many times his Maisters messengers to giue attendaunce fifteene or twentie dayes for his pleasure He shall therefore so accommodate himselfe vnto the manners of the country where he is that hee neither force his naturall disposition neither be perceiued to doe it purposedly for the one is ridiculous and the other suspected and odious An other effect of his temperance shal be not to receiue any gifts and presents neither of the Prince to whome hee is sent nor of any of his for any cause whatsoeuer vnlesse at such time as hauing taken his leaue he is ready to take horse and departe The Ambassadour of England sir Amias Pawlet would not receiue the chaine of golde which the king sent vnto him according to the custome vntill he was halfe a league out of Paris Giftes doe oblige and those that receiue them become slaues to those that giue them much more if they take a pension or other benefite in which case there wil be either a staine of auarice or suspition of treason and that is capitall in many places But there is nothing more hurtfull to his reputation then vndiscreete speaking for there are some seene who at the table and at euery word meddle not onely with particular persons but with the Princes also to whom they are sent finde fault with the forme of a popular gouernment laugh openly at the manners of the nation where they are This indiscretion cannot be endured from a priuate man but it is altogether intolerable from the mouth of an Ambassador who in doing therof doeth not any longer remember wherefore he is in that charge since that the principall and most apparant end thereof is to confirme as I haue said and to entertaine the amitie of the Prince or people to whom he is sent and I should neede a resme of paper to reckon vp the inconueniences that haue befalne throgh such indiscretion the danger that those haue incurred which could not commaund their tongues I will onely say with an ancient Writer He that knoweth how to speake well knoweth also when hee must hold his peace Whereas besides the tediousnesse of much speaking the same hindereth him from hearing of others and gathering by that meanes the truth of such matters as hoe ought to know in his charge The Lord Cecill high Treasurer of England had this dexteritie that he left not one at his table whom he did not reason with and heare speake at their turnes And concerning those which speake not the language the same may and ought to be doone by an interpreter who is present for that effect especially in popular Estates where the least will be respected as well as the greatest Neither can I forbeare to speake of those who spare not euen their maister and their owne nation these defaults wherof they discouer by their talke and by the same meanes confirme that opinion which strangers haue thereof Our country is our mother we ought not to reueale the shame thereof and we ought to be as iealous thereof as of our owne honour for it is ill befitting to a seruant to touch the honour of his maister to publish the secrets of his Court to controle his pleasures and blame his actions especially hee must take heede that he speake not in publike what hee iudgeth touching the right of his pretences towards any Estate for either hee must maintaine them to be iust or must altogether hold his peace and discreetly turne his talke to other matter These are Arcana imperij whereof Tacitus speaketh Courage also and resolution are very necessary for him by reason of the hazards intricate affaires oppositions and vexations which are euermore ordinary with those that serue Princes and Commonwealths And euen so the Romanes wel considering the perill which accompanieth Ambassages honoured the memory of those that died in that charge with a statue for which cause an Ambassador of Athens answered so freely King Philip of Macedon who threatned him that he would cause his head to be cut off If thou takest this head from me my Country will giue mee another that shall be immortall Statuam pro capite pro morte immortalitatem Neuerthelesse euery one would not like of such a change and some would rather keepe their owne and if the Ambassadors escaped the danger and had well serued the Commonwealth there were recompenses answerable to the desertes appointed vnto them The English Ambassador Sir Edward Stafford on the day or the next day after the Barricadoes of Paris when a Lorde of the faction of the Duke of Guise that dead is woulde haue him take a pas-port or safe-gard from the said duke made him answer I am vnder the safegard of the law of nations and in the protection of the King to whom you are but subiects and seruantes This proceeded from a generous resolution euen in the furies of a popular commotion when the most mutinous could do all and good men feared all The Lord of Mortfontaine that dead is going Ambassadour into Swisserland about fiue yeeres past and being to passe through the County of Burgundie which at that time was full of Spanish and Italian Souldiers going into Flaunders spake very freely vnto those