Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶Howe that a good prynce ought to be ressemblyd to a good shepeherde▪ Capitulo. ix.

••Nwe we haue towched in y^• firste poynte▪ where vpon the bounte of the prynce ought to be pryncypally foun ••ed. And here after we muste speke of the seconde poynte / that is to knowe that the good prynce ought to loue ▪ yngulery the comon wele / and the encreace therof more than of his owne▪ after the doctryne of Arystotyle▪whiche is declared in his bo ••e of polytykes / that sayth that tyrānye is when a prynce get∣teth more goodes for his owne profyte / then for the comon wele And that is also agaynst the lordshyp Royall for he ought to be more dylygent to encreace the wele of his comons than his owne wele▪ Nowe it muste be deuyled in what maner he may ••lande and shewe this loue▪ The good prynce that loueth his lande muste kepe his people dylygently after the ensample of a good Shepeherde / whiche kepyth well his shepe and ma∣keth good watche by great dilygence for to defende them from the wolfe and other euyll beestes / and that they be clenly kept and in helthe to that entent. that they may encerace and fru∣tyfye and yelde theyr wolle hoole and sounde▪ and made fatte by the e••the by y^• whiche they be norysshed and kept / So that the shepeherde maye be well payde of the fleces gadred in sea∣son▪ But the great ryche shepeherde that gyueth great good to kepe his shepe / for bycause he maye nat kepe all his flokes hym selfe purueyeth hym of helpe good & couenable / & taketh with hym good dylygent. and wyse seruant / whiche he kno∣weth w••ll that they ben trewe and loue his profyte / Then he

ordeyneth that these men shulde be well garnysshed of good and myghty houndes well colered with yron. which houndes ben wel wont to chase the wolfes out of y^• feldes / and at nyght they leue them vntyed to kepe the shepe / to that entent that the theues come nat preuely for to stele them / but that anone they be redy to ronne vpon them / And in the day tyme they tye them to theyr gyrdelles aboute them whyle y^• shepe pasturen peasybly in the feldes▪ But and it happen that the sayde ser∣uauntes here any noyse of wolues or any other euyll beestes cōmynge out of the woodes or from the mountaynes / Than anone they let lo••ose theyr houndes and let theym ronne and comforte them strongly and for to gyue them the more hardy∣nes / they ronne after theyr hoūdes with good staues well py∣ked with yron agaynst the wolues or other euyll beestes / and if it happen that any of the shepe go out of the flocke / the good houndes whiche ben well wonte therto ronneth after and fe cheth hym i agayne without doynge hym any harme. And by these meanes the wyse seruauntes diffende them & kepe them so well that they yelde a good accounte to the soueraygne she peherde whiche taketh right good heede to theyr rewle•• In lyke wyse to our purpose / is the good prynce. Whiche is alway besy and dylygent for the saufgarde & y^• dyffence of his coun∣tre and of his people ▪to the whiche saufgarde and diffence is nat possyble that his owne persone may be in euery place whe re charges lyeth in▪ Therfore he shuld puruey to gette hym good helpe as well for the feete of knyghthode as other wayes That is to knowe of worthy cheueteynes y^• he knoweth for good & trewe & such as loueth hym tenderly▪ as Counstable / marchall Amyrall▪ & other men▪ to y^• which he gyueth charge vnto / to make prouysyon of good men of armes well vsed and lerned in the werre / whiche he byndeth them by theyr othe to be aboute hym▪ and departe nat without his leue but be redy

alwayes to do his cōmaundement. to that entent / if it be nede that they be redy for to go agaynst theyr enemyes ▪so that the countrey be nat dyffowled nor the people robbyd ne slayne.

