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cence is succored no less than virtue. Nay, oftentimes virtue is made capital; and through the condition of the times it may happen that that may be punished with our praise. Let no man therefore murmur at the actions of 5 the prince, who is placed so far above him. If he offend, he hath his discoverer. God hath a height beyond him. But" where the prince is good," Euripides saith, "God is a guest in a human body.”

Tyranni. There is nothing with some princes sacred 10 above their majesty, or profane, but what violates their sceptres. But a prince, with such counsel, is like the god Terminus, of stone, his own landmark, or as it is in the fable, a crowned lion. It is dangerous offending such a one, who, being angry, knows not how to forgive; that 15 cares not to do anything for maintaining or enlarging of empire; kills not men or subjects, but destroyeth whole countries, armies, mankind, male and female, guilty or not guilty, holy or profane; yea, some that have not seen the light. All is under the law of their spoil and licence. 20 But princes that neglect their proper office thus their fort

une is oftentimes to draw a Sejanus to be near about them, who will at last affect to get above them, and put them in a worthy fear of rooting both them out and their family. For no men hate an evil prince more than they that 25 helped to make him such. And none more boastingly weep his ruin than they that procured and practised it. The same path leads to ruin which did to rule when men profess a licence in governing. A good king is a public

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servant.

Illiteratus princeps. - A prince without letters is a pilot without eyes. All his government is groping. In sovereignty it is a most happy thing not to be compelled; but so it is the most miserable not to be counselled. And how can he be counselled that cannot see to read the 35 best counsellors, which are books: for they neither flatter

us nor hide from us?

He may hear, you will say; but how shall he always be sure to hear truth, or be counselled the best things, not the sweetest? They say princes learn no art truly but the art of horsemanship. The reason is the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw

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a prince as soon as his groom. Which is an argument that the good counsellors to princes are the best instruments of a good age. For though the prince himself be of a most prompt inclination to all virtue, yet the best pilots have need of mariners besides sails, anchor, and 104 other tackle.

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Character principis. If men did know what shining fetters, gilded miseries, and painted happiness thrones and sceptres were, there would not be so frequent strife about the getting or holding of them; there would be more 15 principalities than princes; for a prince is the pastor of the people. He ought to shear, not to flay his sheep; to take their fleeces, not their fells. Who were his enemies before, being a private man, become his children now he is public. He is the soul of the commonwealth, and 20 ought to cherish it as his own body. Alexander the Great was wont to say, he hated that gardener that plucked his herbs or flowers up by the roots. A man may milk a breast till the blood come; churn milk and it yieldeth butter, but wring the nose and the blood followeth. He 25 is an ill prince that so pulls his subjects' feathers as he would not have them grow again; that makes his exchequer a receipt for the spoils of those he governs. No, let him keep his own, not affect his subjects'; strive rather to be called just than powerful. Not, like the 30 Roman tyrants, affect the surnames that grow by human slaughters; neither to seek war in peace, nor peace in war, but to observe faith given, though to an enemy. Study piety toward the subject; show care to defend him. Be slow to punish in divers cases, but be a sharp 35

and severe revenger of open crimes.

Break no decrees or dissolve no orders to slacken the strength of laws. Choose neither magistrates, civil or ecclesiastic, by favor or price; but with long disquisition and report of their 5 worth by all suffrages. Sell no honors, nor give them hastily, but bestow them with counsel and for reward; if he do, acknowledge it though late, and mend it. For princes are easy to be deceived; and what wisdom can escape it where so many court-arts are studied? But, 10 above all, the prince is to remember that when the great day of account comes, which neither magistrate nor prince can shun, there will be required of him a reckoning for those whom he hath trusted, as for himself, which he must provide. And if piety be wanting in the priests, equity in the judges, or the magistrates be found rated at a price, what justice or religion is to be expected? which are the only two attributes make kings akin to gods, and is the Delphic sword, both to kill sacrifices and to chastise offenders.

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De gratiosis. When a virtuous man is raised, it brings gladness to his friends, grief to his enemies, and glory to his posterity. Nay, his honors are a great part of the honor of the times; when by this means he is grown to active men an example, to the slothful a spur, to the 25 envious a punishment.

Divites. He which is sole heir to many rich men, having, besides his father's and uncles', the estates of divers his kindred come to him by accession, must needs be richer than father or grandfather; so they which are 30 left heirs ex asse of all their ancestors' vices, and by their good husbandry improve the old and daily purchase new, must needs be wealthier in vice, and have a greater revenue or stock of ill to spend on.

Fures publici.

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The great thieves of a state are lightly 35 the officers of the crown; they hang the less still, play the

pikes in the pond, eat whom they list. The net was never spread for the hawk or buzzard that hurt us, but the harmless birds they are good meat:

Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas.

Non rete accipitri tenditur, neque milvio.

But they are not always safe though, especially when they meet with wise masters. They can take down all the huff and swelling of their looks, and like dexterous auditors place the counter where he shall value nothing. Let them but remember Lewis XI., who to a Clerk of 10 the Exchequer that came to be Lord Treasurer, and had for his device represented himself sitting upon Fortune's wheel, told him he might do well to fasten it with a good, strong nail, lest, turning about, it might bring him where he was again. As indeed it did.

A good man

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De bonis et malis; de innocentia. will avoid the spot of any sin. The very aspersion is grievous, which makes him choose his way in his life as he would in his journey. The ill man rides through all confidently; he is coated and booted for it. The oftener 20 he offends, the more openly, and the fouler, the fitter in fashion. His modesty, like a riding-coat, the more it is worn is the less cared for. It is good enough for the dirt still, and the ways he travels in. An innocent man needs no eloquence, his innocence is instead of it, else I had never come off so many times from these precipices, whither men's malice hath pursued me. It is true I have been accused to the lords, to the king, and by great ones, but it happened my accusers had not thought of the accusation with themselves, and so were driven, for want 30 of crimes, to use invention, which was found slander, or too late (being entered so fair) to seek starting-holes for their rashness, which were not given them. And then they may think what accusation that was like to prove,

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when they that were the engineers feared to be the authors. Nor were they content to feign things against me, but to urge things, feigned by the ignorant, against my profession, which though, from their hired and mer5 cenary impudence, I might have passed by as granted to a nation of barkers that let out their tongues to lick others' sores; yet I durst not leave myself undefended, having a pair of ears unskilful to hear lies, or have those things said of me which I could truly prove of them. They objected making of verses to me, when I could object to most of them, their not being able to read them, but as worthy of scorn. Nay, they would offer to urge mine own writings against me, but by pieces (which was an excellent way of malice), as if any man's context might 15 not seem dangerous and offensive, if that which was knit to what went before were defrauded of his beginning; or that things by themselves uttered might not seem subject to calumny, which read entire would appear most free. At last they upbraided my poverty: I confess she is my domestic; sober of diet, simple of habit, frugal, painful, a good counseller to me, that keeps me from cruelty, pride, or other more delicate impertinences, which are the nurse-children of riches. But let them look over all the great and monstrous wickednesses, they shall never find 25 those in poor families. They are the issue of the wealthy

giants and the mighty hunters, whereas no great work, or worthy of praise or memory, but came out of poor cradles. It was the ancient poverty that founded commonweals, built cities, invented arts, made wholesome laws, armed 30 men against vices, rewarded them with their own virtues, and preserved the honor and state of nations, till they betrayed themselves to riches.

Amor nummi. Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himself to the law of 35 Nature is not only without the sense but the fear of

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