things, which are of all men with admiration beheld,
do procure more enuy, then those which without ostentation
be honestly couered. I omit, as followeth shortly after, his
great and excessiue charge in entertaining of learned
men of all professions, to instruct the youth of Florence:
his bountie to Argiropolo a Gracian, and Marsilio Fiins,
(whom he maintained for the exercise of his owne stu∣dies
in his house, and gaue him goodly lands neere his
house of Carreggi,) men in that time of singular lear∣ning,
because Vertue reares him rather to wonder then
Imitation.To proceed, no lesse respect and honour is to be attri∣buted
to Eloquence, whereby so many haue raised their
esteeme and fortunes, as able to draw Ciuilitie out of
Barbarisme, and sway whole kingdomes by leading withDescribed by Lucian to be aged, bld, & wrinckled, browne co∣loured, clad with a Lios skin, holding in his right hand a club, in his left a bow, with a Qer at his back, & long small chaines of Gold and Amber fast∣ned through little holes to the tip of his tongue, draw∣ing a multi∣tude of people willing to ol∣low after him, onely shad∣dowing vnto vs the power of Eloquence. Plato in Timaeo.Celticke Hercules, the rude multitude by the eares.
Marke Anthony contending against Augustus for the
Romane Empire, assured himselfe he could neuer obtaine
his purpose while Cicero liued, therefore he procured his
death. The like did Antipater, a Successor to Alexander,
by Demosthenes, aspiring to the Monarchy of Greece. And
not long since a poore Mahumetan Priest, by his smooth
tongue, got the Crowne of Morocco from the right heire,
being of the house of Giuseph or Ioseph. And much hurt
it may doe, if like a mad mans sword, it be vsed by a tur∣bulent
and mutinous Orator; otherwise we must hold it
a principall meanes of correcting ill manners, reforming
lawes, humbling aspiring minds, and vpholding all ver∣tue.
For as Serpents are charmed with words, so the most
sauage and cruell natures by Eloquence: which some inter∣pret,Pir. Vak∣ lib. 6.
to be the meaning of Mercuries golden Rod, with
those Serpents wreathed about it. Much therefore it con∣cerneth
Princes, not onely to countenance honest and
eloquent Orators, but to maintaine such neere about
them, as no meane props (if occasion serue) to vphold a
State, and the onely keies to bring in tune a discordant
Common-wealth.0
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