginning and cold in the end and he which demaundeth being hot and he which is required cold of force there must follow as I haue said before a lukewarmenes which marreth all in the one heat diminishing to see succours failing him and in the other cold encreasing to see how great difference there is betweene thinking and doing CHAP. 46. VVhen succours sent to a friend or confederate are insufficient to put him out of daunger and trouble through being too weake they bring daunger of losse and dishonour THere is no doubt but that he which demaundeth succours of a Prince or Common-wealth sheweth weakenes of strength because that he which is assaulted or which would assaile another knowing that he hath not forces fit thereto which may be sufficient either for the one or the other hath recourse to the ayde of his friend to the end that being vnited with others he may be able to doe that which of himselfe he could not doe alone But when the Prince requested whether by vertue of confederacie or alliance or by any other bond of friendship resolueth to send the succours demaunded he ought to send such as his friend or confederate may serue his turne therewith for that otherwise hee which receiueth
sendeth them and hee to whom they are sent is either displeased with them or scoffeth them whereas to the contrarie when the seruant or officer hath the port of a man of reputation the Prince which sendeth him purchaseth the praise and renowne of a discreete and well aduised Prince and he to whom hee is sent thinketh himselfe much honoured seeing that to negotiate with him there are sent men of honour and of reputation This kinde of men sent in affaires manage them with dignitie maintaine the friendship betweene the Lords if there be any if there bee none they practise to make it and briefly they carrie themselues in such sort that he which sent them holdeth himselfe for well serued and he to whom they are sent is well pleased But the officers or Ambassadours which haue no credit nor reputation in place of good will purchase hatred and the Prince is no lesse blamed then his seruant or officer and except great necessitie require there will be no conclusion of any matter of importance I remember that I read in Muzio Iustinopolitan an example of an officer of small account Mutius Iustinopol in his treatise of a Prince I know not whether it bee fained or true He reporteth of the inconsideration of a Prince whom hee knew who chose a seruant vnfit for the affaires which he should manage and consequently of small reputation and saith I knew a Prince which had to manage and treate of a matter of importance with the Pope of his time to whom he sent for Ambassadour the chiefe groome of his chamber to whom hauing caused his Secretaries to giue instruction according to the custome of all that whereof hee was to treate with his holines he learned by heart his whole instruction word by word euen as the Secretaries had giuen it vnto him and being come into the Popes presence hee very well recited it word by word euen as it was giuen to him in writing At the beginning the Pope began to laugh at this Ambassadour and after waxed angrie thinking that they had mocked him but being afterwards aduertised of the ignorance of this Ambassadour he mocked as well at the Prince which sent him as at the seruant which had shewed such blockish grossenes Wherefore a man may well beleeue that when hee should desire the Popes answere to his gentle ambassade one should bid him returne to his Master and to tell him that he had well repeated that which he had learned If this be true the Prince committed a great error to chuse a groome of his chamber to treate of matters of estate and of consequence seeing that his office was to waite in the chamber as the office of the steward to haue care for the table and other prouisions for the house When there is question of sending an Ambassadour to another Prince to carrie letters of displeasure or of ioy or other such like matters which are not of importance then the Prince may send any bodie whom he please But when it is needfull to manage matters of waight and of consequence he ought to send seruants which are men of experience of grauitie and of reputation if he will haue good successe in his busines For this cause Alfonse the first of Arragon King of Naples being to send an Ambassadour to Gaietta which obstinately defended it selfe against him chose Anthony Panormitan whom he knew to be a man fit to perswade and disswade Gaietta he sent not thither a groome of his chamber neither the master of his household neither a Captaine which wanted eloquence requisit in such a case to perswade the Gaiettanes to yeeld and not to trie his choler and last displeasure against them Notwithstanding that Panormitan obtained nothing yet it cannot bee said but that the Kings iudgement was good to chuse a man who had more force in his tongue then a Captaine in his hands CHAP. 49. A man ought euer to esteeme of his enemie for whosoeuer doth despise him doth commonly despise him to his owne hurt and dammage I Haue euer marueiled at some which are accustomed to a certaine manner of liuing different from that of other men which make no account of any man and in al matters and actions euery man must giue them place and giue them the honor to be superiours in euery thing and these men haue such a perswasion of themselues that they account not any for their equals and in all occurrences despise all persons If they bee in councell to make their opinions better then all the rest they mocke at the aduice of others and a man must take their authoritie in paiment in lieu of reason they mocke at euery man be he neuer so wise or well aduised If they haue any charge either Ciuill or Militarie their directions must be followed and put in execution be they neuer so grosse and witlesse and oftentimes daungerous If they haue an enemie they hold such opinion of themselues that they imagine that their lookes should be as so many Musquet shot and despising him they make account that hee ought to tremble in hearing but their name onely and are so blinded in their presumption that they perceiue not the daunger which for despising an enemie hangeth ouer their owne heads and such manner of men are easie to be ouercome and brought to ruine For such contempts are very dangerous as well in particular as publike enimities And as for the particular a man may hourely haue a thousand examples of men who because they make no reckoning of their enemie going vnprouided are slaine Wherefore a gentleman of Florence hauing a quarrell with another went armed was commended for the wise answere which he gaue to one which asked him whether hee went armed because hee was afeard or no A wittie answere of a gentleman of Florence hee said that hee went so armed because he would not bee afeard and spake wisely for a man cannot better despise his enemie then in fearing him to the end that he may alwaies finde vs readie when he shall assault vs and that hee be either deceiued or grieued As for publike quarrels to wit when armies which are enemies follow and seeke to oppresse and ouercome the one the other then to account little of an enemie is most daungerous and causeth many honourable enterprises to be lost which may bee proued by many examples as well ancient as moderne but not to be tedious I will recite a few Tigranes the most mightie King of Armenia being to fight against Lucullus Generall of the Romanes and seeing the small number of the Romane souldiers he despising and mocking them said If they came to fight they were too few but if they came for Ambassadours they were too many But the issue of the battell shewed that a man ought alwayes to make account of his enemies for Tigranes was vanquished by a few valiant men Tigranes the king of Armenia put to flight by Lucullus a Captaine of the
