The works of the famous Nicholas Machiavel, citizen and secretary of Florence written originally in Italian, and from thence newly and faithfully translated into English.

CHAP. XXXIV.

What vogue, fame or opinion disposes the people first to favour some parti∣cular Citizen; and whether they, or a Prince distributes their Offices with most prudence and judgment.

WE have shown before, how Titus Manlius (called afterwards Torquatus) preserved his Father L. Manlius from an accusation which Pomponius the Tribune had ex∣hibited against him to the people. And although the way which he took to preserve him was violent and irregular; yet his filial affection to his Father was so grateful to the peo∣ple, that they not only not reprehended him for what he had done, but advanced him to honour; for being not long after to choose Tribunes for their Legions, T. Manlius was the second that was made. And here I think it not amiss to consider the way which the the people of Rome took in the distribution of their honours, and election of Magi∣strates; and to inquire into the truth of what I asserted before, That the distributions of the people are better, and more exact than the distributions of a Prince; for the people follow the common and publick character of every man, unless by some particular notion of his actions, they presume, or believe otherwise. There are three ways by which a man may gain esteem and reputation with the people. The first is by extraction, when the Parents having been great men, and serviceable to the Commonwealth, the people take a fancy that their Children must of necessity be the same, until by some ill act they convince them of the contrary. The second way is to associate with grave per∣sons, of good esteem, and such as are reputed discreet and sober by every body; and be∣cause nothing indicates and discovers a man so much as the Company which he keeps; he who keeps good Company, may be concluded to be good; for of necessity persons so conversant together, must have something of similitude. But their is another way of gaining the favour of the people, which exceeds them both; and that is by performing some extraordinary action, whether publick or private, it matters not, so you come ho∣nourably off. And the judgments which are made in this case, are much better than the other: For the arguments taken from the virtue of the Parents, are doubtful and fallacious; nor can any man conclude any thing, till experience resolves him. The presumptions in the second from their conversations and Company, are much better than the first, but not comparable to the third; for reputation from Ancestors or Company depends bare∣ly upon opinion, and hopes, till some great action be performed that testifies your vir∣tue, and determines the doubt; and then if this action be performed when you are young, it makes the impression much deeper, and so fixes your reputation, that you must commit many ill actions before you can expunge it: Those therefore who would advance them∣selves in a Commonwealth, are to take this course, and endeavour to do some remarkable thing at first; which was done at Rome very frequently by several young persons, either by the promulgation of some Law for the benefit of the publick; or by the accusation of some great person for transgressing the Law; or doing some other great or new thing that may make you be talk'd of. Nor are these things necessary only to recommend you at first; but they are necessary likewise to maintain and augment your reputation; so that they are to be renewed and repeated often as long as you live; as Manlius did; for after he had defended his Father so honourably, and by that noble action laid the foundation of his esteem, many years were not past before he fought singly with a French man, and having slain him very bravely, he took a Gold Chain from his neck, which gave him the name of Torquatus; and having given these testimonies of his courage in his youth, when he came to riper years he made himself as famous for discipline and justice by the exam∣ple upon his Son, whom he caused to be put to death for fighting contrary to Orders, though he defeated the Enemy; which three great instances of his courage and virtue,

made his name so honourable both then and ever since, that no Victory, no Triumph could have done more. And good reason, for in victories, many equalled, and some exceeded him; but in these three very few came near, but no body exceeded him.

Scipio the elder was not so glorious by all his triumphs, as for having in his youth so manfully defended his Father at the Battel upon the Tesin; and after the Battel of Cannas forced certain young Romans with his Sword drawn to take an Oath not to desert their Country as they had resolved to do before; which two actions were the foundations of his following reputation, and served as steps to his Triumphs both over Spain and Africa which favour and good opinion of him was highly encreased, by his returning a Daughter and a Wife (both of them great Beauties, and both of them his Prisoners) immaculate and untouched, one to her Father, and the other to her Husband, in his Wars in Spain. And this way of proceeding is not only necessary for such as would gain honour and pro∣motion in a Commonwealth; but for Princes likewise and Kings who are desirous to retain their reputation with their subjects. For nothing recommends a Prince more efficaciously to the people, than in his youth to give them some taste or specimen of his virtue, by some remarkable act, or proposal for the benefit of the publick; especially if it has any tendancy to justice, magnanimity,, liberality, or the like; for things of that nature that are extra∣ordinary, whether acted, or spoken, are transmitted to posterity with so much reverence, that they even come to be Proverbs among the people: But to return, I say then, when the people designs to confer honour upon a Citizen, upon one of these three accounts, they go upon very good grounds, but especially upon the last, when several and reiterated exam∣ples make him more known; for then 'tis not possible they should be deceived, and in young persons they are certain presages of their deportment for the future. I speak only of those degrees which are given at first, before any firm experience has made them better known, or that they pass from one action to a contrary, in which, both as to mistakes, and corruption, the people do not erre so often as Princes. And because it may happen that the people may be deceived by report or opinion, or perhaps the actions of a man, as believing them more considerable and estimable than they are (which cannot easily hap∣pen to a Prince, by reason of his Council which are by, and always ready to inform him) that the people may not want such Monitors; those who have laid right foundations for a Commonwealth, have provided that when the great and supream Offices of a City are to be supplyed, where it would be dangerous to entertain any incapable persons, if they find the people disposed to the creation of any man who is known to be improper, it may be lawful for any Citizen; nay, an honour to any one that shall publickly discover his defects, that thereby the people understanding him better, may be better able to choose. That this was the practice in Rome appears by the Oration of Fabius Maximus, which he made publickly to the people in the second Punick War, when at the creation of the Con∣suls, the people were inclined to create T. Ottacilius, whom Fabius conceiving an unfit man for those times, remonstrated his thoughts so effectually to them, that he put him by that degree, and prevailed with the people to give it another person that deserv'd it much better. Which being so, the people in the election of their Magistrates do judge according to the best and truest tokens that they can observe; and could they be as well counselled in these affairs as Princes, they would commit fewer errors than they do. So that that Citi∣zen who would work himself into the favour of the people, must do some great matter, or express some great instance of his virtue or parts, that he may seem to imitate Manlius, and get as much honour as he.