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will not
omit one principle of great inportance, being an errour from which
Princes with much difficulty defend themselves, unlesse they be
very discreet, and make a very good choice; and this is concerning
flatterers; whereof all writings are full: and that because men
please themselves so much in their own things, and therein cozen
themselves, that very hardly can they escape this pestilence; and
desiring to escape it, there is danger of falling into contempt;
for there is no other way to be secure from flattery, but to let
men know, that they displease thee not in telling thee truth: but
when every one hath this leave, thou losest thy reverence.
Therefore ought {345} a wise Prince take a third course,
making choyce of some understanding men in his State, and give only
to them a free liberty of speaking to him the truth; and touching
those things only which he inquires of, and nothing else; but he
ought to be inquisitive of every thing, and hear their opinions,
and then afterwards advise himself after his own manner; and in
these deliberations, and with every one of them so carrie himself,
that they all know, that the more freely they shall speak, the
better they shall be liked of: and besides those, not give eare to
any one; and thus pursue the thing resolved on, and thence continue
obstinate in the resolution taken. He who does otherwise, either
falls upon flatterers, or often changes upon the varying of
opinions, from whence proceeds it that men conceive but slightly of
him. To this purpose I will alledge you a moderne example. Peter
Lucas a servant of Maximilians the present Emperor, speaking of his
Majesty, said that he never advised with any body, nor never did
any thing after his own way: which was because he took a contrary
course to what we have now said: for the Emperor is a close man,
who communicates his secrets to none, nor takes counsel of any one;
but as they come to be put in practise, they begin to be discovered
and known, and so contradicted by those that are near about him;
and he as being an easy man, is quickly wrought from them. Whence
it comes that what he does to day, he undoes on the morrow; and
that he never understands himself what he would, nor what he
purposes, and that there is no grounding upon any of his
resolutions. A Prince therefore ought alwayes to take counsell, but
at his owne pleasure, and not at other mens; or rather should take
away any mans courage to advise him of any thing, but what he
askes: but he ought well to aske at large, and then touching the
things inquird of, be a patient hearer of the truth; and perceiving
that for some respect the truth were conceald from him, be
displeased thereat. And because some men have thought that a Prince
that gaines the opinion to bee wise, may bee held so, not by his
owne naturall indowments, but by the good counsells he hath about
him; without {346} question they are deceivd; for this is a
generall rule and never failes, that a Prince who of himselfe is
not wise, can never be well advised, unlesse he should light upon
one alone, wholly to direct and govern him, who himself were a very
wise man. In this case it is possible he may be well governd: but
this would last but little: for that governor in a short time would
deprive him of his State; but a Prince not having any parts of
nature, being advised of more then one, shall never be able to
unite these counsels: of himself shall he never know how to unite
them; and each one of the Counsellers, probably will follow that
which is most properly his owne; and he shall never find the meanes
to amend or discerne these things; nor can they fall out otherwise,
because men alwayes prove mischievous, unlesse upon some necessity
they be forc'd to become good: we conclude therefore, that
counsells from whencesoever they proceed, must needs take their
beginning from the Princes wisdome, and not the wisdome of the
Prince from good counsells.
In this Chapter our Authour prescribes some rules how to avoyd
flattery, and not to fall into contempt. The extent of these two
extreames is so large on both sides, that there is left but a very
narrow path for the right temper to walke between them both: and
happy were that Prince, who could light on so good a Pilote as to
bring him to Port between those rocks and those quicksands. Where
Majesty becomes familiar, unlesse endued with a super-eminent
vertue, it loses all awfull regards: as the light of the Sunne,
because so ordinary, because so common, we should little value,
were it not that all Creatures feele themselves quickned by the
rayes thereof. On the other side, Omnis insipiens
arrogantiâ et plausibus capitur, Every foole is taken
with his owne pride and others flatteryes: and this foole keeps
company so much with all great wise men, that hardly with a candle
and lantern can they be discernd betwixt. The greatest men are more
subject to grosse and palpable flatteries; and especially the
greatest of men, who are Kings and Princes: for many seek the
Rulers favour. Prov. 28. 26. For there are divers meanes
whereby private men are instructed; Princes have not that good hap:
but they whose instruction is of most importance, so soone as they
have taken the government upon them, no longer suffer any
{347} reproovers: for but few have accesse
unto them, and they who familiary converse with them, doe and say
all for favour. Isocrat, to Nicocles, All are afraid to give him
occasion of displeasure, though by telling him truth. To this
purpose therefore sayes one; a Prince excells in learning to ride
the great horse, rather than in any other exercise, because his
horse being no flatterer, will shew him he makes no difference
between him and another man, and unlesse he keepe his seate well,
will lay him on the ground. This is plaine dealing. Men are more
subtile, more double-hearted, they have a heart and a heart neither
is their tongue their hearts true interpreter. Counsell in the
heart of man is like deepe waters; but a man of understanding will
draw it out. Prov. 20. 5. This understanding is most
requisite in a Prince, inasmuch as the whole Globe is in his hand,
and the inferiour Orbes are swayed by the motion of the highest.