receiue him into Florence gaue oportunitie to the gentlemen and the young men to possesse the Palace This done the Duke of Vrbin and the Cardinall with Hippolito de Medicis entred into Florence and hauing put 1500. souldiers in armes which vpon a iust suspition had bin many daies in the citie they took their way towards the place there to draw to a head and to force the Palace which the young men had fortified These souldiers presently possessed the place being abandoned by the people and the Duke of Vrbin and the Marquesse of Saluces perceiuing that there were too few souldiers to force the Palace which for feare the people should againe take heart was to be taken before the night came on therefore they resolued to bring into the Citie part of the Venetian companies which were incamped neere the town and there was prepared a miserable and lamentable day for the Citie of Florence where hourely were in danger the Nobilitie to be massacred Francis Guâ—â—câ—ardin deâ—uered the citie of Florence from great danger and the rest to be sacked Francis Guicciardin being the Popes Lieutenant prouided a good remedy for this disorder wherby he deliuered his countrie from an imminent danger and memorable losse which was this Frederick Bozolo comming out of the Palace whither hee entred at the beginning of this sedition to the end to haue appeased the same which hee could not doe but being taunted with many bitter speeches by the angry young gentlemen and therewith highly offended in a great chafe hee returned and knowing the small forces and the great disorder within the Palace by his report hee might haue done much harme But Guicciardin went to him and appeased him praying him that he would not inflame the hearts of the Duke and the Cardinall to take the Palace by force but that hee should perswade an agreement and enforce himselfe to pacifie the trouble which he very well performed and perswaded the Duke and the Cardinal to go into the Palace where in cold blood with good words and faire promises they which were within were perswaded to returne to their houses to leaue the Palace and so by meanes of Guicciardin the sedition ceased and was appeased But within a little while after he was blamed both by the Cardinall Siluius and by the Florentines also and each of the parties deemed that this agreement was preiudiciall vnto them for that the Cardinall complaining of him said that louing better the preseruation of the citizens then the greatnes of the house of Medicis he had been the occasion that by his meanes and cunning the estate of the house of Medicis had not that day beene for euer established by the blood and death of the Nobilitie The Florenâ—iâ—es murmured against Guicciardin and on the other side the Nobilitie and Commons railing at him said that when he entred into the Palace making the danger greater then it was he seduced them for the benefit of the de Medicis and to support them in their greatnes without neede to lay downe their weapons and returne to their houses so as the doings of Guicciardin pleased neither the one nor the other A gentleman is not to care for such reproches being for the good and defence of his countrie neither ought to regard the ingratitude of the citizens neither the speeches of the people prouided that he serue and profit his countrie which a man ought by all meanes to defend and to attempt any thing for deliuerance and safetie thereof whether it redound to his honour or reproch CHAP. 51. Princes ought to giue eare to such as complaine of their Gouernours and Officers for it is a dangerous thing not to regard them FOrasmuch as Gouernours and Ministers of Princes and Common-wealths may behaue themselues ill in their gouernements and do them little honour which placed them therein when any one commeth to complaine to the Superiour of the ill gouernement of some one his seruant or officer he ought gratiously to heare him and so well as hee possibly may to content the Plaintiffe for feare that some inconuenience should follow and by somuch the more he ought to do so by how much those Gouernours are remote and farre distant from the person of the Prince by which farre distance they may presume to doe something which cannot bee endured And forasmuch as it might seeme a matter vnworthie of a great Lord to shew himselfe a man that will altogether beleeue the first tale so soone as hee heareth complaint of any one first of the gouernement and thereupon dishonour him or hauing heard the Gouernours answere for his defence to reiect the plaintiffe but hee ought heedfully to heare them both wisely seeking to vnderstand the trueth and not to giue too much credit to the plaintiffe neither to hold all for true which the Gouernour saith for his defence but by all meanes to know the trueth of the fact and finding the plaintiffe to be a lyer to reiect him as a slaunderer and the Gouernour being culpable to be punished for example And to the end that the Prince may the better know the trueth of euery thing he himselfe ought to heare matters of importance principally when Ambassadours from his remote countries come to see him and complaine of the ill gouernement of the officers and ministers he ought not to send them backe againe by the way of those gouernours who knowing that they haue complained of them Subiects ought not to be put in despaire to maâ—â—taine gouernours will vse them worse then before but he ought by the meanes of other men worthie to be beleeued to seeke to know the truth and hauing found out the same put them from their gouernements and not put the Subiects in despaire as not esteemed by maintaining those euill officers in their gouernements And when his Estate is great to doe as the Venetians wisely doe which send through all their Dominion certaine men with authoritie to allow or disallow of such things as are done by the Gouernours Who so obserueth this rule doth not lightly erre but hee which perswadeth himselfe that his seruant will not doe amisse because that in other matters hee hath discharged his dutie and that therefore he should alwayes do so and for that cause will not hearken vnto him which complaineth they which are grieued begin to thinke with themselues seeing they can obtaine no redresse that it is the Princes and not the gouernours fault and conceiue the displeasure against the person of the Prince and yet spare not the Gouernour if they get him into their hands In the yeere 1550. or a little before the Emperour Charles the fift sent to gouerne the State of Siena because of the discord amongst them Don Diego de Mendoza who for the Emperour had executed the charge of an Ambassadour and mannaged many affaires in that Prouince Hee comming to that Citie besides the Spaniards which already were there brought with him a great number and
Castle of Iccare and the Castle of the Sea of the Gulfe and a Captaine named Remond the white hauing the Castle of the Gulfe in guard in the behalfe of King Federique King Robert after many proffers in the end won Remond with money and Remond deliuered the Castle to King Robert Remond thought that this his treason was hidden and could not by any meanes soeuer be knowne for that he had done it very secretly and so grounded in this thought and imagination he impudently setting a good countenance vpon it went to King Federique Federicque King of Sicilie caused Remond le Blanc to be beheaded for treason who hauing some intelligence of the treason caused his head to be stricken off with three others his companions and complices So this Remond found himselfe deceiued thinking that his fault should not haue been made manifest and knowne to the King and in like sort shall they all be deceiued in their imaginations which complotting and deuising any euill principallie against their Princes if they shall attempt to execute the same and thinke that they shall not be discouered for that Princes haue long hands wide eares and Lynx his eyes to pearce and see through Mountaines and although that some one peraduenture haue attained to the height of his enterprise and hath escaped yet that ought not to be held for an example for it hath not been euery mans case And let a man be all one as much as he will the offender by some accident not prepensed and meanes extraordinarie in the end is discouered A man might adde hereunto the doing of Tibert Brandolin a valiant Captaine in his time this man being in the paye of Francis Sforce the elder Duke and seeing him very sicke and thinking for certaine that he would dye of that disease conspired with the Paisants of the Piacentin which rebelled against the Duke and promised to succour them and giue ayde and fauour against him with the men of warre of Picinino Afterwards perceiuing that the Duke recouered and fearing that his disloyaltie would be knowne he resolued to flie and to serue Iohn of Aniou and to colour his flight hee asked the Duke leaue to goe to the marriage of his daughter with promise shortly to returne The Duke nothing suspecting him graciously gaue him leaue but his treason being discouered vnto the Duke by a meane which Brandolin thought not of he was apprehended before he could get forth of Milan and committed to prison where being stung by his owne conscience and remorse of his faults and fearing