by Caesar notwithstanding put him to death and sent his head to Caesar which he refused to see and wept for sorrow and commanded them that brought it to be put to death Shortly after Caesar assisted Cleopatra killed Ptolomeus her brother and made her Queene of Egypt Alfonsas sonne to Ferdinando King of Naples vnder the promise and safegard of his father got to come to him foure and twenty Princes and Barons who notwithstanding his promise put them in prison and vpon the death of his father being foure and twenty yeares after put them all to death Charles the seuenth King of France when he was Dolphin made John Duke of Burgundy beleeue that he would make a peace with him whereupon they met at a place appointed where Charles caused the Duke to be presently killed But Charles after this wearied with the warres Phillip sonne to the Duke made against him and of the subiection England brought France into by this opportunity did reconcile himselfe to Phillip and asked him forgiunesse openly by his Ambassadours Charles the last Duke of Burgundy hauing giuen safe conduct to the Earle of Saint Paul Constable of France tooke him prisoner and deliuered him to the French King who put him to death But Sultan Soliman the great Turke did worthily punish his Bascha for falsifying his word who sent into Valona to passe into Jtaly landed at the Hauen of Castro where the Inhabitants being astonished yeelded vnto him vpon his word and fidelity that they should depart with bag and baggage neuerthelesse he slew them all except those that were fit to serue for slaues But he returning to Constantinople Sultan caused him to be strangled for his disloyalty and perfidiousnesse and sent backe all the prisoners with their goods into Italy Thus you may see how honourable it is for one to keep their word and what they deserue that falsifie their faith for a faithlesse Prince is beloued of none but hated of all suspected of his friends not trusted of his enemies and forsaken of all men in his greatest necessity CHAP. 5. A Prince to be constant in his Act. IT is likewise very fitting that a Prince should be constant in his Act. First to aduise well before hee resolue but after resolution to be constant and not changeable For Saint Ambrose writing to Simplician saith that a foole is mooueable as the wind but a wise man is not astonished by feare nor changed by force nor sunke by sorrow nor proud by prosperity The Romans besieged Casselin Fabius would haue giuen ouer the siege but Marcellus perswaded him to the coÌ„trary saying that as there are many things a good Captaine ought not to attempt so ought he not to desist or giue ouer an enterprise once begun and taken in hand Bertrand de Guesclin a Frenchman seruing Henry against Peter King of Spaine was by the Prince of Wales taken prisoner and Peter by this victory restored to his Kingdome The Prince offered to giue Bertrand his liberty without ransome so he would serue Henry no more which he refused because Peter had murthered the Queene his wife Blanche de Burbon and married a Sarizen kings daughter the better to strengthen himselfe and had renounced the Catholicke faith Then the Prince asked him whither he would goe if he were at liberty he said where he would soone recouer his losse and desired the Prince to aske him no further Well said the Prince consider what ransome you will giue me for I referre it to your selfe With thankes he said he would giue him 100000 doubles of gold The Prince thought he mocked him offering him so much and said he would take the fourth part I thanke you said Bertrand and you shall haue 60000 doubles willingly Of which the Prince accepted Then said Bertrand very constantly and confidently Henry may now say and brag that he shall die King of Spaine for I will Crowne him whatsoeuer it cost me The Prince was astonished at his so haughty speeches yet vsed him very houourably and gaue him his liberty whereupon hee paid his ransome by the helpe of the King of France and of Henry of Spaine And after siue battels tooke Peter prisoner put him to death and made Henry King The Priuernates warring against the Romans and not able to resist their forces sent their Ambassadours to Rome to demand peace but because they had not obserued the Treaties of Peace before time some thought it not fit to yeeld to their demand and to conclude a Peace with those that would not keepe it Whereupon the Ambassadours were asked what punishment they had in their iudgement deserued for breaking the Peace before To which one of the Ambassadours answered that the Priuernates had deserued the punishment which those deserue that thinke themselues worthy of freedome and liberty and hate slauery and bondage Some thought this answer too proud and peremptory for men ouercome neuerthelesse they were asked againe if that they being pardoned for their former breach of peace would froÌ„ thenceforth keep the Peace granted them to which the Ambassadours answered againe very constantly that if they gaue them a good peace they would faithfully and perpetually keepe it but if they gaue them an euill peace it should not long continue Vpon this answer diuers of the Senate were moued but the greatest part did not condemne them for this constant and resolute answer considering that the Ambassadour spake as a free man and that euery one in bondage will seeke for liberty therefore it was concluded that the Priuernates should haue such a peace as they should be admitted and receiued for Citizens of Rome and enioy the same liberty and priuiledge as the City of Rome did Agiges King of the Cretians about to giue battell to the Licaonians his Captaines told him that his enemies were too great in number but he not feared therwith nor any thing changed said that he that would raigne ouer many must fight with many Leouidas likewise sonne to Anaxandridas when his men told him fighting in battell that the Arrowes of his enemies were so many as