of the parliament of Dole which would haue put him in feare to the end that hee might not arriue in due time at the assembly of Baden wherein they had some practise against the Kings seruice That he was vnder the assurance of the Law of nations and of the Newtrality and in the protection of the Lords of the Cantons and that they should readily determine to make his passage safe and this furthered him albeit that which he aledged of the Law of nations was very disputable as I told him as soone as wee were out of danger I will speake a worde agayne theereof in his due place Furthermore these are too common and childish precepts to admonish him to be patient and staied if he see any to breake out through impatience as they doe most commonly who thinke they haue right and reason on their sides Especially the Swissers and Germans who are cholerike The sence being distempered choketh reason and choller is an enimy to counsaile breeding hatred and contempt and is ill-befitting to euery man much more to a man that manageth the chiefe affaires of an Estate which many times hee hurteth through his hastinesse coller and impatience The Frenchman who hath his bloud hote and his spirit more stirring hath consequently certaine quicke dispositions which other Nations doe not allow of at least they woulde bee more tolerable in martiall men yea in any other man than in an Ambassador and Counsellor of Estate I wish neuerthelesse that he would moderate his grauitie so as it be not hautie as that of the Spaniards oftentimes is in their speach countenance traine and gate One that hath beene Ambassador in England since in France for the last King of Spaine was wont to say Dios es poderoso en el ciel y
el Rey d'Espagna en la tierra He had his horses and coach garnished with litle bels and hauing but three steppes from his lodging to the Church neverthelesse both he and his traine woulde mount on horsebacke in their litter or coach The letters of occurrents reporte that an other departing from Rome to follow the Pope went forth with seauen litters six coaches drawne euery one with sixe horses two hundred seruants sixty wagons loaden with baggage and the first day hee passed not the first gate This fashion is held for good amongest them Let vs returne into our way againe for to adde vnto our Ambassador one of the worthiest qualities which hee can purchase vnto himselfe That is to be and to seeme a most discreete man The which he cannot better do then by these two vertues to be Charitable and Veritable For the former there are some which repine at that which is giuen to the poore and neuerthelesse are otherwise at great expences as if the one and the other were incompatible things Our forefathers did say that Wisdome and Honesty make a discreet man Then what may a man expect of the honesty of such a one as refuseth the guift of a halfepenny to a begger or of his wisdome if he would be accounted liberall and neuerthelesse spareth halfe a dozen of Crownes in almes euery yeare This is matter for Preachers and Ecclesiastes saith Fili ne auertas oculos tuos ab egeno And if one must not turne away his eyes from seeing the miserable much lesse is it lawfull to reproach and reuile them and to adde an iniury to a refusall The other marke of discretion is to be veritable sparing in promising religious in obseruing that once he hath promised for naturally one is lesse offended at a refusal then at an vnfaithfulnes nothing wil so much preserue his reputation especially amongst merchants and mony-men There hauing bene such an Ambassador seene as by his credit alone hath borowed so notable a summe and by the same done so worthy seruice to his Master that at the last he hath both deserued and receiued a great reward But the reward which is most pleasing to a good man is the honour it selfe which ariseth vnto him by his vertue The Germans and other Nations of that Climate make more account of a promise made then wee doe who most commonly serue our turnes therewith to ridde our handes of such as are importunate I haue alwaies seene Monsieur de Sillary who hath beene neere about eight yeeres Ambassador in Swisserland and hath there serued the King very profitably during the desperate estate of our affaires be verie sparing in making any promise to the Swissers For those people for the most part do note downe the place day and houre that they were spoken with yea euery word of an Ambassador still seeking to engage him in his promise and do carefully keepe the letters which hee writeth vnto them and take hold of the very hopes that are giuen vnto them and would make the same to stand insteed of a bill or obligation how much more a promise written or his word giuen Let our Ambassador therefore remember the saying of an aundent Writer Thinke an houre before you speake and a day before you promise And further one hath time among them to bethinke himselfe and deliberate of that which is to be answered vnto them and they themselues vse the same maner But much more sparing ought he to be