to dye publikelie by the hands of an executioner hee slue himselfe Let no man then presume to doe euill as the Spanish Captaines here before mentioned would haue done against the Duke of Vrbin thinking that their doings shall not come to light for most commonly he which shall be of this opinion shall finde himselfe deceiued and beare the punishment for his fault CHAP. 67. Jt ill beseemeth a Prince or great Captaine to say in truth J had not thought it and enterprises to be put in execution ought not to be grounded vpon vaine and deceiueable hopes I Know well that it is a very vnworthie word in the mouth of any man which vndertaketh any enterprise whereof he attaineth not to a happie issue to say I had not thought or I would not haue beleeued it and though that it may be true he who saith so is not alwaies worthie of reprehension for that there may happen some accident either so light or so great so weightie that for the lightnes Guicciar lib. 6 he who hath the care and charge of great matters esteemeth it not or for the waight thereof it be so far frō reasonable that reason being ruled in his actions could not foresee that which was without rule Wherefore a Prince deserueth not to be blamed who for example hath put some one in a fortresse to whom he hath done much good and in the end is by him betrayed And if hee should then say I should neuer haue thought that such a man would haue betrayed me he deserued not to be blamed As it happened vnto Lewes More Duke of Milan who hauing committed the castle of Milan to the guard of one of his greatest friends and to whom he most trusted and who was most bound vnto him because of the great good which he had bestowed vpon him which was Bernardin Court he was by him betrayed to his perpetuall dishonour and infamie For this cause if the Duke had said Bernardin Court ingrate full to Lewes Duke of Milan truely I would neuer haue thought that Bernardin Court would haue betraied me he had not deserued blame In like manner he ought not to be reprooued who hauing prouided for euery thing is assailed by some so strange and grieuous accident that being wholy without reason it was impossible by any iudgement and counsell to foresee or preuent it being imposible with reason to foresee any thing which of it selfe is without reason as was this most grieuous accident which could not be imagined and to be placed in the number of prodigious monsters by which the pouder and other munition prouided and prepared to be sent to diuers places before the Castle gate of Milan tooke fire and was burnt when the skye was cleere and very faire and still weather the lightning came downe from Heauen and did so great hurt whereof afterwards ensued so many losses and discommodities Vpon this occasion if the Captaine of the Castle had said I would neuer haue thought that this should haue befallen me he had not deserued to haue been reproued But speaking of those which vndertake to doe some enterprise and haue time to be aduised and to prouide for things necessarie when through their fault they attaine not to what they desired or failing of their hopes whereon their desseignes were grounded or through want of sight and order taken in all as it behoued I say that then it ill beseemeth a man to say I thought not thereof Federicque de Bezolo fell into this fault when he vndertooke the enterprise of Parma in the yeare 1529. whereof Francis Guicciardin was gouernour generall for the Pope after the death of Leo the tenth if the author for his owne praise make not the matter greater for Federicque went thither without prouision of Artillerie sauing two little Peeces being setled vpon this imagination that Guicciardin being inexperienced in the affaires of the warres would not defend the Citie and make his partie good against him But this imagination deceiued him and he being forced to retire from Parma to his losse and dishonour He may say according as Guicciardin himselfe hath written that nothing had deceiued him in this enterprise whereof he was the author but that he had not thought that a gouernour being no man of war newly come to that Citie would haue vndertaken the defence and put himselfe in danger after the death of the Pope without hope of
end they should giue money to be exempted from the warres and those which were decrepit vnfit and vnable to the end that they should doe the like Wherefore this Prouince reuolted and rebelled and Ciuilis which was a man of great courage and noblie descended making himselfe chiefe head of the rebellion did much hurt and dammage to the Romanes seeing that by his meanes this Prouince shooke off their obedience This auarice also which consisteth as a man might say in this pedlerie in sparing to spend when need requireth being found in the seruant of a Prince is the cause of the losse of an estate and was plainely seene in Siluius Passerin whom Pope Clement the seuenth had established in the gouernment of Florence to the end that in the house of Medicis should be conserued the dignitie of gouernment as tofore it had been This man when in the yeare 1527. the Citie rose against that noble familie after the newes of the sacke of Rome became so miserable that he would not spend a farthing of his owne for his Masters profit and being impossible to get any of the Popes treasure for many reasons he loued rather to depart from Florence with the Popes Nephewes and suffer those of that house to be driuen from thence then that he would put his hand to his purse to pay the Souldiers of Countie Peter de Noferi which he had there to guard the Citie The auarice of the seruants and Captaines of Lewes the 12. were cause of his ruine As for those which haue the managing of the warres it appeareth in the seruants and Captaines which had the handling of the money of Lewes the 12. King of France when he warred against the King of Spaine in Italie for the Kingdome of Naples This auarice besides many other disgraces and ill fortunes was the cause that the King who had prouided all things necessarie in great aboundance to his dishonour lost the enterprise Wherefore Princes must pray vnto God that it may please him to accompanie with their diligence and vertue Guicciar lib. 6 the bountie and fidelitie of their seruants and to vse the speeches of Guicciardin As for the sustaining of the bodie it sufficeth not that the head be well but it is also necessarie that all the other parts doe their dutie and office euen so it is not enough that the Prince be exempt from fault in his affaires if that vertue and diligence be not likewise found in his seruants As for the auarice of those which haue the guarde of Castles holds and fortresses it is very hurtfull and pernicious to the Prince who employeth them whereof there be so many memorable examples that it shall not neede to take the paines to recite them there are so many that we see by experience that with one handfull of golde a man may breake and beate into peeces a gate of yron Let Princes then take heede how they giue any charge vnto those which they knowe or haue heard reputed to be couetous for they will neuer be good seruants and will euer loue their owne profit better for it is their nature than their Masters CHAP. 74. Princes ought to suffer their seruants and familiars to grow rich so as it be not through dishonest meanes ALthough the common people may conceiue an ill opinion when they see some Minion or fauorite of the Prince to grow rich thinking that such riches are not gotten by iust and reasonable meanes yet neuerthelesse the Prince ought to giue time and meanes to his familiars and fauourites to enrich themselues and yet he ought not therefore to endure that vnder the shadow of the fauour which they haue they doe any thing against reason or presume to constraine him to doe the least iniustice of the world For the Prince and iustice being one and the same thing when a man taketh from the Prince any part of his dignitie a man cutteth away so much of the habit of his iustice and these two words can neuer agree together Prince and vniust Wherefore when he knoweth that any one of his fauorites or familiars vseth any vnlawfull and vnworthie meanes to enrich himselfe or when he knoweth that he sueth and intreateth for any thing that is vniust he doth a thing worthie of himselfe when he doth punish him speedely and holdeth him for a mortall enemie But when too great affection or some other respect withholdeth the Prince from punishing a fauorite who to enrich him required some vniust thing he should at the least correct him by gentle meanes and to