rather to the Emperour then the Gods This Language well befits the Flatterers at Court who adore no other Deity but Fortune This is a Theme so plain it needs no Commentary Besides that my design is only to Inform and not to Offend ESSAY XXXVI TIberius heard the Opprobrious Language with which his Reputation was wounded and was so deeply concern'd that he cried out he would immediately clear himself and stand a Tryal Nor could the Persuasions of nearest Relations or the Flatteries of all his Followers compose his Mind but with Elaborate Importunity Says D'Ablancourt Tiberius heard the Defamations that were thrown upon him and cry'd out in a great Fury that he would at the same instant clear himself of those Calumnies so that it was a difficult task of the Senate and all his Friends together to apappease him with all their Flatteries and Prayers Flattery is never so seasonable nor runs to that excess as when the Prince is woundâ—d in his Honour Tiberius had receiv'd a Bloody Affront For a certain Officer in the Army coming in as an Evidence against one Montanus who had utter'd hainous Language against the Emperour in a full Senate repeated the Words as they were spoken to add the more weight to his Testimony and the more the Senators shew'd their unwillingness to understand him as detesting his Impudence the more obstinate the Officer was to make good his Accusation So that considering Tiberius's humour a Prince so politic and dextrous in concealing his Vices and designing 'em into Vertues it was no wonder he should be more enrag'd against the Testimony then against the Person accus'd And this was that which oblig'd him to protest with so much Violence and be so earnest to clear himself of what was laid to his Charge Now when a Prince goes about to insist upon his Justification especially when the Imputation from which he thinks to clear himself is true and known to all the World then it is that Flattery becomes most pleasing to him and that he is overjoy'd when they tell them that he has no need to purge himself from Scandals and Reproaches which no Body believes that it redounds to his Honour to be hated by Wicked and Vicious People that it is peculiar to Princes to do well and for Subjects to talk Maliciously and Scandalously of Princes Moreover as Flattery is always excessive toward bad Princes as being fear'd and dreaded most of all so are Scandal and Oblcquie most outragious when they believe themselves most secure that is to say when Men are venting their disgusts among their Intimate and most Familiar Acquaintance where every one discovers the very bottom of his Heart So that it is the most certain Mark of a good Prince when his Subjects discourse of him in their Private Houses and Retirements as he is cry'd up at Court And this it was which the younger Pliny intended when speaking to Trajan This day said he it is that we have just reason to complain that our secret discourses are not spy'd and observ'd but by Princes which hate us For if good Princes were so Inquisitive as the bad what a pleasure would it be to Thee to hear what we discourse of Thee in our private Dwellings to our Wives our Children and our Servants Then thou would'st know the full extent of our Love and Admiration of thy Vertues and how we power forth our Prayers continually for thy long and prosperous Reign Then tho' Love and Hatred are perfect Contraries thou wouldst understand that in our Houses there is so far a kind of Reconciliation between those opposite Passions that we adore and reverence Vertuous Princes with the same excess of Cordial Affection as with detestation we abominate unruly Tyranny ESSAY XXXVII WHen the Conflagration had consum'd all things round about it the Effigies of Tiberius only remain'd untouch'd So that the Claudii were look'd upon as peculiarly favour'd by the Gods and there was a farther addition of Reverence and Adoration to the Place wherein the Gods had shew'n so high an Honour to the Prince Says D'Ablancourt It was a Remarkable Testimony that the Claâ—dian Family was Sacred and Favour'd by the Gods and that the Place deserv'd a particular Reverence where they had shew'd a Miracle so particular in favour of the Prince Flatterers conster all things to the Princes Honour and cry up for Testimonials of their Vertue those Accidents which are the effect of Chance and Hazard only They never mind that Flattery becomes Ridiculous unless it be such as is pleasing to the Prince And such was this same Adulation of the Senate upon this occasion for that Tiberius had a custom to appropriate Honours to himself from all Accidents that would bear a favourable Construction On the other side he could not chuse but be highly satisfi'd to see the Senate make a Construction so different from that of the People who laid the Fire to his Charge and all the other Calamities that had befallen the City as having