they couered the Sunne was not dismaid thereby but constantly continuing his fight said then shall we fight vnder their shadow And the great Prince Bias falling by chance in the danger of his enemies the Athenians and being asked of his Captaines what they should do he seeing their feare and inconstancy was not moued but answered that they should report to the liuing that he dyed figthing and hee would report to the dead that they went away flying Scipio though hee got the victory against Antiochus yet was he not changed but gaue him the same condition of peace he had offered him before the victory Spurius Seruilius Consull being accused before the people for the same matter for which they had condâ—mned Menemius his fellow Consull who through griefe thereupon dyed was of that constancy and courage as he freed himselfe and condemned the people for their proceeding against Menemius Perses
tymorous man and gouerned most by his wife Messaline and by one Narcissus who of a slaue he had made free and had familiar credit with Messaline This Empresse became enamoured of a yong Gentleman a Roman of a Noble house called Appius Sillanus and seeing that by no meanes she could draw him to satisfie her wanton defires she practised with Narcissus that they both early one morning should come to the Emperour and tell him that they dreamed that Sillanus went about to kill him which they did one after the other Messaline had giuen commandement that Sillanus at that instant should come to speake with the Emperour Whereupon Sillanus innocently came and knocked at the Emperours chamber doore which the Emperour vnderstanding and perswaded by them that their dreams were true and that he came then to kill him commanded Sillanus presently to be put to death which was done Salome sister to Herod King of Jury perswaded him that the Queene his wife sought to poyson him and brought certaine false witnesses to confirme her report to which the King giuing credit put his Queen to death But this wicked sister not satisfied with this fearing that the Kings two sonnes would reuenge their mothers death perswaded the King that they were practising how to kill him for putting their mother to death The King fearing the Authority of the Emperour if he should put them to death brought them before Augustus Caesar who knowing their innocency by their weeping great lamentation exhorted thē to be dutifull to their father their father to make much of them and so dismissed them but the Kings sister inuented new matter against them perswaded her brother to send the Emperor word theref which he did then the Emperor gaue him authority to punish them as he thought good whereupon the King put them both to death But after vnderstanding the truth and that Antipater his sonne by another wife practised all this with his sister he put him to death within few dayes after dyed himselfe his intrailes being inflamed and thereby his bowels rotted raging at these accidents Philip King of Macedonia put to death his owne sonne Demetrius vpon the false report and accusation of Persius his base sonne and after vnderstanding how he was abused dyed raging Adelstan first Monarch of England after the entry of the Saxons through the false report of his fauourite put his owne brother to death Francis Duke of Britaine put his brother Giles to death vpon the false report of those that were messengers betwixt them and after he vnderstanding the truth put them to death also Therefore as in 1 Iohn 4. it is said Beleeue not euery spirit but proue the spirits whether they be of God or not So a Prince should duly and throughly examine report whether it be true or not before he giue credit thereunto and especially if it concernelife for innocent bloud doth cry to God for reuenge as appeareth in the Apoc. 6. saying How long Lord holy and iust iudgest thou not and reuengest thou not our bloud on them that dwel vpon the earth And Salomon saith that the hands which shed innocent blood are most odious in the sight of God Prou. ch 4. Likewise Dauid affirmeth Ps 65. That God doth abhorre abloody man Therefore Junenal saith that euery stay which is made to giue life to man is good And he that doth vse to examine a report made vnto him that toucheth a mans reputation shall free himselfe from lyars for a lye cannot abide examination CHAP. 13. A Prince to be mercifull A Prince therefore should incline himselfe to mercy and pardon iniuries and auoyd the vices which may draw him to blood which chiefly are ambition pride choller and subiection to a woman Seneca saith that forgiunesse is a valiant kind of reuenge And the more powerfull a man is the more is his honour to forgiue And Pittacus the Philosopher doth affirme that pardon is better then reuenge the one saith he being proper to the spirit the other to a cruell beast Therefore Alexander Magnus said that a man wronged had need of a more noble heart to forgiue then to reuenge And Cicero did more commend Caesar for ouercomming his owne courage in pardoning Marcellus then for the great victories against his enemies The Emperor Adrian attaining to the Empire forgot and put away all the enemies hee had before Insomuch that after he was Emperour meeting one of his enemies would not touch him but said to him thou art escaped Augustus Caesar hauing many enemies by reason of the ciuill warre did not onely pardon them but aduanced them to dignities and offices and thereby wonne their loue and made them faithfull Hamilcar hauing ouerthrowne Splendius Generall of the Mutineers against Carthage pardoned the prisoners and offered them seruice or liberty to returne to their countrey which got him great honour and loue of many of his enemies Scipio Affircanus set at liberty all the Hostages he found in new Carthage after he had wonne it by assault saying He had rather bind men to him by good deeds then by feare And amongst the Hostages there was a maruellous beautifull young Lady