make him to knowe that rather than he will doe iniustice at the instance and prayer or intreatie of another The liberalitie of Artaxerxes he will be readie to giue out of his own purse as did King Artaxerxes by a Groome of his chamber by whom he was prayed and entreated for a matter very inconuenient who in lieu of that which he desired gaue him thirtie talents and said vnto him This which I giue thee doth not make me lesse rich but if I should graunt that which thou demaundest I should be lesse iust which is not expedient either for thee or me because I should lose the title of a true Prince and thou shouldest purchase the dishonour to be a seruant to an vniust Prince Pope Leo the tenth Pope Leo the tenth his discourse to a Groome of his chamber a most liberall Prince being intreated by an household fauorite of his that it would please him to bestowe a benefice vpon a friend of his who knowing that the request was neither iust nor honest and that he should haue some good summe of money for the procuring hereof he smiling demanded what he had for this dispatch his seruant and fauourite freely answered that he had 200. Ducates the Pope merely gaue him 200. Ducates of his owne and said goe and deliuer thy friend his money againe and tell him that thou canst not obtaine this fauour for if I should graunt vnto thee that which thou demaundest I should during my life haue a remorse of conscience and should be reputed for an vnwise Prince To conclude then I say that when Princes giue meanes to their fauourites lawfully to enrich themselues then if they doe or would importune their Princes to doe any vnworthie thing they ought to be punished with seueritie or that their Princes let them knowe that they loue better to giue of their owne then to yeeld or be induced by their sute and intreatie to do any the least iniustice of the world CHAP. 75. Jt is very dangerous to let slip time and not to execute what is determined principally in the warres THose men seeme to me to be very wise who when they are to execute some enterprise of great importance first ripely consult with wise men who tell them their opinions without any passion of loue or hatred but when the affaires are ripelie debated and concluded that there resteth nothing but the execution when a
iust cause and euer shall be blamed Those which after that they haue obtained the fauour to returne being neuerthelesse in doubt of their Princes word promise and require assurance and securitie do anger him giue him iust cause of offence for he which requireth security of his Princes faith sheweth that he esteemeth him for wicked and for a man which vseth treason rather then pardon for which cause if the Prince be offended and reiect him he is no way to be blamed For all cannot be like vnto Alexander the great who being entreated by Proteus to receiue him againe into grace and fauour hee granted it him and afterwards being by him prayed to giue him assurance that this his grace should bee maintained and continued vnto him wherewith Alexander was nothing discontented The answere of Alexander to Protens who required securitie but pleasantly answered him that the best assurance that he could giue him was to bestow fiue talents vpon him to the end that he might be the better able to maintaine himselfe neere about him But when as a Prince cannot bee so perfect and complete with all vertues as to heape grace vpon grace but should be displeased to be dealt withall as a man of little faith and not to be trusted vpon his word he were not to be blamed but the subiect should deserue to be sharply reproued who should doubt of his Princes faith who was not bound by any desert of a Rebell to pardon him but receiued him into fauour of his owne meere goodnes and clemencie And it is to bee beleeued that a Prince would not staine his renowne and honour so farre as to bring a man vpon his word and faith to ruine and destruction The effect of all this matter consisteth in the subiect that he beware that by new disorders and offences he prouoke not his Princes wrath against him but considering the cause why he was out so to liue that Iustice take no occasion to lay hold on him and punish him both for old new for he which continueth in offending ought to be punished not onely for those faults which he presently committeth but also for those whereof he hath been alreadie pardoned The subiect then which is againe receiued into grace doth ill to liue in feare and suspition and to slye his Princes presence but ought to honour him to present himselfe before him and so farre forth as conueniently hee may to shew all signes of good will and thankfulnes for in this manner he shal giue his Prince cause to respect him and to make much of him as did Cosmo de Medicis the great Duke of Tuscane an enemie of his after the victorie of Mount Murle for the Duke hauing pardoned him and knowing him to be a man of authoritie great grauitie made him his friend making him to eate and drinke with him and cherished him according as his old age the nobilitie of his house his linnage and the degree and dignitie which he held required and continuing my discourse and example of the same Prince The liberalitie of Cosmo de Medicis Duke of Florence this hath bin seene in him towards his enemies taken at the battaile of Chiana that hauing pardoned their faults and saued preserued them from the paines of death whereto they were neere and condemned knowing their vertues yet he loued them gaue them maintenance and vsed their seruice in honourable places When then a subiect hath recouered his Princes grace and fauor let him enforce himselfe to keep it and let him not enter into an humour to require securitie neither to doubt of his Princes faith for if he doe he shall liue infortunatly and giue his Prince occasion to looke to his manner of liuing and to distrust him as an enemie which is not well reconciled and as for him he shall incurre the danger of an euill end CHAP. 81. How that man ought to behaue himselfe to whom is denyed the grace which is desired of his Prince IT often happeneth vnto subiects to intreat fauours at their Princes hands which happeneth both to inferiours and superiours and sometimes it also happeneth that a man obtaineth not that which he desireth either because the Prince cannot or because he knoweth the man vncapeable and needlesse of such a grace or that for diuers other respects he will not graunt that which is required A subiect ought to dissemble his discontentment when he is reiected by his Prince In this case it is better to dissemble the displeasure which a man feeleth through this deniall and to seeme contented with the Princes pleasure than to appeare discontented whereby the Prince might doubt that you would remember it another day whereby some hurt might arise vnto you and the Prince might resolue with himselfe neuer after to doe you any pleasure whereas to the contrarie when a man being denyed sheweth himselfe contented with any occasion be it neuer so small that the Prince shall alleage for a deniall and to hold him excused and himselfe satisfied it will be an occasion that the Prince will not be offended with him nor haue any distrust of him but as occasion shall be offered will recompence him in lieu of the grace and fauour denied or refused He then which sheweth himselfe discontented may doe himselfe much wrong and he which doth dissemble it may much preuaile thereby wherefore Guicciardin in his aduertisements saith That for hauing dissembled the discontentment which he conceiued against some with whom he was displeased at length grew to be profitable vnto him for afterwards they became his friends and did him many fauours which they would neuer haue done if they had first perceiued his ill will and discontentment But this dissimulation ought not to be such that it may seeme hatefull for ill will is easilie perceiued notwithstanding that the dissembler vse gracious speeches He also which desireth a fauour ought not to be ouer curious and importune to knowe at large the occasion wherefore he is denied for which a man sometimes may receiue such an answere as shall little please him but that the sutors importunacie draweth it from the Prince his mouth as Cosmo de Medicis the great Duke of Tuscane who caused the receiuer of his tenths to be hanged for his demeanour in his charge Wherefore another Citizen whom for the honour of his house I will not name intreated the great Duke to giue him that office to whom he answered that he could not nor ought not to bestowe it vpon him and the Citizen being earnest to know wherefore he would not giue it him the Duke answered The great loue which I beare thee and the good which I wish vnto thee permit not that I giue it thee But quoth the Citizen if you loued me and would me any good you would giue it me Wherefore the Duke knowing him to be a dishonest man said I will not giue it to thee because I will not haue thee to be hanged
