Aphorismes ciuill and militarie amplified with authorities, and exemplified with historie, out of the first quarterne of Fr. Guicciardine.

APHORISME XX.

SOme 1 1.1 men are safe, but not secure: Such are they, who after a foule fact secretly committed, or a great wrong closely offered, haue a conscience of the guilt still dwelling in them, though the danger of the pu∣nishment be ouerpast. For, albeit they labour to hide it from others, and by all veiles of artifice to keepe it from the light, yet can they neuer perswade themselues but that it is knowne: 2 1.7 And therefore as they in their nature euer feare the partie wronged: so the other in his reason, should neuer affie in them. For there is no sinceritie in reconciled enemies.

The Duke of Millan, was become of a professed friend and allie to the French King, first, a secret ill wisher to his affaires, and after, an open enemy: till the treatie at Vercelli: Here, they are reconciled, and a new amitie and league concluded: but the Duke meanes nothing lesse, then sincere performance. He practiseth with the disloiallFrench in Pisa, to keepe still that citie from the Florenrines, though the King their maister had ex∣presly commanded the contrary. He counsaileth the Pope, the Venetians, and Ferdinand, to combine together, for the prote∣ction thereof. He declares not himselfe openly, but closely and vnderhand he supplies them both with men, and mony: He ani∣mates them of Genoa against the King, and perswades them to make stay of the shippes, that were ready in that port, for the Kings seruice in Naples. The King is now resolued vpon his iour∣ney for Italie: his preparations are great, and his coming speedy: an expedition, that concerned none more nearely then the Duke himselfe: The King sends Rigault, the Steward of his house, vn∣to him: lets him know, that now was the time, wherein he might cancell the memory of all former wrongs: if he would re∣store him his gallies detained in Genoa, yeeld him the carracks due by the capitulation, and suffer them to be armed in that port, for the seruice of Naples. The Duke considers the equitie of the demand: the danger, to haue so powerfull an enemy: the seate of his Dukedome, which was likeliest to be first exposed, to so great

a warre. Yet, the iealousie and suspition he had in his guilty con∣science, of trusting one he had wronged so much, makes him refuse to satisfie the King, and to runne other courses, to his grea∣ter perill, and indeed to his finall ruine, as in the sequel ap∣peareth.

Notes

• 1 1.1

  Poenitet ô si quid miserorum creditur vlli,

  Poenitet, & facto torqueor ipse meo.

  Cum{que} sit exilium, magis est mihi culpa dolori:

  Est{que} pati poenam quàm meruisse minus.

  Perfecto demum scelere, magnitudo cius apparet:

  Potest nocenti contingere vt lateat: nocendi fides non potest.

  Scelus aliqua tutum, nulla securum tulit.

  Heu quantum misero poenae mens conscia donat?

  Exemplo quodcunque malo committitur, ipsi

  Displicet Authori: prima haec est vltio, quòd se

  Iudice, nemo nocens absoluitur.

  Conscia mens vt cuique sua est, ita concipit intra

  Pectora; pro facto spem{que} metum{que} suo.

  Miser chi mal oprando si confida

  Ch' ogn' hor' star debba il malefizio occolto:

  Che, quando ogn' altro taccia, intorno grida

  L'Aria, elaterra stessa, inch' è sepolta.
• * 1.2

  Ouid. Pon. 1.
• * 1.3

  Tac. hist. 12. Seneca. Senec. Hip. Lucan. l. 5.
• * 1.4

  Iuue. Sat. 13.
• * 1.5

  Ouid. Fast. 1.
• * 1.6

  Ari. cant. 6.
• 2 1.7

  Cui illata est iniuria, ab inferente non creditur.

  Vtrumque in vitio est, & omnibus credere, & nulli.

  Reipsa paucis, at in specie omnibus crede.

  Cum inimico in gratiam nemo tutò redit.
• * 1.8

  Lip. pol. l. 5. Sen. ep. 3. Lip. pol. 4. Pub. Mim.