Dabat & Famae, ut Vocatus Electusque potius a Republica videretur; quum per uxorium ambitum; & senili adoptione irrepsisse.

BY occasion, that Tiberius would rather have it bee thought he was chosen Emperour, by the Senat, then Page  348 by Augustus; we thinke fit, to examine these points; when Election is good, and when succession; and last∣ly, which of them is the better.

To begin with the last; because upon this, the other depend; there are many of opinion, that Election is the better; which (they say) may be proved by Examples & by reasons. By examples, because of all the many Em∣perours that Rome had, if any were ever good; they were those, that came in, by Election: and if we looke into the holy Scripture; we shall finde, that the Judges came no sooner to be by succession, but they ended in the sonnes of Samuell; and the Regall Dignity assoone as it came to be by succession, presently became a Tyranny, beginning in Salomon; and Encreasing in Roboam; who were not Elected, as Saul and David were. Then a∣gaine by reason, it may be proved; because Election is in our owne power: where succession is in the power of Fortune, which, though it may sometimes give a good Prince, yet it cannot continue to doe it so long, but that at last (as Aristotle observes) It will give a had, who alone is enough to overthrow all the good, his Prede∣cessours had done. To this may be added, that successours are alwayes full of domineering pride, which makes them beleeve, they are greater then ever their Ance∣stours were; and having had no part, nor labour in ac∣quiring the Kingdome, they little care for conserving the Kingdome; and lastly, having honour and glory enough; they trouble not themselves for getting of more; where he that comes in by Election, will by the same vertues with which hee hath attained the Empyre, be able al∣so to conserve the Empyre; and seeing hee hath perhaps but little glory by his Ancestours, he will endevour to get glory by himselfe.

On the other side, there want not reasons to prove, that succession is the better: and the first is taken from Aristotle, who in his Politicks, speaking against Plato Page  349 shewes: how different and much greater the love is, that is borne to things which are our owne: whereup∣on a successour having the Kingdome as his owne, and one that is chosen, having it but as lent; It must needs be beleeved, that a successour is likely to make the better Governour: Men commonly not having so great care, of things which they have but for terme of life; as of things in which they have inheritance, and may leave them to their Heire. To this may be added: that the conditions of those, who come newly to their greatnes; (as Aristotle speaking of the Common-wealth of the Chalcedons saith) are evermore intolerable, as a Poet saith, Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum. Moreover they who come in by Election, as not having had education in the Princes house, can have but meane information of the affaires of state; where if sonnes succeed, as no New Dignity accrewes unto them, so no occasion of growing proud befalls them; and being trained up and acquainted with affaires: as they themselves will be better able to governe; so both People, and Nobility will be willinger to bee governed by them; the People, as having beene accustomed to o∣bey their Fathers; The Nobility, as being farre remo∣ved from Equality: we may adde further; that succession takes away all occasion of discords, which in Election, must needs fall out; and falling out, It is impossible, a person of any goodnesse should be chosen, or if a ver∣tuous person happen to be chosen, yet having been con∣tested against, by some part of the Electours, he cannot chuse but beare them grudges; and hardly be able to go∣verne as a King should doe.

For resolution, I say; that Election and succession, be it good or bad, may be considered either with regard to the Prince, or with regard to the people. If to the Prince; then the question is, which of them is the more available either for his security, or for his Reputation.

Page  350 Beginning then with Reputation, there can bee no doubt, but it is more honour to a Prince to be Elected, then to succeed: seeing this comes by Fortune, without any merit in the successour; the other comes by merit which is wholly in him that is Elected. This Galba understood; when adopting Piso, he said, Generari nas∣cique a Principibus fortuitum, nec ultra aestimatur, adop∣tandi Iudicium integrum; & si velis eligere, Consensu monstratur.

As for security; I hold it safer to succeed, then to bee chosen, because he that is Elected, is either chosen by the Prince, or by the People, or by the Senat. If by the Prince, he wil want many of those graces, which make a successour secure: as the merits of his Father: which sa∣ved Salomon from utter ruine, and the being of the blood Royall, hath beene a cause of preserving many in their states. Besides this, he will have many things in his disfavour; as, that hee is but newly risen up from E∣quality, and divers other. If wee speake of those that are Elected by the People, I cannot deny but they will have the people of their side: but then consequently, they will have the Nobility against them: and so of the one sort, they are like to be hated; and to the other sort, obliged; and being never able to satisfie so much, as the obligation requires, in short time there will follow, with a generall hatred, their owne particular ruine. Lastly, if he be Elected by the 〈◊〉; hee is like to have the people his enemy, and be sure to be himselfe a flave to the Nobility, whereupon, wee may conclude, that Election is the more Honourable; and succession the more secure.