come out of their troubles and haue made knowne to those to whom they haue been accused the malice of their accusers Xenophon with his Armie of Grecians serued King Seutus who hauing the victorie against his enemies by meanes of the Greekes gaue them not the pay which he promised but with new excuses deferred the payment from day to day Wherfore the Greeke souldiers seeing that the money came not abroad doubted that Xenophon had receiued it and did not giue it to them wherefore they began alreadie to speake ill of him in the Armie which was now readie to mutin and reuolt Xenophon did patiently endure for certaine daies the iniurious speeches of the souldiers but one day as occasion was offered vnto him by many liuely reasons he shewed his innocencie and that hauing receiued no pay of the King but being defrauded by him vnder colour and name of a friend he was to make them to see and know into what error they were fallen and the more plainly to manifest his innocency vnto them he went with them to the King in person and hauing made vnto him a discourse full of great complaints and shewing himselfe discontented to endure the hearing of things vnworthie his honour and that his souldiers should call him theefe and robber of their pay Xenophon giueth his souldiers to vnderstand that he had not robbed them of their pay he prayed him to make that good vnto him which he had promised Wherefore the King seeing that Xenophon complained not without iust cause paied the souldiers and shewed vnto them the innocencie of their Captaine vsing al meanes to put them out of the euill opinion which they had conceiued of him It appeared in our fathers daies in Francis Sforce Duke of Milan Guicci lib. 19. what boldnes his innocencie gaue him for hauing been accused of rebellion and to haue practised against the Armie of Charles the 5. with Ierosme Moron and the Marquesse of Pescara after many alterations the Duke came to Boulogne to the Emperour who had there receiued the Crowne with his safeconduct and being in the Emperours presence he thanked him for his curtesie in giuing him meanes and leaue to come to see him and afterwards said vnto him that reposing his trust in his iustice for all things happened before the Marquesse of Pescara shut him vp in the Castle of Milan hee would haue no other securitie or defence then his owne innocencie and for as much as hee did appertaine vnto him he freely renounced his securitie by the safeconduct which it had pleased his Maiestie to giue him Francis Sforce Duke of Mâ—lan renounced the safe conduct of the Emperour Charles the fift which hee threw downe at the Emperours feete to whom this his doing was so pleasing that he restored vnto him the Dutchie of Milan as much through this occasion as any other Innocencie surely is of more force then a thousand witnesses and hee that is therewith accompanied may safely holding vp his head goe any where for an honest and innocent man may be slandered but not conuinced but he that is culpable and hath done amisse although it bee neuer so secretly following the precedent counsel and precept ought to be wel aduised and let him take good heede how he commit himselfe into the hands of Iustice CHAP. 88. Euill speeches ought not to prouoke a man to do any thing without iudgement and reason especially in the warres TRulie railing and bitter speaking hath great force and power in a generous and noble heart and vrgeth it sometimes to doe things with small iudgement and discretion and by this meanes there are some which induced by the railings of their enemies principallie in the warres will rather commit all to the hazard of fortune to auoide the reproch which besides that it is of small continuance is at length but a vaine thing then attending the oportunitie of the time make their aduersaries know with assurance that they spake vnaduisedly and auenging themselues of their euill speeches to shew that they were not moued with the iniurie and reproch but with good occasion and reason Wherefore Fabius Maximus and Marius are highly commended by the Historians and in our fathers daies Francis Sforce which vsing great discretion and temperance made no account of other mens euill speeches against them for Fabius shewed himselfe to be of so firme and constant a spirit towards him which spake euil of him with very dishonest and vnseemly words that he knew how to endure the iniurie and attend the occasion to fight saying that hee accounted him more bale and cowardly which feared euill words then him which fled before his enemies who fled for feare of doings and he which cannot indure ill speeches and detractions sheweth himselfe afraid of words Marius in like manner The wittie speech of Marius and Fabius Maximus and vpon the like occasion knew how to remaine firme and constant and by the liuely quicknes of his wit to stop the iniurious speeches of his enemie who to prouoke him to fight with disaduantage said vnto him If thou be that great Captaine O Marius which thou art esteemed to bee come forth and fight now that thou art defied To whom Marius answered and said If thou be that great Captaine which thou reputest thy selfe to be force me to come forth of my Trenches and to fight But he attended both time and oportunitle and fought and bare away the victorie Francis Sforce a most renowned Captaine in his time being with his Armie inclosed in a certaine place and hauing to front him Nicholas Picinino his concurrant and emulator both in warre and in glorie no lesse esteemed then he who warred with Alfonso King of Naples he sent to chalenge him the combat saying that in one battaile their valour would bee knowne and to whom did iustly appertaine the prize of Militarie glorie Picinino Fazio in the 8. booke of the acts of Alfonso King of Arragon notwithstanding that hee was wounded accepted the offer of Francis Sforce and King Alfonso retired with his Armie more then halfe a league off to giue place and field roome free according as he had promised Picinino presented himselfe armed and in order with his people at the place appointed for the battaile and hauing attended aboue an houre in vaine expecting when Francis Sforce should come forth of Fano with his people to fight but he would not come forth notwithstanding that he was the first that defied his enemie and prouoked him to fight And notwithstanding that Peter went euen to the walles of Fano and called him and his people after the manner as souldiers vse to prouoke their enemies to come forth yet Francis either knowing some disaduantage or for that hee would not hazard all his reputation at once or for some other occasion vnknowne would not come forth and cared not for the iniurious railings of the enemies souldiers considering that such speeches should not moue a man to doe
any thing vnaduisedly and against reason which ought to be obserued not onely in the warres but also in all other actions CHAP. 89. To despise backbite and slaunder any Man breedeth hatred against him which vseth it who seldome escapeth vnpunished I Said before that a man ought not through euill speeches to be drawne and prouoked to doe any thing contrarie to iudgement and reason and haue confirmed by examples all that I haue spoken I say now that to despise and by euill speaking to blame another man is a thing very dangerous for him that doth it and I vphold that they are wise and aduised which absteine as well from threatning as by words from iniuring or wronging the enemie for threatnings take away no forces neither doe iniurious speeches disarme any Man but both the one and the other may prouoke him and make him thinke more aduisedlie how and in what manner he may grieue thee and be reuenged so as a man may rightly say that they are so many weapons to strike thy selfe Wherefore as a wise Captaine ought not to be prouoked by the ill words and reproches comming from his enemies to doe any thing against reason so ought he to forbeare to speake ill himselfe and that his Souldiers iniure not the enemie abroade neither vse any outragious speeches among themselues within for that may prouoke the enemie and vrge him to seeke reuenge and this may also breed a confusion in an armie First