who was contract to Allucius Prince of the Celtiberians Scipio commanded them both to be brought before him and her parents came with great treasure to redeeme her by ransome But Scipio said to Allucius my friend vnderstanding of the loue betwixt this Lady and you I haue kept her for you not touched in honor for recompence of this fauour I pray you be a friend to the Romans Her parents then presented Scipio with great treasure which through much importunity he was content to take but bestowed it presently vpon Allucius who not long after came to serue Scipio with 1400 horse Scipio likewise by pardoning Massima his vncle Massinissa became and continued a friend to the Romans So that mercy bringeth friendship and cruelty hatred CHAP. 14. A Prince not to be proud PRide was the fall of Lucifer the ouerthrow of Babylon and the ruine of many a Prince for nemo superbus amat superos nec amatur ab illis A proud man loueth not the gods nor is beloued of them Pride produceth sometimes cruelty but alwayes shame for Salomon saith when pride commeth then commeth shame but with the humble is wisedome Prou. 11. Therefore God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Iam. 3. Allades King of the Latines contemning the gods deuised how to make a noyse like thunder and lightning to make the people feare him as a god but thunder and lightning falling vpon his house from heauen and a Lake ioyning vpon his house ouerflowing extraordinarily he and his family were were all swallowed vp Iulius Caesar after he was Emperour grew so proud as he was therefore killed by the Senators in the Senate And the Emperour Domitian was so proud as that hee commanded in all his Proclamations and publicke speeches these words to be vsed Be it knowne vnto
you from your god and master for which he was hated of all the world and in the end killed The Emperour Caius set in his palace like Jupitur with a Scepter in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other and an Eagle at his side a Cobbler seeing him fel on a great laughter The Emperour commanded him to be brought before him and asked him at what he laughed I laugh said he to see thy pride and folly The Emperour laughed also at his answer and punished him not but delighted in his owne pride But Philip father to Alexander Magnus to auoyde that vice caused a child to cry vnto him euery day at his chamber dore before hee went forth Phllip thou art a man mortall Hieronimus King of Cicily being very yong was wholly counselled by his brother in law Andronodorus who made him proud and arrogant and to contemne euery one and to giue audience to none nor to suffer almost any to haue accesse vnto him but to giue himselfe to all kinde of voluptuousnesse and to be cruell and bloody Andronodorus hauing brought him to this conspired with others against him The treason discouered and one Theodorus called in question therefore confessed that he was of the conspiracy and being vpon the torture knowing he must dye accused to be reuenged of the King the Kings most faithfull friends and seruants To which the King giuing credit put them all to death and immediately after was killed by the Conspirators Andronodorus presently seized vpon Siracusa thinking to make himselfe King But he had such successe therein as he his wife and all his family and all the line of the King were quite extirped as well innocents as offenders Timothae a Captaine of Athens through his pride did attribute all his victories onely to his owne pollicy and wisedome Whereupon saith Plutarch the gods were angry at his foolish ambition and did neuer prosper him after but all things went against him and in the end hee was so odiously hated that hee was banished Athens Cresus being in the height of his pride most sumptuously set in his Throne asked Solon if euer he had seene a more gorgeous and glorious sight yea said Solon both Capons Fesants and Peacocks for their colours are naturall Menecrates a Phisitian because he was excellent in his â—rt grew so proud as he caused himselfe to be called Iupiter But Philip King of Macedonia to make him know himselfe inuited him to a banquet and made a Table to be prouided for him by himselfe which Menecrates seeing was very ioyfull that it pleased the King to do him that honour but when he see that in stead of meat they brought him nothing but incense he was ashamed and departed with great anger Yet this King grew a little proud after his conquest insomuch that he writ a sharpe letter to Archidamus sonne to Agesilaus who answered him saying If thou measure thy shadow thou shalt not finde it to be growne greater since thou didst ouercome Pride therefore cannot make a man great but odious CHAP. 15. A Prince to be humble CHrist did humble himselfe for vs therefore wee ought to humble our selues for Christ who saith He that doth humble himselfe shall be exalted but he that doth exalt himselfe shall be humbled Mat. 23. Humility therfore affirmeth Seneca is the handmaiden of wisedom For a wiseman is humble if not humble he is not wise Caralus Magnus to haue euer before his eies the image of pouerty and humility did cause certaine very poore men to eate alwayes in his presence their meat vpon the ground The Romans had a custome that the Emperor after a victory was drawn in a Chariot with foure horses to the Capitall and a Clowne set besides him in the Chariot who strucke him euery foot in the necke saying Know thy selfe And when the Emperour was crowned one al wayes came to him and asked him of what kind of mettall or stone hee would haue his Tombe made And all this to the end the Emperour should be humble The Emperour Constantinus Magnus was of that humility as he excelled all other Emperours and Princes whatsoeuer Yet of that valour as he subdued Licinius his Competitor and many Pagan Nations The Emperour Theodosius being rebuked by S. Ambrose for a great offence did in such humility acknowledge his fault as he did