CHAP. XIX.
Whether for the Government of the multitude, obsequiousness and i••dulgence be more necessary than punishment.
THe Roman Commonwealth was perplexed with the dissentions betwixt the Nobility, and the people; nevertheless, their foreign Wars requiring it, they sent forth with their Armies, Quintius and Appius Claudius: Appius being rough, and cruel in his com∣mands, was so ill obeyed by his Soldiers, that he was defeated, and fled out of his Pro∣vince. Quintius being more gentle and benign, was better obeyed, and carried the Vi∣ctory where he was; from whence it appears more conducing to the well governing of a multitude, to be rather obliging, than proud, and pitiful, than cruel. However Cornelius Tacitus tells us, (and many others are of his mind) In multitudine regend•• plus paena quam obsequium valet, That to the managing of a multitude, severity is more requisite than mildness. And I think both may be true to his distinction, of Companions and Subjects; if those under your command be Companions and fellow Citizens with you, you cannot securely use them with that severity, of which Tacitus speaks; for the people of Rome having equal authority with the Nobility, was not to be used ruggedly by any man that was put over them for but a while. And it has been many times seen that the Roman Generals, who behaved themselves amicably towards their Souldiers, and governed them with mildness, have done greater things than those who used them with austerity, and kept them in per∣petual fear, unless they were endued with more than ordinary virtue, like Manlius Torqua∣tus. But he whose command is over his Subjects, (of whom Cornelius speaks) is to have a care they grow not insolent, and contemn him for his easiness, and there, is rather to use severity than gentleness with them; yet that is to be done (too) with such moderation, that they may be kept from abhorring him; for the hatred of the Subject is never good for a Prince, and the best way to prevent it, is by not interrupting the Subject in the quiet en∣joyment of his Estate; for blood (unless there be some design of rapacity under it) no Prince does desire it, but upon some extraordinary necessity, and that necessity happens but seldom. But when cruelty and rapine meet together in the nature of one person, there ne∣ver wants desire, nor pretences for cruelty, as I have demonstrated largely in another Trea∣tise upon this occasion. Quintius therefore deserved more praise than Appius deserved: and the saying of Tacitus is true enough with the aforesaid restriction, but not in the case of Appius: and because I have spoken of kindness and severity, I will give you one example, how mildness prevailed more upon the Falisci than violence could do.