¶ It is nat to vnderstande that the men of armes them selfe shuld diffowle and pyle the countrey lyke as they do in Fraū ce now a dayes. wherfore as in other coūtrees they durste nat do so▪ which is a great myschefe & an ouerthwarte ordynaun ce▪ that they that ben stablysshed and ordeyned for the defence of the people. They them self pyle them & robbe them full cru∣elly / suche there ben that without kyllynge or settynge theyr howses a fyre y^• enemyes myght do no more to them. This is nat the ryghtfull meanes of werre whiche ought to be Iuste and without extorcion / But the men of werre and the prynces that sende them to werre / so on the people ben in great peryll y^• the wrath of god fall nat vpon them & greuously to punysshe them. For it is no doute that the cursynge of the people / ryght fully gyuen by suffrynge of to great oppressynge / may cause before god many euyll auentures for to fall▪ lyke as we fynde ensample in holy wryt & in many other places. For euery man ought to know well that god is ••ust and rightfull / And this great faute cometh but of euyll ordynaunce. For and the men of werre were well payde▪ men myght charge theym in payne of deth that they shuld take no manes good vnpayde for / And by suche meanes men shuld fynde vytayles & all other thyn∣ges ynoughe▪ that were necessary and great chepe ynoughe & pleute / me thynke it is a great meruayle▪ how the people may lyue vnder this ordynaunce▪ and of the pyte of theyr lyfe there is no compassion. Now the holy goost fader of the poore people haue mercy on them and byset them. ••ow to y^• purpose afore∣sayd▪ if a shepeherde had an hoūde that wolde ronne vpon his shepe▪ anone he wold gyue hym a great stroke with his staffe Then it is nat syttynge for a good prynce that loueth god &

his people / to suffre his people to be robbed & pyled / & lyke as the houndes lye vnbounden in y^e nyght to kepe the shepe from theues in lyke wyse the cheueteynes ought to set watche and espyes vpon the Frounteres and to sende ferre aboute them to that entent / that the coūtrey and the people be nat stolen vpon the nyght with theues / nor by no maner of cautele. And also that they may vnderstande the couyne of theyr enemyes: yet there longeth another offyce to the men of armes. and that is this / lyke as the good hounde getteth agayne the shepe that is gone out from the flocke / in suche wyse ought they to bryn¦ge in y^e poore comons if they wold erre or fall in euyll wyll of rebellyon outher by manaces or ellys y^t they take good heede of them. And for bycause that it myght dysplease / and be meruayle to some men / that a man shulde lyken y^e offyce of armes to the nature of an hounde Certaynly the hounde hath many propretees. whiche a good man of armes ought to take heede of / and he lyke vnto ••or the hounde loueth his mayster mer∣uaylously well / and is full trewe vnto hym / And in lyke wyse it is necessarye to the good man of armes dyspose hym selfe to the dyffence of his mayster for to dye therfore / And when he is cōmytted to haue the kepynge of any place / He hereth clere∣ly and watcheth anone / and maketh hym redy for to god vpon the euyll doers and robbers / but they wyll nat byte the fren∣des of his mayster / but smelleth them naturally / nor his ney¦ghboures / nor theym that ben of the howseholde whiche he is norysshed in ••••ut to his power he wyll kepe them / Also an hoū¦de is right hardy and feyghteth with great vertue. Also he is of great vnderstandynge and of great knowlege / and ryght louynge to hym that sheweth hym loue / And all these condy∣cyons the good man of armes ought to haue.

¶ yet of the same.