open pennance therefore willingly in the Church where Saint Ambrose was ministring the Sacrament and so was admitted to communicate The Emperours Valentinian and Justinian were Princes of great humility yet famous for their many victories The Emperour Alexander Seuerus was of that humility as he would not suffer any to vse other salutations to him then to say God saue thee Alexander Scipio preuailing in Spaine against A sdruball the Spaniards called him King which Title he refused saying it was sufficient for him to be called their Generall Agathocles King of Cicily because he was but a poore Potters sonue caused himselfe to be serued with vessels of earth amongst his vessels of gold and siluer to shew his humility and what he was Julius Caesar Augustus Caesar Claudius Domitian Galba Traian Alexander and many other Princes were of that humility as they gaue continuall audience themselues vnto the people to the great content and comfort of the people And Octauius Caesar did fit daily in iudgement himselfe and did abhorre the title of Lord insomuch that when said to him O good and gracious Lord he reproued him sharply therefore And the more humble that a man is the more is he in the fauour of God who as Saint Iames saith chapter 3. doth resist the proud and giueth grace to the humble CHAP. 16. A Prince not to exceed in anger ANd a Prince to be too passionate and too chollericke is dangerous for choller sometimes burneth and dryeth vp the veines and taketh life sometimes it blindeth the vnderstanding and taketh away sense and reason wherby many a time sodaine mischiefe is done that bringeth long and too late repentance for the mind doth not easily see the truth saith Salust where passion and affection beareth sway Therefore a Prince especially should learne to know himselfe and his imperfections for Plato saith that the perfect duty of a man is first to know himselfe And the first Precept that was written in the Temple of Apollo at Delphos was Know thy selfe And knowing himselfe he must then labour to command himselfe and make reason rule nature Agesilaus did more glory that hee could command himselfe then in that he was a King For he that is slow to anger saith Salomon is better then the mighty man and he that ruleth his owne mind is better then he that winneth a City Prou. 16. Yet moderate ire saith Plutarch doth second valour and fortitude To auoid choller Athenodorus the Philosopher counselled Augustus Caesar neuer to do or say any thing when he was angry before he had repeated the twenty foure letters of the A B C thinking by that time his
and therefore the people murthered him This Emperour was the more hated because he entertayned Halotus and Tygenlinus who were principall seruants to Nero and instruments in all his wickednesse So Otho likewise Emperor after Galba though hee thought by good words and liberality to get the hearts of the people yet did they hate him for that he had some about him who had beene instruments and Counsellors to Nero. The Kings of France for forty yeares giuing wholly to their pleasures permitted the Maior of the Palace of Paris to gouerne all at his pleasure which gaue opportunity to Pipin to make himselfe King Who being wise vertuous and well beloued was thereby admitted their King But the Emperour Tyberius giuing himselfe to pleasure and committing the gouernment to Seanus who grew proud thereof and tooke vpon him as he had bene Emperor and had statues made him before which they offered sacrifice and happy were they that had his fauour The Emperour hearing of his pride and insolency committed him to prison then those that did most honour him contemned him and spoke euill of him And the Emperour put both him and all his children to death Zoticus had that credite with Halingabalus as he was held Lord ouer all the rest his counsell as a Law and by his direction all Offices were sould Hee made Consuls the sonnes of slaues and base men And King Attolus gaue himselfe so to his pleasure as one Phylopaemen gouerned him as hee listed Insomuch that the Romanes when they did see any ship of Asia come by asked if the King was still in the good grace and fauour of Phylopaemen But Charles the seauenth King of France hauing diuers wise and faithfull Counsellours of meane parentage at the time he had ciuill Warre with the Duke of Burgundy whom the Duke of Brittany secretly fauoured mooued the Dukes to peace who answered if the King would remooue his Counsellours from him and take others that they would accord Whereuppon the Kings Councell perswaded him to accept thereof and they most willingly refused the Court and retyred themselues to their owne houses and so the Warre was ended Therefore a Prince should take care for the good education of his Nobility and honour the Noble and worthy families whereby they may continue in the Vertue and Valour of their Ancestors and the Prince thereby be the better serued In Rome there was a Law made called Prosopina by which the off-spring of Siluius of Torquatus and of Fabricius were more honoured and priuiledged then any other because they were ancient Families and more valiant then others They had a Law also that those who were descended of wicked persons as of Tarquinius Superbus of the Consull Escaurus of Catelin of the Censor Fabatus and of the Traytor Bicinus should beare no Office in the Common-wealth nor dwell within the circute of Rome But Nobility marrying basely do oftentimes degenerate For when nature sayth Plato produced man she gaue vnto him three properties of the mettals as to those that were fit to gouerne the people the property of Gold To them of force and valour to defend the Common-wealth the property of Siluer and the property of Iron and Brasse to handy-craftes men and common people to work and labour And he sayth that marrying the Noble with the Ignoble is to mixe good mettal with base mettall which is the ouer-throw of Nobility and changing of