Concerning the last point; which is, whether of the two is the more profitable to Cities; Election or succes∣sion; I say, that if the Prince choose him, and be the Electour, either he is a good Prince, or a bad; if a good, he cannot choose but make a good choice, and conse∣quently Page  351 will bee better for the City, then succession 〈◊〉 that being certaine, and this uncertaine, and therefore the Election of Antoninus, was better then the successi∣on of Marcus Aurelius: and yet Marcus Aurelius was no lesse vertuous then Antoninus. But if the Prince bee bad; no doubt then, but choosing a successour, he will choose one starke naught, and therefore it was thought that Augustus chose 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 deterrima sibi gloriam quaerens; as Dio and Tacitus say; and not onely for getting themselves glory, as in this case, but some∣times they will doe it, out 〈◊〉 sympathy of Conditions, in which regard, Otho speaking of Galba, who had chosen Piso, as 〈◊〉 a man as himselfe, said; Ac ne quo saltem in successore Galbaespes esset; accersit ab exilio, quem tristitia & avaritia sui simillimum 〈◊〉, whereupon, in this respect, it is better a Prince should be by successi∣on, then by Election, seeing at least, it will bee put into the hand of Fortune, and such a one like to succeed, as a better were not like to be Elected. With this opinion of mine, agrees that which Capitolinus in the life of Mes∣salina relates, as a Common Proverbe: sapienter electi Principes sic agunt; per Imperitos electi, sic pereunt. If againe the Election bee made by the souldiers, as often∣times was done at Rome, in this 〈◊〉 likewise, successi∣on will be better then Election: because souldiers make Election onely for their profit; and of 〈◊〉 to make the like profit, of another, they murther one assoone as they have chosen him: So saith 〈◊〉, in the life of Galba; Et 〈◊〉: libidine que 〈◊〉 Imperatore veluti Clavum Clavo expellebant; 〈◊〉 vero palatium 〈◊〉 domus breviori temporis spatio quatuor Imperatores ex∣cepit, militibus tanquam in Scena, modo introducentibus a∣liquem, modo educentibus. If lastly the Election bee by the people, either they are at variance with the Nobility, or Not: if they bee at variance, no doubt they will then make choyce of a Factious person; one of a turbulent Page  352 spirit, and an enemy to the Nobles; as they did in the choyce of Tribunes in Rome, at the time when there was dissention, betweene the Nobility and the people; and though there were no discord between them; yet I could never like of Election by the people, who being for the most part corrupt, and little able to discerne who is good, and who is bad; and apt to value men by riches, and not by vertue, cannot chuse but make a most un∣worthy choyce. Neque enim Illis (saith Tacitus) Iudi∣cium aut veritas. But if the Senat be at concord with the people, then no doubt, the Election will be excel∣lent, as being made by a number of understanding men; and therefore we see, that Numa Pompilius who was thus chosen, proved one of the best Kings, the Romans ever had: there concurring in his Election, the choyce of the Se∣nat, and consent of the people. It is true, such Electi∣on is hardly made; because few would like to 〈◊〉 another to that degree, which hee aymes at himselfe: And if any man should object, that it proves well in Ve∣nice, where the Election of their Duke, is alwayes made by the Senat, I would answer (taking no notice of the kind of that Dignity) that this happens, because that E∣lection is made by most understanding men; who ayme more at the Common-wealths profit, then at their own. But if the Senat or Magistrate, that is to make the Ele∣ction, be it selfe corrupt: wee may then expect a choyce betweene good and bad; because a very good one, they would not choose, for feare least out of his precisenesse, he should reforme many things to the undoing of the wicked; and a very bad one, they would not choose, for feare least hee should be the undoing of the King∣dome. To which purpose are those words of Tacitus; Exoptimis periculum sibi, expessimis dedecus publicum me∣tuebat.

I here advertise, that neither the Reasons alleadged at first, nor yet this last, are in any opposition to the King∣domes Page  353 that are at this day, whereof the greatest part goes by succession; for there is great difference betweene speaking of times, in which were Tyrants; and times in which are civill Princes; who have so many Coun∣sells, so many orders and Consultations, that it is im∣possible, but they must governe well. No man there∣fore ought to take my Discourse as a taxing of Princes in these times; but whether it be Election, or succession, I hold that way alwayes to be best in a City, which hath formerly beene used.

Lastly for resolution of those Arguments which in the beginning were brought against Election: (Those a∣gainst succession being tacitely already answered) I say, that either wee speake of choosing a private man to bee Prince; and then those difficulties will bein force; or else we speake of choosing one, who is already mounted to the height of a Prince; and then those difficulties will be laid asseepe: and this we see notably observed at this day, in places of Election; as in creation of the Pope, which can never fall upon a person, that is not first a Cardinall, It being fit, that one should first come out from Equality, before he should rise to the highest de∣gree of superiority, and that he should first be taken into part of affaires, who is to come afterward to governe the whole. So likewise in Election of the Emperours; we see alwayes Princes of such blood to be chosen, that comming to the Empyre, they seeme not to come to any new greatnesse.

Tiberius therefore (to come to our purpose) having beene chosen by Augustus, that was a Tyrant, had reason to have it beleeved, that he was chosen by the Senat, ra∣ther then by old Augustus, Comparatione deterrima, or per 〈◊〉 ambitum: but if Augustus had beene an excellent King; I beleeve hee would then have rather had it thought, that he was chosen by the Prince. So did Sa∣lomon, who comming to the Crowne after David, would Page  354 have it knowne, that hee was made successour by his father: Vt notum fiat universo Populo Regem eum a Patre Declaratum.