we haue an example in Gabades a Captaine of the Persians who hauing long time lien at the siege of Amade and being wearie thereof determined to raise the Siege and began to send away his armie Wherefore the inhabitants of that Citie being puft vp with pride for the victorie came vpon the wals and Ramparts and spake much euill of the enemies forgetting nothing that might offend them calling them Cowards and villaines for which cause Gabades being very wroth returned to the siege which was so hard and streight and the inhabitants were so closely followed that he ouercame them by force sacked their Citie and in this manner taught them how to speake well The same happened to the Veientes when as they came euen to the very Ports Ramparts and Trenches of the Romanes they vsed many iniurious speeches wherewith the Souldiers being moued and much offended prayed and enforced the Consults and Commaunders to giue battaile and therein ouercame them and by this ouerthrow they caused the Veientes to beare the punishment of their licencious audacity Wise Captaines ought not to permit Souldiers to outrage one another in words among themselues reprouing and casting one another in the teeth with dishonest vituperable facts they which prouide not for this inconuenience put themselues in some danger Wherefore Valerius Coruinus Lawes ordained by Valerius Coruinus and Tiberius Gracchus and Tiberius Gracchus are greatly praised and esteemed the one for hauing imposed a grieuous penaltie vpon whosoeuer should reproach certaine seditious Souldiers with a mutinie happened at Padua the other for hauing forbidden vpon paine of death to reproach certaine slaues with seruitude which the Romanes had armed to fight against Hannibal in time of necessitie wherein they did very wisely for there is nothing that more grieueth and troubleth a mans minde than to be reproched with some shamefull matter and worthie of blame CHAP. 90. Princes ought to punish backbiters and slaunderers and in no case to endure them I Remember that I haue said elsewhere that to speake ill of Princes in publike is a very dangerous matter which a man ought not to doe seeing that Princes are to be respected as Fathers I say now that Princes ought to punish euill speakers either in word or writing and principallie those which make profession thereof who hauing a quicke spirite and good wit doe wrong to God and nature for the good gifts and graces receiued mispending that golde and treasure which is giuen them for which cause they deserue to be reproued not onely in words but punished in deede wherefore I doe honour and euer will doe those Princes which put from about their eares that kinde of people and which shall represse with taunts and checks the biting tongues of those ouer liberall and rash euill speakers There be many things which Princes with all their power ought to preserue and maintaine whole and intire Foure things principally to be held inuiotable but principally foure which represse euill speeches to wit the dignitie of degree the reputation the life the friends The Prince which doth not punish slaunderers and euill speakers hazardeth his reputation for so soone as men heare the Prince ill spoken of and see that he regardeth it not they beleeue that that which was written or spoken of him was true and in this manner he is ill thought of little respected and in the end contemned and contempt is the poyson and ruine of all estates for there can be no worse or viler thing than the contempt of a Prince by his Subiects he loseth his good name in suffering those which backbite and slaunder him either in word or writing for speeches and writings passing euery where abroad cause the Prince to lose the reputation which he had gotten with other Princes and forreine estates of continencie wisdome and iustice by hearing the euill tongued to publish euery where his incontinencie vanitie and iniustice and that he cannot or will not correct those which by slaunderous reports publish his vices and imperfections He putteth also his life in danger for to speake ill is to doe wrong or an iniurie and he which endureth one iniurie from a man emboldeneth him to doe him another which shall be greater and afterwards another yet greater so as hee which hath been so audacious as to iniure and wrong his Prince by words seeing that the iniurie is swallowed and endured will afterwards make no great difficultie to wrong and offend him by way of deedes and thence proceede conspiracies and practises against him reputing him for a weake Prince and of small courage He also loseth his friends whereof a Prince ought to make account for his friends seeing that he maketh no reckoning of the iniuries done to his person inferre thereof that he will care yet much lesse for those iniuries which shall be done vnto them and in this manner the loue and affection which they bare vnto him commeth to waxe colde and to be wholy extinct It is true that a Prince must consider when he taketh knowledge of euill speakers of what condition they are and punish them lightly or sharpely according as he shall finde their effect and inclination and giuing them neuerthelesse something for a remembrance A Prince ought to consider of the qualitie of euill speeches and if they be light foreheaded and foolish to vse them like fooles and hayrebrained but if they be malitious to punish them publikely for example to teach others thereby the better to rule their tongues Dionysius
to be condemned of inconstancie seeing that he was not bound to persist and continue in the friendship of another man notwithstanding that he were a dependant and successour of his deceased friend CHAP. 95. A Generall or Commaunder in chiefe ought not to be touched in his honour and reputation by those which made choise of him and principally during the time that he is in Armes IT is a custome among all Princes hauing occasion to chuse a Generall either of their owne subiects or some stranger to make choise of some honourable personage and of good renowne After that hee is chosen and that hee hath the gouernment and charge of the Armies it is neither secure nor conuenient to touch him in honour either in word or deede as with disgrace to take his charge from him or by iniurious speeches to withdraw him from his enterprises or to charge him to doe some dishonest thing and such like for therein a noble heart aspiring to honour and glorie is stirred vp and inflamed with despite and discontentment so as seeing himselfe touched in honor he frameth himselfe by all meanes to take reuenge Narses an eunuch to confirme my saying with an ancient example was Generall of the Emperor Iustine his Armie in Italie performed for the Empire diuers sundrie worthy enterprises and while as he was armed and euen vpon the point of his victories Iustine deposed him from his charge and gouernment of the imperiall Armie and the Empresse added thereto certaine iniurious speeches Narses wroth with the Emperour of Constantinople and sent him word that he should returne to keepe her women companie and spin Narses made answere that hee would spin her such a thread which after that it were twisted she should in long time not vnwinde it And by his wit and valour hauing called the Lombards into Italie hee was the occasion why the Emperour of the East lost all that which hee possessed in the West A man may also for example bring in the fault which the Florentines committed in the time that Pope Clement the 7. made wars against them which was this They chose Malatesta Baglioni for their General Guicci lib. 20. and put themselues in armes for thier defence against the Popes and the Emperours Armies and hauing sustained and valiantly endured the siege for the space of eleuen moneths and hauing consumed their victuals and being no longer able to make resistance all aide and succours failing them their Generall and the Lord Stephen Columna aduised them to see if they could come to some agreement with the Emperour and the Pope by some good composition But Raphael Girolami which was Standerd-bearer with many other citizens of his faction being moued against Malatesta without consideration of the daunger wherein the citie was and that the Generall was armed and had a good corps de guard of souldiers Perusins and other Nations at his seruice and commaundement they sent Andrew Nicolini and Francis Zati as Ambassadours to Malatesta to discharge him and to depriue him of his authoritie and charge of Generall which was concluded in their Common councell Malatesta was very angrie and setting hand to his