gouernment of the Common-wealth Therefore he counselleth euery oâ—e to marry with their equals Nobles with Nobles and ignobles among themselues CHAP. 22. A Prince not to place a Stanger in Authority A Prince is also to haue speciall regard that hee giues not a Stranger authority in the Common-wealth nor trust him too much For the ancient Romanes would neuer giue any charge or Office in the Common-wealth to a Stanger Insomuch that after the Battell of Cannas for want of sufficient men to be Senators in Rome Spurius Curulius making a motion to haue had some of the Latis chosen for Senators they would not agree thereunto but all hated Spurius for that motion And William King of Cicily descended of the house of France making a French-man his Chancellour the Noble-men much grieued thereat conspired and in one night killed all the French-men in Cicily in Apulia and in Calabria Charles the 8. King of France expulsed the Spaniards out of Naples by the helpe of the Neapolitanes and placed Frenchmen in all authority and gouernment there Whereupon the Neapolitans grieued made a generall reuolte and did driue out the French-men againe The Duke of Britaine hauing married an English woman was so affected to the English as his subiects much disliked thereof and hee mistrusting thâ—m sent for English-men to gouerne vnder him but before they came his owne subiects seized vpon all the Forts and Townes in Britany and forced the Duke to flye into England The Prince of Wales placing English-men in all Offices and authority in Aquitaine made the Country-men grudge thereat and in the end reuolte by which meanes Aquitane was lost Alexander King of the Epirots giuing entertainement to a number of the Lucamans banished out of their Country and after making Warre against their Country thought he should be well serued by them who promised to yeelde their Country into his hands but they made a secret compact with their Country-men to the contrary for drawing the King into a conuenient place for their purpose they shewed themselues his enemies and he swimming a riuer to escape in landing was killed by one of them The Emperour Gordian making an Arabian his Lieutenant called Phillipus a man of base parentage he procured the Emperours ouerthrow and in the end killed him most barbarously Charles Duke of Burgundy was betrayed by an Italian the Earle of Campobach and killed before Nancy CHAP. 23. Dangerous for a Prince to take ayde of a Stranger ANd if a Prince take ayde or succours of a stranger stronger then himselfe he may thereby endanger his estate For the Esterques called but to aide the Citty of Vulture subdued it The Herules Gothes and Lombards called into Italy for succours became Lords thereof So did they of Franconia with their King Pharamond by the Gaules now France And the Saxons did the like by England The Turkes in like manner got the East Empire and Hungaria called first in by the Emperour of Constantinople and by the States of Hungaria Cairaam a Pyrate called by the Inhabitants of Alger to expell the Spaniards after hee had vanquished the Spaniards slew Selin Prince of the Towne and made himselfe King leauing the estate to his brother Aradin Barbarossa Saladin a Tartarian Captaine called by the Calipha and Inhabitants of Cair to driue the Christians out of Soria after the Victory agaynst the Christians slew the Calipha and became absolute Lord thereof The Romanes called into Cicily by the Mamertins or Campanois to aide them did subiect both them and all Cicily in the end Francis King of France had a
actions as well to be feared of his foes as to be beloued of his friends and not to be curious to speake eloquently but to deliuer his mind plainely and wisely it being more necessary for a Prince to doe well then to speake well For wise words are not commendable if the deeds be not answerable whereupon the Philosopher Pacuinus saith those are to be hated who in their acts are fooles and in their words Philosophers They that will therefore saith Plato haue glory in this life and attaine to glory after death and be beloued of many and feared of all let them be vertuous in doing good works and deceiue no man with vaine words And he counselleth the Athenians to chuse a Gouernour that is iust in his sentence true of his word constant in his act secret and liberall These be the principall morall vertues most cecessary in a Prince CHAP. 3. A Prince to be iust in his sentence FOr a Prince ought to be iust in his sentence according to the words of Salomon Sap. 1. saying Loue Justice you that Iudge the Earth For a iust King saith he Pro. 29. doth aduance his Countrey and the King that iudgeth the poore rightly his throne shall be established for euer Therefore he ought not to be led either by fauour passion or gaine but according to equity and iustice and to haue care that all his Counsellors and Magistrates doe the like And to attaine to this vertue of Iustice a Prince must call to God for wisedome which he cannot obtaine being of euill life For wisedome will not enter into a soule possessed with malice nor dwell in a body subiect to sinne saith Salomon Sap. 1. But if thou saith he call for wisedome and encline thine heart to Prudence then shalt thou vnderstand Iustice and iudgement and equity and euery right way Prou. 2. Therefore he prayeth saying Giue mee O Lord that wisedome which assisteth thy seate and cast me not off from the number of thy seruants for that I am thy bond-slaue and the sonne of thy bond-woman a weake man and of short life vnable to vnderstand aright what is Iustice and Law and whosoeuer is the most perfect and excellent amongst the sonnes of men he is to be accounted as no body if thy wisedome doth not assist him Sap. 9. All good and worthy Princes haue laboured to attaine to this wisedome and to execute iustice most exactly insomuch that some haue not spared their owne children so sacred a thing they held Iustice to be As for example