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That it was necessary, for preservation of the new gotten liberty, to put Brutus his sons to death.
B Butus his severity was no less necessary than usefull to maintain Rome in the liberty she had gotten, which was of rare ex∣ample in all memorials of things happen'd, to see the Father sit on his Tribunal, and not
only condemn his sons to death, but be present and assistant at it. And this is alwaies well known to those that read ancient stories, how that after the change of a State, either from a Republick into a Tyranny, or from a Ty∣ranny into a Republick, some memorable execution upon the enemies of the present con∣dition is needfull. And hee that sets up a Ty∣ranny, and flaies not Brutus; and hee that brings in liberty, and slayes not Brutus his sons, can hardly subsist. And because for merly wee have discoursed hereof at large, I referr my self to what was then spoken hereof. I shall alledge here only one example which was in our times, and in our Country: that of Peter Soderini, who thought with his patience and goodness to overcome that passionate desire which was in the sons of Brutus, to return under another government, but deceived him∣self therein. And albeit hee by his wisdome perceived well this necessity, and that the way and ambition of those that shov'd against him, gave him occasion to extinguish them, yet hee never bent his mind to it: for besides his o∣pinion that he was able by patience and good∣ness to worke out all ill humors, and by libe∣rality towards them, to weare out any enmity was borne against him, hee was of advice (as many times by discourse hee shewed some of his friends) that if hee would strongly in∣counter the oppositions were made against him, and master his adversaries, he had need take upon him extraordinary authority, where∣by he should break the civil equality among them. Which thing (however that hee should never afterwards act tyrannically) would so much affright the multitude, that they would
never agree after his death to create a new stan∣dard-bearer for life, which dignity he held fit to put forward and maintain. This respect was wise and good: yet must we never suffer any evill to continue in regard of a good, being that good may easily be supprest by that evill. And he should beleeve, being his actions and his intentions were to bee judged by their end (in case that good fortune and life should have accompanied him) that he could have assured every one, how that what he had done, was for the safety of his Country, not for his own ambition, whereby he might have been able to regulate things in such a manner, that no successor of his could do that for evill, which hee had done for good. But the first opinion deceived him, not knowing that malice is not abated by time, nor appeased by any good turne. So that because he was ignorant how to imitate Brutus, he lost together with his Country the State, and his own reputation. And as it is a hard thing to save a free State, so is it not easie to preserve a Monarchy, as in the Chapter following it shall be shewed.