poyniard fell vpon Nicolini and once stabd him and would haue slaine him but for those which stood by who prayed him to hold his hands Hereupon the Citie mutined and euery man betooke him to his weapons Wherefore Malatesta fearing some great hurlie burlie presently sent the Captaine Margute of Perusa to seize on the port of S. Peter Gatolini which is the gate towards Rome and gaue him charge to prime the Ordnance and to bend it against the Citie to be able to defend himselfe against the Citizens if peraduenture they sought to offend him A dangerous tumult happened in Florence and caused to come to him all the souldiers strangers which he had in Florence If the enemie at that time had giuen assault vnto the Citie being then disunited from their Generall it might easily haue been taken and sackt as well by those which were within as by those which were without both which at one instant would haue been become enemies And so through the little wit and small discretion of the Magistrates the safetie of their Citie and countrie was set as a man might say vpon the point of a needle Generals then and Colonels are not to bee grieued and touched in honour and it were much better to resolue to punish them when they commit any notable faults as many Potentates haue done then by interressing their honors to hazard the affaires and enterprizes in question as may bee well perceiued by the two examples aboue alleaged now at this present some man would interpose himselfe by some honest and reasonable conditions to accord pacifie the troubles in Flaunders finding meanes that religion might haue libertie and the Prince his authoritie and the Estates assurance and some satisfaction I doe beleeue that hee might easily appease those warres and controuersies which haue indured alreadie so many yeeres with so great preiudice to the Christian faith charge and expence of money and shedding of so much humane blood CHAP. 97. He which goeth into a forraine Countrie with charge of importance ought to frame himselfe according to the fashions of that Countrey wherein he is for to liue after the manner of his owne countrey it is not euery where secure AMong all the faire conditions and qualities which ought to bee in a Gentleman well borne who is to bee employed in publique affaires in my opinion the one of the most principall is for a man to knowe how to accommodate and frame himselfe according to the fashion of those Countries whither hee goeth whether it be vpon his owne pleasure or some other bodies And this is it why many as well Ambassadours as Captaines haue effected great matters about which they haue been sent by their Masters which is not happened vnto them onely so much for knowing the Princes humour with whom they had to negotiate as to be framed and fitted to the fashions and manners of the Court and Countrey where they are and those which haue done otherwise haue been deceiued and most commonly haue borne losse dammage and shame for the likenes of fashions and manners in behauiour is a thing very fit to breede good will and procure friendship but that must not be done in flatterie and adulation which is presently knowne and discouered but to shew that a man doth not abhorre or loath the Countrey fashions where he is as euill or despise them as vicious but so obserueth them as seeming good vnto him which is a meane fit to make him to be beloued and respected by that Countrey people for this cause Alcibiades the Athenian was highly praised Alcibiades an Athenian beloued of strangers for in what place soeuer he came either by his apparell or his manner of life and conuersation he accommodated and framed himselfe to the custome and fashions of the
then manly his Romane nurture was nothing pleasing to them and disliking his humanitie and familiaritie which they tooke for pusillanimitie weaknes and want of spirit in a short time after they depriued him of the kingdome because hee could not or would not fashion himselfe according to the manners of the countrie where he was CHAP. 98. Jt is a shamefull and dishonest thing to wrong and doe iniurie to strangers IT is a thing voyde of all ciuilitie and good manners to doe or suffer to be done any iniurie to those which are receiued into our house as strangers which ought to liue vnder our sauegard and protection neither more nor lesse than as our neerest friends and Parents it were better not to receiue them than to doe them any wrong or suffer them to be vsed in such sort that they should haue occasion to complaine that towards them the holy lawes of hospitalitie and courtesie towards strangers were violated Wherefore I haue euer disliked those Lords which haue about them iesters and dwarfs or such like traine of most base condition who receiuing some honourable Gentleman stranger into their houses permit that those either in word or deed say or doe them any iniurie couering the dishonesty of the speech or fact with this leane excuse that the iniurie was done by a foole where the fooles themselues not discerning the qualitie of men thinke that all men are of like condition which is false for our humors are not all of one kinde and some one man is pleased and delighteth in those toyes and another hateth them And I remember that a filthie dwarfe very shamelesse and vnmannerly in discourse as the most part of such vermine vse to be was likely to haue been throwne by a noble personage out at a Palace window where hee was lodged and although that this Lorde through great intreatie did not throwe the dwarfe out at the windowes yet he presently made signe to his seruants and departed from this pallace and went to lye in a religious cloyster much blaming him that had intertained him not that he was any way offended or iniured through the Masters fault of the house but because he kept such rascally scumme in his house which knew no difference betweene man and man but vsed al alike Hospitalitie is a vertue worthy a gentleman and a christian but when it is violated it is changed into a palce of robberie so as that lodging which by the law of hospitalitie was holie becommeth a wood and a lurking place and ill assured and a stranger may say being iniuried that he found more securitie in forrests then in houses and more curtesie among beasts then among men From whence proceeded the perpetuall infamie and dishonour to Procust and Sciron slaine by Theseus but from the cruelty which they vsed towards strangers which fell into their hands For as Plutarch saith the one had a bed where he lodged al the guests which he brought into his house and if the man were longer then the bed he cut off his legs if he were shorter he stretched him so out in length that he fitted him to the bed and the other bending downe the boughes of trees to the ground wherto he tied his guests by the members then cutting the cords wherewith the boughes were fastened to the earth took great pleasure to see a man dismēbred in this manner Wherfore the Prophet in the Psalmes said Dominus custodiet aduenas pupillum viduam suscipiet vias peccatorum disperdet As if hee would say there are three sorts of people in the world preserued by the Lord and are as in his safeguard to wit Strangers Orphanes and Widowes That God defendeth and keepeth strangers we haue examples in the holie Scriptures Particular persons preserued of God for where mans wisedome could not defend them the secret iudgement of God hath supplied it Abraham was a stranger in Egypt and feared that the beautie of his wife would bee an occasion of dishonour vnto her and of hurt vnto him and so as a man he sought humane meanes and although that hee would not tell a lye yet he sought neuerthelesse to conceale one truth in alleaging another willing her to say that she was his sister and conceale that she was his wife but in that that God taketh care and charge of strangers Abraham was miraculously deliuered but not by his owne wisedome and with his honor life saued he performed the voyage he had begun Wherefore saith the Prophet that God taketh care for strangers Hath he not care for all doth he not regard all doth he not bestow his benefits vpon all as well euill as good doth he not desire that all should be saued doth he not call all vnto him and finally is not he the vniuersall father of all that euer were are or shall be Wherefore then doth he say that hee careth for the strangers and protecteth the orphanes and widowes because that there are none in the world which haue more neede of helpe then these three The stranger hath neede of some bodie to set him in the right way the pupill