Brutus who vnderstanding that his two sonnes were of the conspiracy for Tarquinus Superbus caused them both to be put to death in his owne presence Cassius likewise seeking to get the loue of the people and to make himselfe King was beaten to death by his father Pausanias Generall of the Lacedaemonians receiued 500 talents of gold to betray Sparta but Agesilaus his father vnderstanding thereof pursued him into the Temple of Minerua whither he fled for Sanctuary and caused the doores of the Temple to be nayled vp and so there made him dye of famine then his mother tooke his corpes and threw it to the dogs not suffering it to be interred Darius likewise King of Persia vnderstanding that his sonne Ariobrazanes ment to betray him to Alexander Magnus cut off his head Titus Manlius being challenged by one of the Latins to fight the Combate stepped forth of his ranke and in Combate killed him yet because it was done without license his owne father being then Consull and Generall presently put him to death Posthumius likewise did the same to his sonne Fidericke Earle of Harlebecque and Forrester of Flanders hauing made very straite Lawes for the reducing of his Countrey to lustice and good life put his sonne to death for breaking the Law in taking a basket of Apples from a poore woman and not paying for them Edward the first put his sonne in prison Prince Edward for breaking the Parkes of the Bishop of Chester Henry the fourth also commended the Lord chiefe Iustice of England for committing the Prince to prison for transgressing the Law And King Antiochus had that care to haue Iustice ministred as he writ to all the Cities of his Kingdome that they should not execute any thing he commanded if it were contrary to Law but they should first aduertise him thereof The Emperour Justinian likewise commanded the Lawyers to be sworne that they should not plead in an euill and vniust cause The like Law was made in the ninth Parliament of James the first King of Scotland that all Counsellours and Aduocates before they plead any temporall cause should take oath and sweare that they thinke the cause to be good they plead Lewis the ninth King of France was a iust and vertuous Prince louing the good and punishing the wicked and was a Capitall enemy to sutes commanding the Iudges to doe speedy Iustice so that sutes then were laid away Alexander Magnus was so farre from being transported from Iustice as when any made complaint to him of another he slopped alwayes one eare saying he must keepe that for the party accused The Emperour Adrian was of that integrity in Iustice as one Alexander accused another before him called Aper and bringing his proofes onely in writing he said that his informations were but Paper and Inke and perhaps forged and that a man ought not to be condemned but by honest and substantiall witnesses and therefore he sent Aper to Rufus Gouernour of Macedonia from whence he was brought commanding him diligently to examine the witnesses against him and to see that they were honest and of good name King Edgar of England had likewise that care to doe Iustice as in Winter time he would ride vp and downe the Countrey and make enquiry of the misdemeanors of his Officers and Gouernours and punish them seuerely that offended the Law And as the followers of Iustice shall not onely be famous in this world but shall perpetually liue and receiue a kingdome of glory in the world to come as saith Salomon Sap. 5. So the Princes that minister iniustice and do not iudge rightly shall reape infamy and incurre the high displeasure of Almighty God as Salomon also witnesseth saying Hearken O Kings and vnderstand learne you who are Judges of the bounds of the earth in respect that power is giuen vnto you from aboue and strength from the Highest who will examine your works and search your thoughts and because when you were Ministers in his Kingdome you did not iudge rightly nor iudge rightly nor keepe the Law of Iustice nor walke in the way of God he will appeare vnto you quickely and horribly for most rigorous iudgement is done vnto those that gouerne With the poore and meane man mercy is vsed but mighty men shall suffer torments mightily Sap. 6. And the royall Prophet saith that God is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 75. Which doth very well appeare by the strange punishments
them to pray to their God for his and the Armies deliuery out of that danger Which they presently did and incontinent a great thunder fell amongst the enemies and abundance of water vpon the Romans wherby their thirst was quenched and the enemy ouerthrowne without any fight But prayer will not auaile euery Christian vnlesse he walke vprightly for God wil not heare the prayers of those that lye and wallow in sinue as appeareth Joh. 9. And Dauid saith Psal 65. Jf J finde iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me And God saith when you shall extend and lift vp your hands I will turne mine eyes from you and when you shall multiply your prayers I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud I saias chap. 1. Therefore if a man be in wicked or bloudy sinne his prayer is in vaine CHAP. 11. A Prince not to shed innocent blood IT behoueth therefore a Prince to be vertuous and to haue speciall care that he put not his hand in innocent blood neither by tyranny malice ambition pollicy or vpon false reports and informations For to be a Tyrant is odious to God and man and to bring himselfe to an euill end As the Emperour Nero who after he had put to death his mother Agrippina his wife Octauia his brother Brittannicus and his Master Seneca Besides many others being proclaimed an enemy to the Common-wealth could get no body to kill him but was glad to kill himselfe saying Turpiter vixi turpius morior The Emperour Caius Caligula amongst other his tyrannies caused at his dinner and supper ordinarily one to cut off before him the heads of poore prisoners