left it a little before in spight of the unlucky Signs and Omens that appear'd upon the Augur's Consultations The good Fortune of Princes many times supplys the place of Merit for Men have always a high Opinion of their Worth so long as they are happy Let the Accidents that happen be ne're so meerly Casual they are taken for assur'd Omens of their Grandeur and are of great importance to improve that Veneration which Men pretend to be their due ESSAY XXXVIII NEither was it the Care of the Senate to prevent loss of Honour upon the Frontiers of the Empire An inward Consternation had possess'd their Spirits for which the only remedy they could provide was Flattery So that altho' they had several Affairs of higher Importance that requir'd their Debates they decreed an Altar to Clemency another to Friendship and Statues to Caesar and Sejanus round about Says D'Ablancourt The Senate troubl'd and amus'd with inward fears neglected the Frontiers of the Empire and to shelter themselves under some signal piece of Flattery never minding those more Important Affairs which they had under their Consideration decreed Altars to Clemency and Friendship and Statues to the Emperour and Sejanus Under evil Princes the Grandees take little Care of the Public Misfortunes as being solely imploy'd to secure themselves The more in fear Men are the more they abandon themselves to Flattery Especially those Persons that live at Court or else have high Employments to lose in regard their Advancement exposes them to greater Dangers then others And then again when a Prince dissembles the bad Condition of his Affairs then it is that he is Flatter'd most of all every one affecting to shew his absolute reliance upon the Fortune and the Prudence of his Prince ESSAY XXXIX BUT as for Junius Gallio who had decreed that the Pretorian Soldiers having serv'd out their full time might have the Priviledge to place themselves in the Amphitheatre upon the first Fourteen Benches among the
their earliest Favour and good Opinion Therefore it was a Sentence of Galba grounded upon good Reason that Flattery was vaid of Love and that there was not any Poison more dangerous then hers And I wish it were the Will of Heaven that all Princes were as well Convinc'd of this Truth as Galba Surely it would be much better for the General Prosperity of their Affairs and their Reputation of which they can never be too jealous would advance it self to a higher Pinacle of Grandeur For then they would have Subjects that would adore their Persons whereas those Many Flatterers that croud about their Thrones Idolize nothing but their Exalted Fortune And therefore it was that Tiberius and Galba always contemn'd and scorn'd ' em ESSAY IV. COnsuls Fathers Knights all ran headlong into Slavery and by how much the more Illustrious they were by so much the more Deceitful and speedy in their Motion And with a Compos'd Gravity that they might not seem to be too much overjoy'd at the Death of the deceas'd Emperour nor sad at such a Conjecture as the Advancement of the Succeeding Prince they intermix'd their Tears with Joy and their Lamentations with Adulation At Rome says D'Ablancourt all Degrees of Men Knights Senators and Consuls ran headlong into Slavery and the most Illustrious and Eminent first of all composing so their Looks and Countenances that they might not seem joyful for the Death of Augustus nor sad that Tiberius was come to the Throne Nevertheless their Tears their Condolements and Congratulations were all but cunning Dissimulation Flattery is always Excessive at the beginning of a new Reign For every one strives to be Complaisant and to advance his Fortune by Ingratiating himself Even they themselves who are not addicted to Flattery become Flatterers then spurr'd on by Envy and Jealousie not enduring that their Competitors should gain a greater ascendant over the Affections of their Prince then themselves and fearing least Favours should advance their Equals to be their Superiours The Grandees are oblig'd to Flatter in regard there is an absolute Necessity for them to please that so they may be able to preserve their Grandeur Every Prince at the beginning of his Reign is subject to mistrust not knowing whither the Great Ones are well pleas'd or disgusted at his Advancement Therefore it is that he makes it his business to sound the Affections of his Nobility and that he studies to observe their Countenances and their Discourses Which is the Reaâ—on that we we find all Men in all Companies striving to outvie one another in Adulation and Servitude ESSAY V. Valerius Messala added That the Senators should every Year renew their Oaths of Fidelity to Tiberius And being ask'd by Tiberius whither it was by his Order that he had given those hints to the Senate he answer'd of his own accord That in those thinge which Concern'd the Commonweal he was not wont to follow any