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 LXIII. ADVERTISEMENT.

Don Ferrante Gonsaga being Governor of Corinthus, is exhorted by Domitio Corbulone severely to resent a great excess, committed by a chief personage of that City: which Counsel Gonsago wisely refutes.

DOn Ferrante Gonsaga was sent some weeks ago to be Gover∣nour of Corinthus; an important and difficult charge, that Pro∣vince abounding in a powerful, and wealthy Nobility, given to be proud, and lovers of Arms: who do not onely (according to the usual custom) deal hardly with those that are less powerful, but by reason of their ancient Factions, living still contentiously, it seldom happens that the Governour is of such intellectuals as to give full satisfaction both to Apollo, and to the people. Gonsaga had not past over his first months government, when one of the chief of the Nobility chanced to commit a very inconsiderate insolency. Don Ferrante seemed not onely to be much perplext how to revenge, but appeared to many to be very sad for what had happened. Domitio Corbulone a gallant Roman, and a great friend to Gonsaga, told him that he had now another fair

occasion, which required the same resolution which he took when he was Governor of Cicily, against those Spanish souldiers who mutiny∣ed: that therefore he ought rather to rejoyce, then to be troubled, for what had now happened in his government; for Governors of Pro∣vinces where there was a seditious Nobility, might think themselves Fortunate, when at the entrance into their Government any great per∣sonage should commit some heynous fault, by whose exemplary punish∣ment, the unquiet Nobility might be so terrifyed, as the government of the whole Province might be the better for it a long time after: which he said was so true a Document, as others who had practised it had reaped much honor thereby. For when the charge over t•…•… Roman Forces which were afterwards to fight in Armenia, was giv•…•… •…•…im, he finding that through the meer simplicity of those who had the care thereof the souldiers were grown to be very Licentious, not observing any manner of Military Discipline, by his meer resolution which he put on in the very beginning of his charge, of condemning two souldi∣ers to undergo the severest punishment, the oneor that when he was working in the Trenches, he had not any Arms at all about him; the other, because he wore a dagger without a sword, he reduced that so licencious Army to the exact obedience of the good ancient Military discipline; and he further said, that the world was so well pleased with this his severity, as Tacitus himself having authenticated it in his Annals as an undoubted maxim in Policy, fit to be imitated by all Officers, had transmitted it to Posterity in these words; Intentum{que} & magnis delictis inexo•…•…abilem scias, cui tantum asperitatis etiam adversus levia credeba∣tur. Ferrante answered Corbulone, that one sort of government was to be used with souldiers in Armies, and an other sort with Citizens in the Government of Provinces. That Commanders in war judged accor∣ding to their humors and with free authority, but Governors of Cities were bound to observe Laws, and having their hands thereby bound, they must be thereby regulated. That he very well knew that many Officers, to the end that they might humble the insolent, quiet the sedi∣tious, and pacifie the tumultuous, used unheard of severities at their ve∣ry entrance into command upon such Delinquents as fell first into their hands; but that he had likewise observed that those that did so, ran danger at last, by their bruitish way of proceeding. For he strayed ve∣ry far from the right way, who thought to attain good ends by unjust means. For God who did abhor that faults should be punished by great∣er faults, could not any ways tolerate without exemplary punishment upon the Judges, that injustice should be done to any one, though it tended to the universal quiet. That he loved onely such understanding Officers who could conscienciously apply fitting punishments to faults; that he desired rather that men might err on the charitable side, then exceed in rigor; and that he had observed that those who begin their government with too much severity, must either continue it with too barbarous cruelty, or lose their credit by altering their maner of government: that he had rather leave Corinth with the reputation of being a too indulgent, then too severe an Officer, That all times, places, and persons not being alike, that Officer was very unwise who would put himself upon a necessity to proceed always after one & the same maner; & him wise, who being sometimes indulgent, sometimes severe, & some∣times cruel, who knew how to keep himself free in all his ways of pro∣ceeding,

could upon any excess suddainly committed, or by too power∣ful a personage, or in times of trouble, or when to punish insolency with usual severity, would rather aggravate then amend the malady, make men believe that he had past over such a fault meerly out of his own clemency, which he could not possibly punish according to the rigor of the Laws, out of important respects. That he confest he might infuse the same terror into the Nobility of his government, by using extraordinary rigor toward that powerful Delinquent, which Corbulone had infused into his whole Army, by his severe proceeding with those two soldiers; but that then Corbulone must likewise confess, that upon another occasi∣on, at another time, or in another place, that same noble man, or any o∣ther m•…•… •…•…ommit a greater insolency, which was for the good of the Coun•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be winkt at; nay, sometimes praysed and rewarded; that this was a great advantage, which was gotten by the advised Officer, on∣ly by a judicious variety in his proceedings: and that too much rigor in a government to frighten delinquents, was only then good when it was used towards the meaner sort of people, who through their innate time∣rousness do more dread punishment then love reputation. But that the nobly born (who usually erred more in revenging the injuries done unto his honor, then through any malignity of minde) thought himself in∣jured by the too great severity of the Law, and together with his kin∣dred and friends who account that shame, whotever it be, as done to their whole generation, grevv so incenc'd, and inraged, as to aff•…•…ont the too humerous Officer in his reputation, and study revenge. By all vvhich he cleerly savv that the Officer vvas ill advised, vvho vvhilst he might carry himself freely in all his actions, should by his cruel usage of the Nobiliy exceed the terms of that equal Justice which ought to be so a∣dequate to the crime committed. That to proceed otherwise, was foolishly to put fetters upon a mans own feet, by obliging him to be e∣qually severe to all sorts and conditions of men, and make himself slave to shameful & dangerous cruelty. To this Corbulone replyed, that he was not wise enough to weigh businesses with the distinctions of time, place and persons; but that practice being the rule that he went by, he knew that the punishment of those two foot souldiers, had kept him from be∣ing trou•…•…led with using many the like severities. But, said Gonsaga, it would have proved otherwise if you had used the same cruelty to any of the chief Officers of the Army: and that the custom used by Gardners was excellently good, and very fit to be imitated by all wise Governors of Provinces, who make scare-crows of the filthiest rags and •…•…outs a∣bout the house, to frighten birds from eating their fruit, and not of rich silks and velvets.