wherein he tooke great pleasure in the end he himselfe was killed by his men who conspired against him Nabis the Tyrant who vsurped the gouernment of the Lacedaemonians sent for eighty of their yong Princes and without any cause put them all to death And shortly after Alexamenes vnder pretence to serue him with some company suddenly strucke him off from his horse and killed him And as these tyrants had their iust rewards so all others had the like measure And for their wicked instruments the people oftentimes did Iustice vpon them For Plutarch writeth that the wicked Counsellors and Instruments of Apollodus of Phalaris Dionysius Nero and other tyrants were cruelly tormented to death by the people and iustly saith he because they who corrupt or seduce a Prince deserue as much to be abhorred of euery one as those who should poyson a publicke Spring or Fountaine whereof all the people doe drinke But sometimes those Princes that doe vse instruments for their murthers will not auow their Commission but doe themselues many times put them to death whom they imployed therein sometimes secretly sometimes publikely either to rid themselues of the suspition and infamy thereof or for feare of discouery As Alexander Magnus at his fathers Funerals commanded publike Iustice to be done vpon those who himselfe had secretly imployed to kill him The Emperour Tiberius did not onely dissauow his Commission giuen to a Souldier to kill Agrippa but put to death Seianus his speciall fauourite and instrument of his mischiefe Caesar Borgia did the like by a fauourite of his And let no Prince thinke that he can so contriue his matters but in the end truth will be discouered and knowne to the world and through ambition many haue shewed themselues very barbarous and bloudy as Tullia daughter to Seruius seeing her selfe married to Aruus a man of milde disposition and her sister of a gentle spirit married to Lucius Tarquinius who was ambitious and she not enduring to be thus matched killed her husband Aruus and her sister and then married Tarquinius whom she perswaded to kill her father Seruius to haue the Kingdome and she being in the streets when he was killed went with her Coach very inhumanely ouer his body that his bloud besprinkled her cloathes Soliman King of the Turks when he heard the great noyse and shout of ioy his Army made for the returne of his sonne Sultan Mustapha out of Persia caused him presently to be strangled in his outward Chamber and his dead body to be cast out before the whole Army and one to cry with a loud voyce that there was but one God and one Sultan vpon the earth He put to death also Sultan Soba because he wept for his brother and Sultan Mahomet his third sonne because he fled for feare leauing one onely aliue to auoyde the inconuenience of many Lords The Emperour Seuerus hauing vanquished Albinus and Niger his Competitor in the Empire embrued with blood put a great number to death and told his sonne Geta that he would not leaue him an enemy Geta asked him if those he put to death had neither parents friends nor kinsfolke yes said the Emperour a great number Then said Geta you will leaue vs many moe enemies then you take from vs. His sonne Bassianus hauing murthered his brother Geta to haue the Empire alone and doubting that the Senate would greatly mislike thereof made a shew that he was sorry for his brothers death and that he did it by the perswasion of Letus his fauourite whom therefore he put to death and all those that did assist him in that action likewise all those that were friends to Geta lest they should attempt any thing against him yet in the end he was killed Alphonsus King of Naples hauing vniustly murthered twenty foure of his Barons could neuer sleepe quietly for representation of their shapes which alwayes vexed him in his dreames And in the end hee fell into that feare of the French as leauing his Kingdome to his sonne he fled into Spaine to liue a in a Monastery making such haste as he would take nothing with him And his men perswading him to stay two or three dayes to make his prouision no no said hee let vs be gone doe you not heare how all the world cryes France France Hee knew himselfe to be so hated King Iohn of England murthered his nephew and in the end was murthered himselfe Richard likewise Duke of Glocester murthered his two nephews sonnes to Edward the fourth to make himselfe King and after was slaine in battell by Henry the seuenth for blood requires blood and let a bloody Prince neuer looke for better end CHAP. 12. A Prince to be circumspect in giuing credit to reports BVt many Princes haue been mightily abused by false reports and wrong informations yea sometimes by the nearest and dearest vnto them and those that should be most faithfull Dauid therefore prayed God to deliuer him from wicked lips and a lying tongue Psal 119. And in Eccle. 31. we are warned to take heed of our children and of our houshold seruants And in the sixt chapter it is said Seperate thy selfe from thine enemies and beware euen of thy friends for where a man doth trust the most there he may soonest be deceiued As was the Emperour Glaudius a
