The compleat courtier: or, The morals of the famous historian Cornelius Tacitus concerning flattery, &c. In above one hundred essays. Paraphras'd and illustrated with useful observations by the Sieur Amelo de la Houssaie and M. D'Ablancourt. Done out of French.

ESSAY XI.

HE sharply reprehended those who gave the Epithite of Di∣vine to his daily Employments, and gave him the Title of LORD.

Says D'Ablancourt, He severely reprov'd those who call'd hiw Lord, and gave his daily Exercises the Epithite of Divine Occupations.

There are some Flatterys, that render Princes Odious. Tiberius, who was hated enough already, had been much more Contemn'd, had he accepted of a Title, which Augustus, whose Example had al∣ways with him the force of a Law, had refus'd by a Decree. And for that reason it was that he thunder'd out his Indigna∣tion against Those, who call'd him LORD. He was a Lord in Reality, but he would not that People should call him so, as being desirous they should be∣lieve he did not look upon himself so to be. Politic Princes are contented with the Substance of their Power, and wil∣lingly part with all the rest as meerly

Superfluous. For Subjects are almost all of the humour of that same Parthian King, who was nothing troubl'd that his Bro∣ther bore the Yoke of Roman Servitude, so long as he did not wear the Scars and Marks of it. The greater Progress Tibe∣rius made in taming the Senate with the vain shew of Liberty, the more he en∣larg'd and establish'd his Power. The more Popular his Words and Actions were, the more plyable he found the Great Men, and the more easily led to Servitude. He was offended with those who call'd his Occupations, Divine; for because he knew himself not undeservedly to be tax'd with the Common Stain of his Family, which was Haughtiness, he was desirous that the People should believe he went hand in hand with the Senate in the Government. I know, said he, that I am but a Mortal Man, and subject to all the Frailties of Humanity, and therefore 'tis enough for me to be Honour'd with the first Seat in the Senate, and more then enough if I supply it well.—Princes are Mortal, but the Common∣wealth is Eternal. By this acknowledg∣ment he was no more then a Member, and he permitted those Honours that were pay'd him no otherwise, then as they were ascrib'd to the rest of the Senators.

Who though they gave little Credit to what he said, yet were they pleas'd to hear him deliver himself with so much Modesty, so much the rather because it was not always his luck to be Popular for all that. Observe moreover, that by the Difference which he made between Princes as Mortals, and Commonwealths as being Eternal, he seem'd to inti∣mate, that he was so far from be∣ing LORD of the Empire, that he had little Concern in the Government of it; only his Eternity resided in the Body of the Senate, which was Immortal, and was able alone to shake the Affairs of the Universe.