to oblige his Master and although he haue ful authoritie to doe it neuerthelesse he shall do well if the seruice of his Maister permit it to giue him aduice therof before the conclusion and contract be passed for besides that the wils of Princes are subiect to changes that which hee shall do shal be so much the more authorized and himselfe be without reproach I will adde this word by the way vpon this point of contracts and treaties that they ought to be couched in termes plaine not ambiguous nor captious and to follow as much as may be the termes and clauses of presidents The Ambassador makes the Prince to speake therein for whom it is vnseemely to vse ambiguities and subtilties for feare lest it be told him as it was to the Emperour Charles the fist by Duke Mauritius vpon the equiuocation of these two words Enig and Enig Sir these subtilties are meet for an Aduocate but not for an Emperour True it is that there is not almost any publike charge wherein there is more lying and sometimes by the Masters commaundement and for the good of his seruice as I will shew by and by I haue seene some of them who through an habitude of lying haue of men of fidelity become at last very sound liers Ecclesiasticus also saith that the vse thereof is euill Noli velle mentiri omne mendacium assiduitas enim illius non est bona Others ther are who that they may not lie so aparantly helpe themselues with ambiguous tearmes couched so artificially that the subtilest heads knowe not where to find an Yea or a Nay In these ther is least harme and they escape best when they are sommoned and do lesse wrong to their Masters and to his reputation neuerthelesse this shift is soone smelled out and descried and the lier gâ—â—neth thus much thereby that he is not belieued euen when hee telleth truth Let him be therefore true in his words mindefull of that which he hath promised correspondent to himslefe holding alwayes agreeable conclusions in his discourses to the end that the contrary be not imputed to him for follie and vnstayednesse Here ariseth a question to wit If a man to liue ciuillie ought to be more enclined to refuse than to grant forasmuch as some make all demaunds and requests that are made vnto them so difficult that they seeme to doe it of purpose to excuse themselues from them Others neuer refuse any thing for not discontenting any man for the present time Guicciardine seemeth to leane to this opinion that one ought not to refuse any thing absolutely because saith he if the request be for a thing hereafter to come or for a matter that dependeth on the will of another there happen many occasions by which thou maist be discharged of thy promise whereas by a flat deniall or in making the matter difficult thou offendest thy friend I beleeue that there is a meane betweene these two extreamities for the wise Ambassador by giuing other counsel and direction or testifying a good wil by other gratious effects and honest speeches may mollifie the deniall which many times he is inforced to vse to demands that are made out of time and without reason A lesson in particular for the Ambassadors of Swisserland and the Grisons whose affaires are full of such importunities I meane for those that shall come after Monsieur de Vicque who hauing gotten so much reputation in the other charges which he hath managed heretofore doth in this
Neyther can I allow of the doing of a Spanish Ambassador at Venice who caused a seruant of his to be hanged at his Chamber windowe for some great offence as it was said although the Seigneurie made no shew nor pursuite therein to whom he could and ought to haue addressed himselfe That auncient rule therefore ought to take place Nulla manus ferrum tractat nisi quae sceptram vnlesse that both the Princes had so agreede betweene themseluesas the same might ought to be done in Estates that are far one from the other For otherwise the punishment of a crime shoulde oftentimes be deferred and consequently be neglected through such a distance of place No otherwise than as Captains vpon the Sea haue ordinarily authoritie from their Soueraines to punish the crimes that are committed abord their shippes as other commaunders of the field have authoritie to punish offenders in their Armies although they be in the dominions of other Soueraines And I haue since obserued that this is the opinion of Monsieur Paschall a most learned Counsellor of Estate in his booke de Legato And if so be an Ambassador hath no iurisdiction ouer those of his owne housholde he hath lesse ouer the other subiects of his Master The kings Ambassador in Swisserland at the beginning of the last troubles being aduertized of the practizes which were intended against the seruice of the king would cause one of the debters therein to be stayed who was passing to Soleure and pretended the law of Nations and the freedome of the passage But who doubteth that within his house he had not sufficient authoritie to seaze on him and out of his house to vse the authoritie of the Magistrate vnto the same