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.

CHAP. XXIX.

That the peoples faults grow first from their Princes.

PRinces have no reason to complain of any fault, which the people that is under their governments do commit: for their faults must needs proceed either from their negligence, or because they are blemished with the like errors. And whoever shall run over the nations that in our dayes have been accounted full of rob∣beries, and such like offences, shall perceive they all wholly proceeded from those that go∣vern'd them who were of the like condition. In Romania those Princes in it before they were extinguish'd by Pope Alexander the sixth, gave patterns to every one of a most ungodly and unconscionable life: for here a man might see horrible executions upon every slight occasion, and exceeding great rapines: Which first grew from the wickedness of those Princes, not from the mischeivous disposition of the people, as they said: for those Princes being but poor, and yet having a mind to live as stately as those that were rich, were necessitated to apply them∣selves to many rapins, and to practise them di∣verse

waies, and among other dishonest waies they toook, this was one; they made lawes and forbad some kind of action to be done; afterwards they were the first that gave the occasion to break it, nor ever punish'd they the breakers of it, till afterwards when they saw many others had committed the same fault, and then they began to punish the breach, not for any zeal towards the law made, but for covetousness to recover the penalty: where∣upon grew many inconvenients: and above all this, that the people were impoverish'd, and no way amended, and those that were impoverish'd used all their wits to work upon those that were their inferior. Whereupon arose all these evils (we have now spoken of) whereof the Prince was the only cause. And that this is true, T. Livius shews us, where he relates, that the Roman Ambassadors, carrying a gift of the spoile taken from the Vejentes to Apollo, were taken by the Corsaires of Lipari in Sicily, and there brought to land. But Timasitheus their Prince, having understood, what gift it was, whether it went, and who sent it, though he were borne in Lipari, yet behaved he himself like a worthy Roman, and told the people, that it was impiety to lay hands on such a gift, in so much as by general consent they set the Ambassadors at liberty with all that was theirs: and the Historians words are these, Timasitheus made all the multitude religious, which * 1.1 is done alwaies like a true governor, And Laurence of Medicim confir∣mation so this opinion saies,

The Princes actions as examples move, And those as their best patterns men approve. * 1.2

Notes

• * 1.1

  Timasitheus multitu∣dinem religinne im∣plevit, quae semper regenti est similis.
• * 1.2

  Et quel che sail Signor famopoi molti, Che nel Signor son tulti li octri volti.