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 LXI. ADVERTISEMENT.

Apollo to afford past-time to his Literati, makes two useful Sceans be represented upon Melpomenee's Theater. In one of which he shews the lesser Princes with what wari∣ness they ought to preserve themselves from a greater Po∣tentate; and in the other, lets Senators of Republicks know how ill advised they are who thorough partiality side with a subject of their own faction, who notoriously ayms at Tyranny.

THe Ancient Romans, Carthagenians, Athenians, and other the fa∣mousest Commonwealths and Monarchies of the world, have with much reason always thought publike shews and entertainments to be the best means to maintain States in that universal peace, and quiet to e∣very particular man, which is easiest received by a people, who live con∣tent and satisfyed in perpetual jollities. Wherefore the ancient Romans built magnificent Theaters, and Amphitheaters, in which to delight their subjects, pleasant spectacles were (not without immense charges) represented: it being a dangerous advice for such as govern, to keep their people discontented, and buryed in sloath and idleness. Hence it is that Apollo doth not imploy himself more willingly in any business, then in what may rejoyce the minds of his Literati, by diversity of shows. It is true, that whereas in Rome, Athens, Carthage, and other places; all the delights which the people found in those shows, were occasioned some∣times by the obscenity of Players, oft times by the cruelty of their gla∣diators, and their hunting of wild-beasts, the delight of the Vertuosi of this State consists wholly by extracting useful Precepts from noble re∣presentations, thereby to inrich their minds. Apollo therefore having finisht the icy way of Winter, when he was to begin his pleasant jour∣ney of the Spring, was pleased, for the better satisfaction of his Lite∣rati, to have extraordinary solemnities used at his entrance into Aries: To which purpose he caused two several shows to be represented on two several days in Melpomene's Theater, which were extraordinary useful, and of great content. The first that entered upon the Theater, were the Associates, Confederates, Friends, and the sort of Militia which the Romans called Auxiliary souldiers. And to the end that his Ver∣tuosi might be the better satisfyed by the sight of so numerous Armies, he commanded that such souldiers should appear upon the Theater, with the same Arms, Ensigns, and with all those warlike Instruments, with which they had served in the Roman Armies; and all this was perfor∣med with so great a number of Foot and Horse, with so Magnificent Pomp of Regal Ensigns, and with the sound of divers Instruments of war, with such rich acoutrements, and other things thereunto apper∣taining,

as all that were present at it freely confest, that they never saw so curious a show in Pernassus. After that this Militia had marched di∣vers times round, both within the Theater and without it, Apollo sent for the chief leaders thereof, and bad them withdraw for a while to within their quarters, and that they should return to the Theater in the very same posture, in which they ended their unfortunate Militia with the Romans. Not long after, those very souldiers who had appeared upon the Theater in the aforesaid Pomp, were seen to come naked with their hands tyed behind them, stript of all their goods, loaded with I∣rons, full of wounds, ill handled by executioners, rob'd by the avarice of rapacious Consuls, Proconsuls, by the Emperors Agents, and other Officers of the Roman Empire. So as the Romans who at their first entry made so stately a show, whom Pernassus had seen so noble an Auxiliary Militia, who had raised their Empire to such an immensity, and who were so glad to hear their civil Government so exagerated by all the Literati, in being able to dilate their Empire by the blood of o∣ther men, were forced to quit the Theater, and to hide themselves in holes, that so they might shun hearing the scorn and injurious speeches which were uttered against them by all the Literati that were present at the show. For the noble Vertuosi, hating from their very souls the Roman cruelty, and ingratitude used towards those Nations, who by their expence of blood had deserved so well at their hands, asked where was the Faith, where the sacred Friendship, where the Gratitude used to those their Friends, to those who had so well deserved of the people of Rome, and by their lives had exalted their Empire to so great a height? And whether these were Actions becoming that Roman Senate, who made so great a show, and boasted so much of Religion, Faith, and un∣violable friendship, insomuch as all did detest that execrable reason of State, which following onely that which brings men apparent advan∣tage can so impiously turn its back upon what is just and honest, and which when her occasions are served, forgets all Obligations, how great so ever. As soon as this miserable sight was ended, Guiccardin by or∣der from Apollo, got up into a very high place, and made a long Politi∣cal discourse upon the little discretion, and upon the want of Charity, of great Monarchs towards petty Princes, that are of less power then they: wherein he said, that when in a State consisting of many Princes, one Prince more great then any of the rest, took up Arms to bear down one of the other, all the rest, to keep from being supprest, should think their Companions loss, their own ruine, a means to bring them in∣to slavery, a preparation for their overthrow; and that therefore, abso∣lutely forgetting all private hatreds, and heart-burnings, they should all of them imbrace the publike Cause, and •…•…un by their common forces joyntly to asswage that fire which was likely in a short time to reduce their own homes into ashes: for in former times, Asia and Africa, not at all betaking themselves to Arms, were unfortunate spectators of the servitude of whole Italy, subjugated by the famous Romans: and in more modern times, the whilome powerful Kingdom of Hungary, to its now great sorrow, laught at the overthrow of the Grecian Empire; that therefore in like dangers, every Prince should have the two golden Sentences of that Master of true Policy Tacitus, written in their hearts; Omnibus perire quae singuli amittant. Tacit. in vita Agriculae. It being