And therefore surely it is the honour of a King to search out such
a secret: Prov. 25. 2. His counsellours are his eyes and
eares; as they ought to be dear to him, so they ought to be true to
him, and make him the true report of things without disguise. If
they prove false eyes, let him pluck them out; he may as they use
glasse eyes, take them forth without paine, and see never a whit
the worse for it. The wisdome of a Princes Counsellours is a great
argument of the Princes wisdome. And being the choyce of them
imports the Princes credit and safety, our Authour will make him
amends for his other errours by his good advice in his 22 Chap.
whether I referre him.
Wherefore the Princes of Italy have lost their States.
hen these
things above said are well observ'd, they make a new Prince seeme
as if he had been of old, and presently render him more secure and
firme in the State, than if he had already grown ancient therein:
for a new Prince is much more observd in his action, than a Prince
by inheritance; and when they are known to bee vertuous, men are
much more gaind and oblig'd to them thereby, than by the antiquity
of their blood: for men {348} are much more taken by things present,
than by things past, and when in the present they find good, they
content themselves therein, and seeke no further; or rather they
undertake the defence of him to their utmost, when the Prince is
not wanting in other matters to himself; and so shall he gaine
double glory to have given a beginning to a new Principality,
adornd, and strengthnd it with good lawes, good arms, good friends,
and good examples; as he shall have double shame, that is born a
Prince, and by reason of his small discretion hath lost it. And if
we shall consider those Lords, that in Italy have lost their States
in our dayes, as the King of Naples, the Duke of Milan, and others;
first we shall find in them a common defect, touching their armes,
for the reasons which have been above discoursd at length.
Afterwards we shall see some of them, that either shall have had
the people for their enemies; or be it they had the people to
friend, could never know how to assure themselves of the great
ones: for without such defects as these, States are not lost, which
have so many nerves, that they are able to maintaine an army in the
feld. Philip of Macedon, not the father of Alexander the Great, but
he that was vanquished by Titus Quintius, had not much State in
regard of the greatnesse of the Romanes and of Greece that assail'd
him; neverthelesse in that he was a warlike man and knew how to
entertaine the people, and assure himself of the Nobles, for many
yeares he made the warre good against them: and though at last some
town perhaps were taken from him, yet the Kingdome remaind in his
hands still. Wherefore these our Princes who for many yeares had
continued in their Principalities, for having afterwards lost them,
let them not blame Fortune, but their own sloth; because they never
having thought during the time of quiet, that they could suffer a
change (which is the common fault of men, while faire weather
lasts, not to provide for the tempest) when afterwards mischiefes
came upon them, thought rather upon flying from them, than upon
their defence, and hop'd that the people, weary of the vanquishers
insolence, would recall them: which course when the others faile,
is good: {349} but very ill is it to leave the other
remedies for that: for a man wou'd never go to fall, beleeving
another would come to take him up: which may either not come to
passe, or if it does, it is not for thy security, because that
defence of his is vile, and depends not upon thee; but those
defences only are good, certaine, and durable, which depend upon
thy owne selfe, and thy owne vertues.
How great power Fortune hath in humane affaires, and what
meanes there is to resist it.
