I ragguagli di Parnasso, or, Advertisements from Parnassus in two centuries : with the politick touch-stone / written originally in Italian by that famous Roman Trajano Bocalini ; and now put into English by the Right Honourable Henry, Earl of Monmouth.

The XLIV. ADVERTISEMENT.

The Duke of Alva being accused of cruelty, for having with exquisite diligence caused two of the prime subjects of his new Principality of Achaia, to be imprisoned, slain, and afterwards secretly buryed in their very prisons, de∣fends himself stoutly before Apollo.

SOon after the Duke of Alva had tane possession of the new Princi∣pality of Achaia, of which you heard at large by our late Letters, that severe spirit, who being wholly composed of wariness, and vigi∣lancy, seemed to be indowed by nature with all requisites in a Prince, who will with security govern States newly acquired. After he had ex∣actly observed the humors, and behaviors of some chief men of the State, he indeavoured to know who they were who had occasioned those many popular insurrections which had so much indangered the free State of Achaia: and at last he found apparently that all the for∣mer evils had had their rise from the ambition of two principal men, who being wealthy, liberal, courteous, and more ambitious of government then became subjects, to be: qualities, which in any whatsoever cor∣rupted Commonwealth, or newly founded principality, make him who possesseth them formidable, and by those means infinitely beloved by the people; the Prince, to secure the quiet of his State, thought it very necessary to rid the world of so dangerous subjects; so as with admi∣rable dexterity and secrecy he got them both into his hands, and with necessary resolution, made them be put to death and buryed the very hour that they were imprisoned. This cruel and resolute action, not u∣sually heard of, nor seen, in a State, which never having known what be∣longed to servitude, was not acquainted with those severe resentments which Princes through jealousie of State use to take, gave that bad sa∣tisfaction to the Nobility, which the severity of a new Prince usually doth, when it is exercised against those ambitious popular Chieftains who by their seditions abuse Liberty, and precipitate it into Tyranny; and was of great terror to the common people; who though they were much incenst against their Prince, yet when they saw their leading men vvere tane from them, they neither had courage nor vvit to move; but as is usual upon such like occasions, changed their insolency into admi∣ration or vvonder, their boldness into fear, their acting of resentments into complaints by vvord, and to threatning that revenge, vvhich of themselves they had not vvit to execute. The end of their rancor vvas then, the making of such appeals to Apollo against their Prince, as his Majesty straitly commanded him to make his present appearance in Parnassus, and plead his justification against those imputations. Alva obeyed, and having acquainted his Majesty vvith their tedious conditi∣ons, shevved him cleerly, that to secure himself in the Government of

his new Principality, he was necessitated to use the wonted remedy of taking off the heads of the seditious people, which Apollo seemed to be but little satisfyed with; but told Alva, that though the death of those two seditious men might be requisite, yet he could not approve of the manner; for that Princes who in the important resolution of putting any of their subjects to death, did not proceed by the rules of known Justice, injured their own reputation, and interest; and that Princes were obliged to make known to all the world, the true reason which made them proceed with severity against their subjects; and that the Delinquents punishment ought to be publick, not onely for the Prince his Justification, but to terrifie others, and keep them from doing amiss. The Prince grew pale, to hear Apollo speak thus positively, and answer∣ed, that the aforesaid two persons were so mightily beloved by the People, as if they should have been proceeded against by the usual course of Justice, and that they had been executed (as he acknowledged they should have been) in the publike Piazza, it was odds but that the People would by violence have taken them from the hands of Justice; which disorder though it might have been prevented by guards of arm∣ed men, yet it was most certain, that the publike death of such prime men, and who were so dearly beloved by their State, would have caused such compunction, & such alteration in the minds of his Vassals, as, if not at that instant, they would at least at some other time leave no∣thing unattempted to revenge it. Which respects made him keep from purging the body of his State, from those malignant humors which it abounded in, by approved Medicines; for certainly he should have stirred up such store of more pernicious humors, as would have much aggravated the malady. That it was a trivial politick Precept, to fright∣en the meaner sort of people from committing wickedness, by the spe∣ctacle of mechanicks in the Piazza's, and other publike places; but that personages of quality, who were beloved by the People, and whom Princes put to death, onely for the safety of their State, their deaths and burials must ensue their imprisonment, in secret places; for to punish signal men publikely upon scaffolds, did not beget fear in men, but rage of revenge. Apollo then asked the Prince, how long it had been since he had learned that Precept; the Prince answered that whilst he was a young man he learned it of a Florentine, who was his Master in the Po∣liticks; Apollo asked him again, why he practised the contrary in the memorable, and fatal resolution which he took in the business of Prince Egmont, and Count Horn; Alva boldly answered his Malesty, that the interests were different in him who governed a Province as an other mans substitute, and in him who was absolute Prince thereof; and that Nature had made men wiser in governing their own particular affairs, then those of their Masters; and that many who seemed to be blinde in the government of other mens States, were more then Argus-eyed in their own affairs.