other Counsels then his own not caring whither others were offended or no. That only sort of Flattery then remain'd Says D'Ablancourt When Tiberius had ask'd him whither he had given him Orders to speak what he had said he answer'd That what concern'd the Republic he never took advice of any Person Where he leaves out Vel cum periculo Offensionis Wherein chiefly consists undiscernable spurn of absolute Controul and the disguis'd assertion of Liberty And besides he omits the following Sentence Ea sola species adulandi supererat Which makes a most graceful and pleasing Epiphonema to what went before The Question which Tiberius put to Messala plainly shews that there are certain Flatteties which are so far from being grateful to Princes that they rather blush and are asham'd to hear 'em pronounc'd But from one piece of servile Flattery which had wounded Tiberius's Modesty Messala drives on to another which under the false appearance of a Bravado and an undaunted Courage concludes in the Absolute Annihilation of Liberty For while he feigns as if he thought Tiberius offended with his Advice as one that really was resolv'd never to take upon him the Burthen of the Empire he maintains by his Reply That it was not the Power of the Empire to excuse Him and by Consequence that there was a compulsive necessity for Him to accept of the Sovereign Power maugre his aversion to the Contrary protesting that he would rather incur the Princes Indignation then be debarr'd from speaking freely whatever he thought might be for the Service of his Country ESSAY VI. THE Fathers unanimously cry'd out that the Body should be carry'd to the Funeral Pile upon the Shoulders of the Senators D'Ablancourt renders it Then the Senate cry'd out that it was but decent for the Body to be carry'd to the Funeral Pile upon the Shoulders of Senators There needs but one Flatterer to infect a whole Society Messala had no sooner deliver'd his fawning Opinion but the whole Senate are for improving and striving to outvye his glozing dissimulation Messala had spoken like a Colloguing Courtier and the Senate speaks like so many abject Slaves For it was a Duty incumbent only to the Slaves to carry the Bodies of their Masters to the Funeral Pile ESSAY VII NOR were the Fathers less Prodigal of their Adulation toward Augusta But Tiberius told 'em there was a Moderation to be us'd in bestowing Female Honours Says D'Ablancourt Their Flattery was not only excessive toward the Emperour but also towards his Lady Princes are willing enough that Honours should be bestow'd upon their Mothers or their Kindred but they cannot endure that any Person whatever should be made their Equal But this was that which the Senate were about to do when they decreed that glorious Title of MOTHER OF HER COUNTRY to Livia For indeed Flatterers are strongly subject to one piece of Imprudence for that as they are a sort of People that make their Interest the only Idol of their Adulation looking one way but rowing another they never measure their study'd Encomium's according to the Merit or Quality or Dignity of the Person but give the same Panegyricks to a Judge a Chancellor a President or an Earl c. as to a Sovereign Prince And thus we find at this day several Illustrious Epithites whither before large Folio's or Plays or Discourses upon mean and frivolous Subjects which are allowable to none but Kings and absolute Princes Which is the Reason that France now mainly stands in need of a PRAGMATIC Sanction like to that which Philip the II. set forth in the Year 1586. to prevent Abuses of the same Nature As for Women Tiberius like a Politic Prince well understood how dangerous a thing it was to raise their Pride their Vanity their Luxury their Avarice their Ambition their Insolence and their Cruelty which according to Tacitus are the usual Passions incident to their Sex And this Maxim of Tiberius is well observ'd in Hungary where the Queens at the Ceremony of their Coronation are never Crown'd but upon
elegant Poet as much as to say Eminent in every thing that was beneath a Prince that the Welfare of the Empire depended wholly upon him and that expiring with his Life it was never to rise again was either to laugh at the Emperor or make himself ridiculous Nevertheless we meet with Compliments every day altogether as vain and impertinent which however are kindly accepted So true is that Remark of Tacitus That Assiduous Adulation corrupts and blinds the understanding of Great Personages ESSAY LXVI NERO inclin'd to the more Vicious They assail Seneca with various Accusations They objected his assuming to himself alone the Pre-eminence in Eloquence and his making Verses more frequently since Nero had addicted himself to the study of Poetry That he openly exclaim'd against the Prince's Pleasures That he contemned his Agility in the management of Horses and derided his Voice when he sang