the flatterers of his Court and that hee could take no order for them they had him so besieged in their hands he gaue ouer the Empire and retyred himselfe to his house in Slcauonia where he liued euer after a very priuate life delighting himselfe with Gardens and rurall workes But the Emperour Caligula tooke a better course with his Parasites for one Afrianius Potitus and Afranius Secundus made a shew of great sorrow for him when he was sicke and swore by the gods that they would very willingly dye for his recouery The Emperour knowing they did but flatter said then little but being recouered called them before him and said my good friends I haue found that you are in fauour with the gods for since your vow for me I haue recouered but fearing I should fall sicke againe if you accomplish not your vow I sent for you to dye desiring you both to take your deaths patiently and so presently put them to death Plutarch writeth that Dionysius the Tyrant of Cicily delighting in his owne Poems asked diuers Philosophers how they liked them they all flatteringly highly commended them sauing one who said plainly that it was a shame to heare them they were so bad Whereat the Tyrant offended commanded him to the Mines there to worke amongst the condemned men but being released by meanes of his friends and againe in the Kings presence when he demaunded the opinion of the Philosophers in another of his Poems and they all extolling it aboue the Skies he cryed to the guard of the Tyrant saying Come my masters come carry me away to the Mines againe for I cannot endure this foolish flattery The King by chance being then in a good humour was not offended but turned it to a laughter Curtius saith that the states of Princes are oftner ouerthrowne by flatterers then by force It is a happy thing therefore for Princes to haue those about them that will not flatter but tell them the truth For what saith Seneca wanteth he that hath all marry one to tell the truth Therefore the Emperour Gordian said that that Prince is very vnfor tunate who hath not about him those who may plainly tell him the truth For a King knoweth not what passeth but by relation of those that conuerse with him Theopompus being asked how a Prince might preserue his Kingdome said by giuing his friends liberty to speake the truth and in keeping his subiects from oppression Phocian dealt plainly and like a faithfull seruant with King Antipater telling him vpon occasion that he would do him any seruice possible but could not be to him both a friend and a flatterer Themistocles in like manner seeing Euribiades taking vp a staffe to strike him for his free speeches said strike me so you will heare me after A Prince therefore must permit freedome of speech if he meane to heare the truth and giue no care to flattery Pessenius Niger a Roman Captaine hearing one praise and flatter him in his Oration said to him goe goe write the praises of Marius and Hanniball other old and valiant Captaines that are dead that we may immitate theÌ„ for it is a mockry to praise theÌ„ that are aliue and as for me I will do good whilst I liue and be praysed when I am dead Yet Agesilaus king of Sparta sayd that he liked to be praysed of those friends who would not also spare to blame him when occasion should serue CHAP. 20. What kind of persons to be of a Princes Counsell A Prince should be very carefull in making choyce of his Counsellors For Plato faith that many Princes are vndone because thâ—y want faithfull friends and seruants to counsell them Therefore Alfred kiâ—g of England sought out the wisâ—st and most learned men to be about him Alexander Seuerus likewise made choise of honest and vertnous Counsellors and dilplaced the vitious and sought to know the truth of all things that passed in all places and Prouinces of the Empire Fredericus Furius opinion is that Counsellours to a Prince ought not to be vnder thirty yeares of age nor aboue sixty For sayth he before he be thirty his vnderstanding is not setled his experience llitle his presumption great his heate much his thoughts light and not of sufficient grauity And that after sixty yeares his memory faileth his vnderstanding weake his experience turned to obstinacy his his heate little lonsing oacasion his thoughts wearied and able to take no paines nor trauell Howbeit some haue beene able and sufficient enough after they passâ—d that age as Camillus who though he were of very great yeares yet was chosen Dictator they finding his memory good and his senses perfect So many others haue bene fince his time And Frederieus Furius sayth moreouer that a Counsellour to a Prince ought to be either of a chollericke or of a fanguine complexion for that those of that temper saith he are witty haue good memory can discourse well are of good iudgement most louing affable loyall liberall and of great courage and that the melancholike are base minded vaine enemies to noble thoughts malicious superstitious and phantasticall And Socrates saith a Prince ought not to trust him that is couetous nor him that is a flatterer nor to make a passionate or a too cholericke man of his counsell nor a drunkard nor any that is subiect to a woman For it is not possible saith he that they should keepe close his secrets And Pythagoras saith it is impossible for him to obtaine wisedome and knowledge that is in bondage to a woman therefore the Emperour Alexander Seuerus would neuer admit any Counsellor or other officer whether he were of Noble parentage or had done him great seruice or were commended to him vnlesse he were of good reputation learned of good experience and of good life And better to informe himselfe hereof he caused wrightings to be set vp in common places of the streetes desiring thereby the people to shew some cause if they could why such a man should not be admitted to such a place and office and would not suffer any office to be sold because Iustice should not be sold Yet the Emperor Vespasian at the beginning of his raigne gaue the chiefe offices dignities to the greatest theeues he could find and being asked why he did so answered that he vsed them as a spunge for when they were full he would wring them and confiscate all they had and hang them Some Princes doe place thecues in authority not knowing them but being discouered it were happy for the common wealth and good for the Prince if they were vsed as Vespasian vsed his And Iulian the Apostata placed a cruell and troublesome Iudge at Alexandria in Aegypt and being told he was vnworthy to gouerne it is true sayd he and therefore I placed him there that he may plague them as they deserue they being a troublesome and wicked people but good men are alwayes to be placed in gouernement that the wicked