BUt for to come agayne to our firste purpose lyke as it is sayde of the good Shepeherde whiche taketh good hede that his shepe be kept clene and ••helth. The good prynce may nat at all tymes put the hole rewle vnto his mynysters But he hym selfe lyke a man that is benygne / ought to here them in all causes as ferre as he may. And he shuld nat doute nor dispreyse t〈…〉〈…〉tuous supplycacions of his people / but he ought benygnely to condissende to theyr requestes / after mer¦cy and Iustyce. Also he ought to take hede that they be nat diffowled nor eten by false off yeers and mynysters / And for to speke clerely of this purpose / a man must haue great leyser and space and it myght happen so that if a man wolde say the trouth of many thynges. it shuld displese dyuers folkes / But withouten doute it is great pyte / that suche trouthe shuld be hydde and kepte close for any feer or fauoure of any persone / And to this purpose Seneke speketh well. in the. vi. boke of benefyces in the. xxi. chaptre / I wyll shewe the he sayth. Wher¦in they be disceyued that be lyft vp to great estate / And what lacketh to them that men wene haue all? No thyng ellys / but they can nat fynde no man that wyll tell theym trouthe. And this sentence is trewe. For the seruauntes that ben aboute y^e prynces say nat well of them, but oonly for theyr owne syngu∣ler profytes. wherfore they entende no thynge but to flatery & speke to the plesaunce of lordes. And so by theyr teyre langage they blynde theyr soueraygnes. Therfore it is wryten in the thirde booke of Polycratyque in the. xii. chaptre. that the fla∣terer is enemy to all vertues / & that he is fastened as a nayle in the mannes ••ye that he is aqueynted with. And to the pur∣pose of these offycers: that is to knowe of the euyll and except the good without moche spekynge of theyr dedes I wyll nat make to longe processe therof. But wolde god that y^e prynces knewe them well & vnderstode theyr dedes and what people

they haue aboute theym for mynystracyon of theyr thynges▪ And me thynketh there is nothynge that is so fowle ne so cor rupte as is the conscyens of some of them in all peruercytes / but there ben many that can by grete malyce / hyde subtelly theyr vyces vnder fayned symulacyon / and vnder a fayre co∣loure▪ But and it so be that they can not hyde y^e experyence of theyr dedes / and of theyr wordes / i whiche as fayre as they se∣me / there is no trouthe in theym / nor wyl not she we outwarde the open peruersyte to them that falleth in theyr daungers / & in theyr hōdes▪ Nor also it can not come to y^• knowlege of theyr lordes. And also no man dare tell them for fere that the lorde wolde be dyspleased with them that telleth hym y^• trouthe / for lordes nowe a dayes wyll not here euyll spoken of theyr men / for there is a comon worde that renneth nowe in the countree for to say▪ ••y lorde hath a ryght good condycyon with hym for he loueth no man that wyll tell hym an euyll tale of his ser uaunte▪ Alas it were a good guyse for the lordes for to here & vnderstonde y^e rule of theyr seruauntes. But and it happened that ony man for Enuye accused another as it maye happen some tyme to fall / than when the lorde had well enquyred the trouth and fyndeth his accusacyon false / then he ought to pu nysshe hym and put hym out of his house as a false lyer / & an ••nuyous man▪ And by this meane / theyr fol••es ••••lde d••ede for to do or say euyll▪ and it sholde sease moche ang•••• trouble that is done. But the lorde sholde haue wyll that euery of his subiectes sholde do theyr offyces in peas whiche god hath cal∣led them to▪ The nobles▪ lyke as they ought to do. The clargy attende theyr scyence & to theyr deuyne ser u yer▪ The marchaū tes to theyr marchaundyses. The men of crafte to theyr occu∣pacyon. The labourers to theyr laboure: And ••••eu••ry man in his degre to lyue with good polycy without doynge on y••r ••••••yon nor dyshonest charge to that 〈…〉〈…〉 y^• they maye lyue

couenably vnder hym / and that they maye loue hym as they ought to loue a good prynce. ••nd y^t he may haue of them y^• re∣uenes y^t ought reasonably to be gadered in his coūtre w^tout to grete oppressynge of his poore comyns / lyke as Ualere sayth. That the Emperoure ••beryus answered ones to theym / y^• sayd to hym / why he set no gretter subsydy on his people for he myght well do it / he answered and sayd / it longeth quod he to a shepeherde to shere his shepe at one season in the yere / but not to flee hym nor teere his skynne / in suche wyse that the blo de come after.