The Prince says D'Ablancourt was naturally enclin'd to follow the worst Counsels Thereupon it was laid to Seneca's Charge That he ascrib'd to himself the Glory of being the only Eloquent Person in the City and had made Verses more frequently since Nero began to esteem Poetry That he forbore not in public to find fault with his Divertisements and to laugh at his Activities in driving Chariots and derided his Excellency in Music When once a Prince begins to lend his Ears to Flatterers Calumny forthwith makes open War with Men of Vertue They that accus'd Seneca were certain of over-ruling Nero to his Destruction For that Burrhus and He were always averse to his Pleasures For the Court is always full of certain People who make it all their business to sound the Disgusts and Discontentments of Princes incense 'em against them who are both the Object the Cause of them And thus it was that Sejanus exasperated Tiberius against Asinius Gallus and that Cossurianus Capito and Eprius Marcellus perswaded Nero to rid himself of Thrasea As to what the Courtiers laid to Seneca's Charge that he ascrib'd to himself the sole Glory of surpassing all others in Eloquence that was only an Artifice by which they render'd him so much the more odious to Nero in regard that he continually making use of him for the composing those Orations and Speeches which he had to make to the Senate should thereby take notice that Seneca made Merchandize of this Eloquence while 't was the general saying that whatever he spoke or did either Handsom and Noble still Seneca reap'd all the Honour of it as being the first Composer However that Nero was past a Child and by consequence needed no more Tutors the Examples of his Ancestors being sufficient to instruct and advise him in the management of his Government By the way observe that Tacitus seems obliquely to reprove the Vanity or rather Vain-glory of Senca in saying That he caus'd Nero to pronounce several Popular Harangues to shew the good Education which he had given his Pupil or else in Ostentation of his own Wit So true it is that the wisest of Men are subject to an ardent love and desire of Glory And according to the Greek Proverb 'T is the last Shirt they put off ESSAY LXVII TIgellinus growing daily more powerful and believing his wicked Artifices wherein his chiefest Excellencies lay would prove more acceptable could he but engage the Prince to be an Accomplice with him in his Crimes he dives into his Fears and found that Plantius and Sylla were the objects of his Terror Says D'Ablancourt Tigellinus grew more and more in Credit every day and to render himself yet more considerable he resolv'd to plunge Nero deeper deeper in Vice as being the only Craft of which he was the absolute Master Seeing therefore that the Persons whom the Prince most fear'd were Sylla and Rubellius he endeavour'd to render their Exile suspected Rubellius Plautus and Cornelius Sylla were Persons suspected and dreaded by Nero The first because he was descended from Augustus by the Mothers side and in the same degree next of Kin to Nero besides that he was vastly Rich. The second for that having espous'd Antonia the Daughter of Claudius and Sister to Octavia Nero's Wife he seem'd to have some Right or at least some Pretension to the Empire For which reason he had procur'd their Exilement the one being Banish'd into Asia and the other into Gallia But Nero as it is the custome of bad Princes to be prone to Fears and Jealousies had still the same suspitions of these two Men notwithstanding the distance of their Consinement Wherefore Tigellinus who was not ignorant of the innate Cruelty of his Master and understanding from whence his Jealousies arose infuses into his mind That two Persons of such Illustrious Extraction had the ready opportunity to revenge themselves in their Exile where they were at hand to debauch both the Eastern and German Armies That Nero might secure himself from the Contrivances of his Enemies at Rome where his presence was sufficient to curb the growing Insolencies of Mutiny and Disorder but that it would be a difficult thing for him to put a stop to Designs well laid in distant Provinces That the Gaules already cast their Eyes upon Sylla as a Noble Branch of the Dictators Family and that the hopes of Asia were no less in the Grandchild of Drusus That Sylla's Poverty was a sufficient incitement to push him forward in the prosecution of bold and daring Attempts and that he only affected a counterfeit Supidity till he met with an opportunity to shew his Courage On the other side that Plautus was a Person of prodigious Wealth and so far from seemiog to love Repose and Quiet that he took a pride in imitating the Ancient Romans and in practising the Maxims of the Stoicks a Sect that teaches Men to be arrogant turbulent and daring These are the dangers that attend Great Personages The Flatterers