effect I say simply to seaze on him not to proceed in Iustice against him but to send him to his Maister or to hold him vntill hee vnderstand his pleasure Wee haue before spoken of Spies that come vnder the name of Ambassadors or of Ambassadors which vnder colour of negotiating some affaire or entertainement of amitie doe spie out the secrets of the estate to an ill intent but with those it fareth otherwise than with common spies and of such as come without allowance For being once accepted for Ambassadors they are infallibly within the sanctuarie of the Lawe of Nations and the consequence would be most dangerous if a doore were opened vnto such neere inquirets and fewe men and medlers in forraine affaires would be assured in their charges the most part of them being in effect employed therin but to learne that which is done amongst others And some call them also honourable Spies alleadging that saying of Chabrias Hee is an excellent commander for the warre that knoweth all that is done amongest his enemies And in truth hee cannot be accounted for a true friend which is mistrusted and whose secrets designes a man is constrained to espie And to this effect the History of England sayeth that Henry the seauenth a wise and discreete Prince and Grand-father to the late Queene was about to haue dismissed all resident and ledger Ambassadors and to haue kept none with any other but death preuented him We haue also saide before that Antiquitie knew them not and the History of France noteth that Lewis the eleuenth did neur send the same Ambassador twise vnto him whome hee would intertaine with wordes to the end that if the former had by chaunce treated of any matter where of the effect did not follow the latter should not know what to answere thereunto and that the ignorance of the matter might serue him for an excuse whereby to gaine time But we are gon from our matter wee must therefore distinguish if they be deputies in the behalf of some Prouinces that are in subiection to a greater Empire or vnder the protection of an other as those quae populi Romani Maiestatem colere dicebantur Or else if they be sent from a soueraine Prince to his equal forme of the first case they should stand more at the mercie of him whom they haue offended Nec à subditis nec subditos rectè mittuntur legati Those are not properly Ambassadors whome the Subiects send vnto their prince or hee to them whereof I spake before I will onely adde a good note that is in Plutarke of one of Sparta sent to the Generall of their enemies armie who being asked in what qualitie he presented himselfe If saith hee I obtaine that which I demaund I come as an Ambassador If not as one priuate and without charge I could not forget this wise speech although it be not to our matter Let vs now see whether the Ambassador which passeth thorough the Country of a Prince to whom hee is not sent may aledge the lawe of Nations I haue before spoken of the Sieur de Mortefontaine Hotman and of his passage through the Country of Burgundie there was then open warre betweene France and Spaine those of the Countrie subiectes of the Spaniard therefore there was no assurance for him by that taking course Yea a third man is not bound to receiue and acknowledge him for an Ambassador that passeth thorough his Country to execute his charge in an other place and if he doth it it is but of curtesie and humanitie which is vsed in the behalfe of passengers to whome in time of peace all wayes are open One thing helpeth him to wit Neutralitie which notwithstanding all the warres of former times hath beene entertained and renewed betweene the King and those of the said Country in fauor and at the request of the Lords of the Cantons who terme themselues mediators and protectors of the saide Neutralitie whosoeuer therefore is to passe thorough the Country of another ought to enquire whether the Prince be his Maisters friend or enemie if the Country be in peace or in warre and howsoeuer it be yet to craue passage and to procure a good pasporte sufficiently ratified for the same or else a good and safe conduct But if notwithstanding the prohibition that hath beene made him to enter into the Country where hee goeth to execute his charge he would passe on further We aske if he can shield himselfe with the lawe of nations whereunto wee answere that seeing by the same lawe of Nations and of Nature euery Colliar is maister in his owne house as the saying is and euery Soueraigne in his owne estate Surely he hath full power and libertie to forbid the entrance into his Country to such as hee disliketh and holdeth for suspected Neuerthelesse if he come towards the same as a suppliant as the Romane Ladies came vnto Coriolanus Plato saith Omnium tum in ciues tum in peregrinos maximum est peccatum cum peccaturus supplices Deus enim afflicti supplicis custos eximius This humanitie ought in like maner to take place in the behalfe of rebellious and seditious subiects at such times as they ordain any amongst them to make submission and craue