of some one to protect him and preserue what is his and the widow of some one to defend her from the oppression of those which are too mightie for her The stranger hath need of one to defend him from iniuries the pupill hath neede of one to assure and defend him against him which pretendeth right to his inheritance and the widow hath neede of one to keepe and preserue her from him which would deceiue her The stranger hath neede of one to lodge him in curtesie in his house the pupill of one who may keepe him neere about him as his childe and the widow of him who may preserue her pudicitie and to keepe her good name Among which three degrees of persons preserued of God hee first nameth the stranger because that hee is more forsaken then the rest for the pupill hath his tutors and the widow her kindred For this cause God preserued innocent Ioseph being sold to the Ismaelites and made young Tobias to be accompanied by an Angell being to goe into a strange countrie Yea the same Prophet reciting the misdeedes and wickednes of the vniust and praying to God to behold them with the eye of his iustice among other things saith thus Viduam aduenam interfecerunt pupillos occiderunt They haue murthered the widow and the stranger and haue put the pupils to death for as there are none found in the world more humble more subiect to iniuries and more vnworthie to bee grieued and wronged then the stranger the widow and the pupill so a man cannot imagine a greater villanie then that which is done to one of those The faults which a man wittingly committeth against his friends are great but those which are committed against straungers are most great in this that hauing neither friends nor parents which may support and defend their right any
ought for as treason cannot be sufficiently punished euen so ingratitude cannot bee sufficiently blamed being so conioyned togethers that a man may say that euery Traitor is ingratefull and euery ingrateâ—â—â—â— man is a Traitor for like as treason is no other thing than a breach of faith and dutie euen so ingratitude is no other thing than a breach of the band and dutie due vnto a man by reason of a pleasure receiued and this vice of ingratitude is so vile and dishonest that the ingratefull themselues loath to be reproached therewith and would rather confesse themselues subiect to any other imperfection than to be noted with this vice which commeth through no other occasioÌ„ but because that ingratitude only is inexcusable cannot be coloured the breach of promise may besaid to be an aduise vpon better consideratioÌ„ of that which was promised cousonage and deceit may bee said to bee cunning and pollicie treason may be tearmed reuenge but ingratitude can haue no other name neither can be couered or shadowed by any meanes but continuing euer naked and manifest is constrained to shew it selfe euery where with shame and dishonour There be three degrees of ingratitude the first is not to recompense and requite a pleasure receiued the second to forget it onely the third to render euill for good The first is euill the second is worse and the third is worst of all the first may be sometimes attributed to the impossibilitie the other to negligence but the third is euer attributed to malignitie Not to recompence in some sort may bee excused to forget a pleasure is hardly excusable but to render euill for good can bee excused in no sort whatsoeuer And as those are the most wicked men in the world which vse and abuse the gifts of God to the ende to sinne as rich men which become couetous sound and healthie men luxurious incontinent and insolent strong and able men full of violence ingenious and wittie men which become deceitfull and fraudulent euen so the ingratefull are more worthie of blame which turne and conuert the benefites and pleasures receiued to the hurt and dishonour of the benefactor An ingratefull man ought to bee shunned as the plague for a man cannot finde a more pestilent and pernicious thing then him which euer thinketh speaketh or doeth euill and louing only himselfe hateth euerie man els and principallie those which doe good to the good hee doubteth not to execute any kinde of wickednesse and may well be said to be the sinke of all villanie so as a man may be assured that the only good which he can doe is to die onlie for thereby he shall purge and cleare the world from his infection and the earth doth recouer and hide the horrible monster which it bred 〈…〉 brought forth And although that ingratitude be commonlie â—â—â—med of all men yet it seemeth that it is little esteemed now adayes for the number of ingratefull men is so increased that of force wee must beare with this imperfection as wee doe with many others which commeth of no other thing but because that this vice by our lawes can receiue no punishment which may equall it And men ordinarilie now care lesse for words then for deeds Wherefore as paines and punishments are ordeined for theeues murtherers and rebels to Princes and disturbers of the common peace so I would to God also that torments were prescribed for ingratefull men there would not peraduenture then be so many and men would be more afraide to shew themselues to be ingratefull and without curtesie towards their benefactors The Egyptians gaue this punishment to those which were ingratefull to their father or mother which was that they made theÌ„ to be gelded to the end they should not beget any such as they were and be perpetually depriued of the hope and pleasure to haue children iudging that punishment to be conformable to the fault and that hee which was ingratefull to his father did not deserue to be a father As for those which were ingratefull to their friendes they caused them to be proclaimed and published euery where for infamous to the end that no maÌ„ should euer doe them anie pleasure esteeming it a punishment fit for him which had beene ingratefull to a friend to bee made to lose all his friendes Zenophon in the life of Cyrus saith that among the Persians no vice was more blamed then ingratitude and they seuerely punished him that was able to requite a pleasure if he did not recompence it for they iudged an ingratefull man to be a contemner of the gods to haue no respect to his Parents loue to his countrie neither care of his friends Ingratitude ordinarily is a friend and companion to contempt and shamelesnes or impudencie and Pythagoras shewed well that ingratefull men were to be banished from the countrie when he said that we should driue the swallowes from the house which hee said to no other end but because that hee which dareth to shew himselfe ingratefull for a pleasure receiued will shew himselfe also such as it is to be doubted in all other actions and forgetting how much he is bound vnto his countrey he will one day be so bolde and hardie as to betray it With good reason an ingratefull man is to be banished from his Countrey for he is noysome to himselfe in this that hee maketh himselfe infamous and is hurtfull likewise to others because that through his euill example other men doubting to meete with such ingratefull people as he is will doe pleasure to no man And this peraduenture is that which Saint Bernard meaneth when hee saith that ingratitude emptieth and drieth vp the fountaine of pietie that is to say was the occasion why men drue backe and withheld from doing good to others through the example of some ingratefull man And for this cause the Romanes tooke libertie and freedome from ingratefull slaues being alreadie made free and made them returne againe into bondage and seruitude and children being ingratefull to their Parents were disinherited of their patrimonie and so by this penaltie they held both their seruants and their children in their dutie I know that many excuse themselues alleaging that the importunitie of their benefactor and the often casting them in the teeth with the good turne done them giueth occasion to become ingratefull but I will answere these men that although that such a kinde of people be intollerable seeing that their good turnes bring with them more offence than pleasure and that this manner of often reproching maketh a man to desire rather to forget them than to acknowledge them notwithstanding all this a noble and generous heart ought to beare with some imperfection in the benefactor and ought to remember that to put a man in minde of a pleasure is one thing and to cast him in the teeth and reproch him therewith is another for a man putteth his friends in minde of a pleasure and reprocheth his enemies and sometime