tell the Prince that the excessive Wealth of a Subject is fatal to Domination that they are too High for the Condition of a Private Person and over-shadow the Grandeur of a Prince And therefore it was that the Prince of Conde made Answer to a Proposal that was made him only to beg and have such a Government as he should himself desire That he had Wealth and Estate sufficient to preserve himself by his good Services and Loyalty that if he had more it would but render him justly suspected to the King who could have no other reason to Ruine him but only because he was too Great If they are Poor then they are represented to the Prince as Malecontents who study all opportunities to meliorate their Fortunes at the Expence of the Public Tranquillity that if they are not prevented their Misery will hurry 'em to Despair and their Despair to Revolt and that therefore there is a necessity to hast'n their Destruction If they are Persons of mean Parts or little Courage those Feeblenesses are interpreted to be refin'd Policy and Dissimulation But if they
found Matter for the most Noble Panegyric in the World without robbing God of that which incommunicably belongs to Him to give it to Caesar ESSAY LXXII HEnce the Orators took occasion to spend all their Studies upon Panegyrics and Encomiums in honour of the Prince The Earth cry'd they produces not only her usual Fruits and Gold confus'd with other Metals but as if infertiliz'd by Thy Rays with a new access of Plenty teems with unaccustom'd Productions while the Gods throw down their obvious Riches to encrease her Store With several other servile Raptures compos'd with no less Eloquence then Adulation as being secure of the Credulity of their Hearers Says D'Ablancourt The Orators made choice of no other Themes for their Panegyrics crying out that the Earth produc'd not only Fruits and Flowers or Metals within its bowels but from her bosome discover'd new Treasures to augment the felicity of so flourishing a Reign With many other things of the same nature which their own servile Inclinations and the Prince's Credulity produc'd with as much Eloquence as Flattery Princes are the more easily induc'd to flatter themselves with the enjoyment of those successes with which Adulation sooths their Fancies as being made believe that all things must be obedient to their Fortune and that there is no contending with their Fate Nero therefore who naturally coveted things the most incredible with ease gave credit to his own Wishes and his Courtiers were no less careful how they undeceiv'd him seeing how lavish and profuse he was in his Expences in hopes of Dido's pretended Treasures Thus it is that unwary Princes are frequently abus'd and gull'd by their Flatterers impoverishing their Treasures by immense Profusions while they feed 'em with vain Expectations For his expectancy of promis'd Wealth was one of the causes of publick Poverty 'T is the course of Flatterers still to be buzzing in the Sovereign's Ears that Princes should never mind good Husbandry whereas they should have told 'em they could not be well too thrifty considering there is no end of their Expences The Favourites of Hen. 3. says Mezeray in his Life had instill'd into his mind that all the Estates of his Subjects were absolutely at his disposal and that France was such an inexhaustible Fountain of Wealth that no Prodigality whatever could draw it dry But this ill Advice and worse bad Husbandry says he caus'd such scarcity of Money that many times there was not sufficient to defray the Expences of the King's Kitchin ESSAY LXXIII SOme there were who admonish'd him to make Caesar his Heir of the greatest part of his Estate which would be the way to preserve the rest for his Grand-children Which he refus'd to do that he might not tarnish with servile condiscension a Life that he had lead the nearest that might be to Liberty And speaking of Petronius neither would he Flatter in his Will either Caesar or Tigellinus or any of the Great Men then in Favour Says D'Ablancorut Some advis'd him to leave the best part of his Estate to the Emperor and to save the rest but he reply'd That after he had liv'd so long in Honour he would not fully the end of his Life with a servile Act Nor would Petronius Flatter in his Will either Nero or Tigellinus or any other of the Favourites as most of those there that suffer'd had done They who never committed any degenerate Act in their life-time are careful to preserve their Reputation to the last gasp Nor can there be a smarter incentive to die like a Man of Honour then to have always been so Therefore Cocceius Nerva the best Friend Tiberius had seeing that the Emperor grew more vicious every day then other while his Health Estate were yet in a good condition and his Reputation unblemish'd chose to die And Thrasea whom Tacitus calls the Patern of true Honour made answer to those