Machivael's [sic] discourses upon the first decade of T. Livius, translated out of the Italian. To which is added his Prince. With some marginal animadversions noting and taxing his errors. By E.D.

THE PREFACE.

MEN do alwaies commend, but not alwaies with rea∣son, the times of old, and blame the present: and they take part so much with things past, that they celebrate not onely those ages which they have known by the memory writers have lest them, but those also, which now being old, they remember they have seen in their youth. And when this their opinion is false, as most commonly it is, I perswade my self the reasons that bring them into this error, are di∣vers. And the first I take to be, that of matters of old the truth is not wholly known, & of thoi•• actions most commonly those things are con∣ceal'd that would bring any infamy upon the times, but whatsoever advances their credit & glory is set out with magnificence. For most wri∣ters do so much follow the conquerors fortune, that to make their victories glorious, they not only augment what they have vertuously done

but they so illustrate their enomies actions, that those that are afterwards born in any of their countreys, either conquering or conque∣red, have cause to admire those men and times, and so consequently are forc'd exceed∣ingly to praise and love them. Besides this, men hating things either for fear, or envic, two very powerfull causes of hatred are quite spent in things that are passed, being they are not able to hurt, nor can give occasion of en∣vic. But on the contrary part, it comes to pass that those things that are now in hand, and we see, which by reason of the through know∣ledge we have of them, no tittle thereof being conceal'd from us, and knowing in them to∣gether with the good, many things worthy dislike, hereupon we are compell'd to judge them much Inferior to matters of old, al∣though that in truth the present deserve far more glory and reputation: this I say, not arguing touching the arts, which are now brought to such perfection, that the times can∣not take from them, nor add but little more glory to them; but speaking of things be∣longing to means lives and manners, whereof the proofes are not very evident; I answer, that this custome above written of praising and blaming is sometimes false and sometimes true: for sometimes they must needs light upon the truth; because all humane things are continu∣ally in motion, and either rise or fall. As we see the civil government of a city or countrey so ordain'd by some rare person, that for a time even by reason of the worth of this man, the State mends much, and is more and more amplified: he that is then borne in that State, and commends more the times of old, than

those moderne, is much deceiv'd: and the cause of his errour proceeds from those things that have bin formerly sayd. But those that are afterwards born in that City or countrie, whose dayes are onely during their decline from their excellence, then erre nor. And I devising with my selfe whence these things proceed, I think the world hath continu∣ed alwayes in one manner, and that in i•• hath beene alwayes as much good as evill; but that that good and evill does change from country to country, as it appeares by that which is dis∣cover'd to us of those ancient kingdomes, which alter'd from the one to the other, by change of manners. But the world continued the same. There was onely this difference, that where it first had plac'd its vertue in Assiria, it afterwards remov'd it into Media, then into persia, in so much that at length it came into Italie, and so to Rome. And if after the Romane Empire there succeeded not any other that lasted, nor where the world had retired all its vertue together; yet we see it was spread abroad into severall Nations, where men behav'd themselves very bravely and va∣louroufly, as in the Kingdome of France, the Kingdome of the Turks, and that of the Soldan; so now adayes in Germanie, and so among those that were first of the Saracin sect, which did great exploits, and made themselves masters of so great a part of the world, after they had destroyed the Easterne Empire of Rome. In all these Provinces then, after the Romanes were ruined, and in all these sects hath that vertue resided; and now in some of them indeed it may be wished for, but in other∣some worthily commended. And he that is

borne in those Countries, and praises the times past more than the present, may be deceived: but he that is borne in Italy and not in Greece, and is not become ei∣ther in Italy, a Tramontan, or in Greece, a Turk, hath reason to blame the times pre∣sent, and commend the former, for therein were many things made them marvail, but in these there is nothing can recover them out of extream misery, infamy, and disgrace, where there is no observance either of Religion or Lawes, nor of warlike discipline, but they are wholly bespotted with all manner of filthiness. And so much the more detestable are these vices, by how much they are most in those that are greatest, who sitting in their Tribunals command all, and will be ador'd. But returning to our discourse, I say, that if mens understandings are corrupted in matter of judgment, touching which age is the bet∣ter, the present or that of old, in those things by reason of their antiquitie they could not have such an exact knowledge, as they might have of their own times, yet should they not be corrupted in old men touching the judge∣ment of the times of their youth, and old age, having known and seen equally the one and the other; Which thing would be true, if those men all the time of their lives continued still at the same state of judgement, and had the same desires. But they altering, though the times, change not, yet cannot seem so to men to continue the same, they having other desires, other delights, and other considerati∣ons in their old age, than in their youth: for the strength of mens bodies, when they grow old, decaying, and their judgements and un∣derstandings

increasing, as must needs be, that those things which in their youths they thought supportable and good, becomes afterwards to them growing old intollerable and hurtfull: and where these men ought herein to lay the fault upon their own judgements, they blame the times. Besides this, the desire of man be∣ing insatiable (because of nature he hath it, that he can and will desire every thing, though of fortune he be so limited, that he can attain but a few) there arises thence a dislike in mens minds, and a loathing of the things they injoy which causes them to blame the times present and commend those pass'd, as also those that are to come, although they have no motives grounded upon reason to incite them thereto. I know not then, whether I shall deserve to be numbred among them that are deceiv'd; if too much in these discourses of mine I shall praise the times of the ancient Romans, and blame our own. And truly if the vertue that then reign'd, and the vice that now reigns, were not more clear than the Sun, I should not speak so freely, for fear I should incur the cen∣sure of that error whereof I have now blam'd others: but the matter being so evident, that every man sees it, I shall with boldness speak that plainly which I conceive of those & these times, to the end those young men who shall chance to read these my writings, may avoyd the evil of these times, and prepare their minds to im∣itate the good of these of old, whensoever their good, fortune shall give them occasion: for it is the duty of a good man, to reach unto others that good, which by reason of the ma∣lignity of the times, and of fortune, thou hast not bin able to do thy self, to the end that ma∣ny

being given to understand hereof, some of them, whom the heavens shall more favor, may put it in practice. And having in my former book of discourses spoken of the Romans delibera∣tions, touching their affairs within the City; in this we shall treat of those which the people of Rome did, belonging to the enlargement of the Empire.