very true that in such like cases, Singuli dum pugnant, Universi vincun∣tur. And that they should esteem such honors as were done them by those who were more powerful then they, shameful disgraces; allian∣ces which they might contract with them, preparations to betray them; the advantage which they might get by Pensions, hooks bayted with poyson; tricks to lull them asleep, onely that they may afterwards, with a little mony purchase that their liberty, which cannot be payd by mountains of gold. And that above all things else, they should take example by the slavery which they had seen of the Romans associates, and should think that the ambition which the more powerful have to reign having no Orison, the accomplishment of conquering an Enemy, was the beginning to subjugate a Friend.

The second day Apollo commanded, that upon the same Theater, all those great Senators should first appear who had assisted Caesar his Ty∣ranny, and that of Augustus, out of the Interest of private Ambition, or out of meer avarice, which being forthwith done, he gave order that all those should appear who were wickedly slain in the cruel Proscripti∣on made by the Triumviri, and in Augustus his long reign, and those who had been put to death by Tiberius his cruelty, Caligula's bestiality, and by Nero's fierce Nature. This was the most sad and lamentable spectacle that was ever seen represented in the memory of man in any place whatsoever; for then all Pernassus broke forth into deep sighs, and shed tears in abundance, when those that had assisted Caesar in his Tyranny, saw that not onely Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, but even Augustus himself, forgetting the obligations which they ought to their posterity who had ayded them in atchieving their Tyrannical power were by them destroyed and cruelly put to death. For Children not inheriting their fathers humors, as they do their Estates, many of the sons of those Senators, who following Caesars, and Augustus his Co∣lours, had appeared enemies to publike liberty, were afterwards cruelly slain by the insuing Tyrants, onely for that they discovered too much their love to live free; others for proving more vertuous Senators, then would stand with Tyrannical Govenment: and an infinite number by the meer bestiality of those that governed. This so horrid sight, at first occasioned great silence, wherein the Vertuosi considered, that since not any Plebeian appeared amongst the vast number of those that were slain, nor any other principal subject of the Provinces, but onely wor∣thy Senators, and Gentlemen of infinite desert; the cruelties used by the Tyrants who reigned in the Roman Empire, against the Senators, and nobler sort of Gentry, were for the most part occasioned, thorow the defect of the Nobility; who not able to preserve publike liberty by peace, (as they ought to have done) could never submit themselves to receive that total servitude which must of necessity be imbraced under the Government of one onely man: but by their many Conspiracies, by continual misgovernment of their Tongues, and by their pride of speak∣ing like free men, whilst they were in slavery, did so provoke and anger them that reigned, as made them become cruel Butchers of the Roman Nobility. This useful consideration being ended, those unfortunate Sena∣tors, who to make Caesar, and Augustus great, had with their swords in hand, and with so much effusion of blood, banisht liberty from out their Country, ran as if they had been mad, to embrace their children,

grandchildren, and great grand-children who had been so Tyrannously treated; but being by them driven away with reproachful speeches, those Senators more afflicted then ever, said; You have reason to look upon us your Progenitors, with an incensed eye, and to drive us like enemies out of your sight; for you may truly say these your wounds were occasioned by these our hands, the Tyranny which hath made you so miserable by our imprudency, your calamities by our foolish Ambition, all the inhumanities whereinto we have most imprudently hurryed you, by our unfortunate jars, and deplorable discord; and now, when repentance serves onely to make our afflictions the greater, we cleerly see by this your miserable spectacle, that nothing is sweeter, that there is no great∣er consolation, no greater Jubile of content then by forgetting injuries, pardoning offences, and embracing enemies, to live in a free Country, in such peace as eterniseth Commonwealths, so to keep from falling by desire of revenge, into those mischiefs into which we are ran, who out of our capricious humors having lost the Liberty of our Country, have wickedly precipitated our Families, and our blood into those dire miseries which we are bound to behold; and have learnt to know at last, by the blood which you have lost, that great dignities, and supreme Magistracies in a free Country ought to be conferred upon the vertue and merit of honorable Senators, and ought to be sought for by such, not upon those who endeavor the procurement thereof, (as we have wickedly done) by private disorders, sedition, and civil wars; there not being any greater folly, then for a Senator to ad∣here unto a friend that is a Tyrant, out of vain hopes of bettering his condition, and Family in publike slavery.