who advis'd him to delay his Death That he had nothing more to do but to die as he had liv'd that is to say untainted unpolluted and imitating the glorious Exit of those whom he had emulated in his life-time For it is not enough for Great Personages to be distinguish'd from Others by the Magnificence of their Funerals unless at their Deaths they likewise leave a distinct remembrance to Posterity ESSAY LXXIV TRuth was several ways ecclips'd and interrupted first through ignorance of Public Affairs now mannag'd by a few then by the contagious lust of Adulation or else by the general hatred of those that were in Power So that what between those that were Disgusted and those that were Obnoxious there was no care taken of Posterity But 't is easie for thee to discry and ward off the Flatteries of a Historian tho' Detraction and Envy are heard with willing Ears For there is a kind of resemblance between the foul Crime of Servility and Adulation but in Malignity there seems to be some similitude of Liberty We cannot deny our Preferment begun by Vespasian augmented by Tiberius and farther advanc'd by Domitian but they that pretend to an inviolate Fidelity must never be sway'd by the Affections either of Love or Hatred Truth Says D'Ablancourt was clouded and obscur'd through ignorance of Public Affairs wherein few were concern'd and sophisticated either by Flattery or Hatred The Historians took no care of Posterity minding only their Revenge or their Preferment But tho' Flattery and Obloquie both equally disguise the Truth it is more easie for a Man to secure himself from the one which is odious to all the World then from the other which deceives us under the false shew of Liberty 'T is true I owe the first rise of my Fortune to Vespasian and the progress of my Advancement to his Children But when a Man once goes about to write a History he must forget Favours as well as Injuries Wherein D'Ablancourt mistakes the words of Tacitus who says no such thing but only that no Historian should suffer himself to be byass'd either by his Love or by his Hatred Were it absolutely necessary for a Historian to understand not only the Events of things but also the Reason and Causes which produc'd those Events it would be impossible for any Man to be a good Historian that never had any share in the mannagement of Public Affairs For the Success and Events of things are known to all the World but the Motives the Interests the Accidents the Springs that enliven'd mov'd and maâ—nag'd those Affairs and were the Causes of their prosperous accomplishments or miscarriage are only known to the Contrivers and Artificers themselves And for that Reason it is that Historians of Republics have more advantage to write the Truth of things then the Subjects of Soveraign Monarchs Where the Secret lies lockt up in the Breast or Cabinet of the Prince so that they may be well call'd strangers to the Government The second thing which disguises and disfigures History is Flattery which in Republics is but little
Friends to take Possession of the Empire For the looser and more extravagant sort of Courtiers are afraid of nothing more then a Vertuous and Vigilant Prince because their Interest is incompatible with his Duty The young King says Mezeray speaking of Charles VIII was naturally enclin'd to the study of Vertue addicting himself as much as his leisure would permit him to the reading of good Authors and to converse with learned Men. But the Sycophant to whose humour a serious and prudent Prince is a burthensom Master before the Year was out plung'd him again into the love of Toys and Women I find moreover two or three things more to be observ'd upon the Choice which Galba made of Piso to succeed him rather then Otho who being the first who had declar'd himself for Galba was in hopes to have been adopted for his Son The first is that Galba rather chose to expose himself to Otho's Resentment to whom he was so highly oblig'd then to advance to the Empire a Person who was guilty of all Nero's Vices considering that would be of little benefit to the Publick-weal to have escap'd Nero's Violencies should it relapse under the power of his Companion in Debauchery The second thing is that Vertuous Princes make it their chiefest Glory to choose a good Successor whereas a bad Prince en deavours to find a worse then himself to the end he may be miss'd when gone Augustus said Galba to Piso made Choice of a Successor out of his own Family but I choose mine out of the Commonwealth Not that I am destitute either of Kindred or Friends but because of all my own and thine thou seem'st to me most worthy to be the Heir of my Fortune My Age permits me not to do the Roman People any other kindness but only to leave them a Vertuous Successor But thou who art in the flower of thy Youth hast it within thy power to bless 'em with a Vertuous Prince and long Tranquility The Younger Pliny tells us that Nerva was belov'd and lamented by all good Men for that he had made such Provision that no body should have cause to miss him and being a most worthy Prince himself he was not afraid to make Choice of one that might exceed him And in another Place he says That a good Successor is a most evident Mark of the Divinity of the Prince that makes the Election The last thing is the difference between the Advice which Princes give to their Successors and that which Sycophants give to Princes When a Prince admonishes another 't is his usual custom to tell him that Sovereignty is a weighty Burthen and a Condition above all others most subject to the Capriccio's of Fortune That the Higher a man is exalted the more in danger he stands of the Precipice That Power is never truly secure when excessive and rarely longer permanent then the Life of him that exercises it That there is nothing in the World so unstable or so difficult to preserve as the Fame of Power that rests not on its proper foundation of Justice and Reason That it is impossible for a Prince to know or act all things himself and therefore had need of good Counsel and Assistance That his Ministers and He transacting unanimously together the Public Affairs will be better manag'd That he ought not to study Dominion over Slaves but equal Government over Children and Subjects accustom'd to rational and not to blind Obedience That Loyal Subjects never grudge to pay Taxes or Impositions but ill brook the Violence the Cruelty and Avarice of the Officers That a Government cannot long subsist between unjust Command and forc'd Obedience I do not Interest my self said Tiberius in in the Choice of Edils Pretors or Consuls something greater and more sublime is expected from a Prince nor do I make use of Power where I can act by Law Then he goes on that Liberality when excessive proves pernicious as forcing to repair by Injustice what Extravagancy has dissipated That Clemency advances the Reputation of Princes and that having all things at their Command there remains nothing for them to desire more then only to Eternize their Happy Memories These are the Temples those the Noble Statues said Tiberius that I desire to be erected in your minds for as for those that are built of Stone should I deserve the hatred of succeeding Ages they would be scorn'd and soon defac'd On the other side Sycophants infuse into the ears of Princes that they have not only an Absolute Power but a Universal Understanding and that their Subjects can pretend to nothing but only the Honour of a blind Obedience That the Will and Pleasure of a Prince is the Rule of Justice and by consequence that all the Actions of Kings are Infallibly Just That a Prince who Governs according to Laws is only a Precarious Prince and that he who listens to the Advice of his Counsel is a Pupil That all ways and means whatever which conduce to the preservation of Authority are honest and lawful provided they be successful That the Impov'rishing of the People and keeping the Nobility Low are the main Pillars of Imperial Power That Privileges Exemptions and Moderate Taxes serve only to render the People untractable and mutinous whereas they are supple submiss and yielding when they have nothing to lose That Luxury Adulteries Revelling and choice of Women are the Rewards of Principality That it is of little importance to be belov'd but of great moment to be fear'd for that Fear is supported by the dread of Punishment which never ceases but that Love is preserv'd only by a certain tie of Complaisance which Men as often break as fancy and humour inspire 'em That Clemency is a dangerous Vertue and Modesty fitting only for a Citizens Wife And lastly That Princes never need take any care what Posterity says of 'em as being no competent Judge of the Truth or Falshood of those that applaud or discommend since 't is the Fate of Historians to be always suspected either of Flattery or Malice ESSAY LXXIX THen from all Parts of the City as Othonians met Othonians some augmented the general Fears others minc'd the Truth not then refraining from their wonted Adulation Says D'Ablancourt People crouded together from all Parts of the City some augmenting the danger others lessening it as much not forgetting their usual Flattery even in that extremity Otho was Proclaim'd Emperor and Galba now no longer in Possession of the Sovereignty nevertheless there were some People that Flatter'd the Unfortunate Prince as if after he had lost the Empire he had something of higher Advantage to lose An evident proof that Sycophants never can find in their hearts to speak sincerely to Princes and that Princes are Flatter'd because 't is the Mode without the least anxiety for their good or ill success Sycophants never tell 'em any thing but what is grateful tho' it be ne'er so prejudicial They who sooth'd up Galba at