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 XX.

M. Silanus, in contempt of the Consulship, labour'd for the Honour of the Princes, and de∣liver'd it, as his own Opinion that the Names of the Consuls should be no longer affix'd to Public or Pri∣vate Acts, as the Rule of Kalenders and Chronologies, but the Names of those that had the Tribunitial Pow∣er. But as for Quintus Haterius, when he propos'd that the Decrees of the Senate for that day, should be set up in the Court in Letters of Gold, the Old Man became the

Laughter of the whole Court, who having so small a time to Live, could think of carrying the Infamy of such a notorious piece of Flattery to his Grave.

Says D'Ablancourt, Haterius expos'd himself to public Laughter, for having propos'd to Engrave their Decrees in Letters of Gold, as one that could not hope to reap the fruit of his Flattery, but the Ignominy that at∣tended it. But this does not come up to the sense of Tacitus, who the better to set out the poor Spirit of Haterius, tells us, that he was an Old Man, who by Con∣sequence not having long to live, could expect no other, then to go to his Grave loaden with Infamy.

The same thing happen'd to Tiberius, which had befallen Augustus. When Au∣gustus made Tiberius his Associate in the Tribuneship, then thither Cuncta Vergere. The Flatterers began to pay their Ado∣rations all to Tiberius: And so soon as Tiberius summons Drusus to Partnership in the Dignity and Authority, every one strives to adore the Rising Sun, all the Flatterers; all the Senators like Emulous

Champions, dispute for Preheminence in Flattery, and to gain the Favour of the New Prince, generally the Prize of early Sedulicie. Silanus therefore, a person Illustrious for his Extraction and Elo∣quence, steps up, and proposes that the Public Accounts of the Years should be no longer taken from the Names of the Consuls, but from the Sovereign Tribune∣ship, little heeding that while he Honour'd Drusus, he Dishonour'd Tiberius, who having been four times Consul, receiv'd the same Affront as the rest of the Con∣suls, if he suffer'd a Dignity to grow into Contempt, which he himself had taken upon him, after he was Emperour. Be∣sides, that if the Alteration of Chrono∣logical Computation should Commence from no longer a Date then the Tribune∣ship of Drusus, he must be Inferiour to his Son; or at least be beholding to him for being Nam'd with Him in all Public Acts and Registers: Which is a Thing highly injurious to Majesty, that en∣dures neither Equality nor Dependency. And thus see how Flattery oft-times splits it self upon the Rocks of Imprudence, and becomes Affrontive where she studies most Obsequiousness. As for Quintus Haterius, his Flattery was so ill resented by

Tiberius, that his Proposal was look'd upon as Extravagant. And that which render'd him most ridiculous, was his Old Age, that put him out of hopes of ever living to reap the Fruit of Drusus's acknowledgement; so that there nothing more remain'd for him, but the ignominy of having been the Author of a Proposal so much beneath a Person of his Years and Quality: for he was of an Illustrious Family, and moreover highly esteem'd for his Eloquence. Whence you may ob∣serve by the by, that Eloquence and Flat∣tery wonderfully sympathize one with the other; and that it is a difficult thing to be a cunning and dextrous Flatterer without Eloquence; or to be Eloquent without Adulation. And this is that per∣haps, which the younger Pliny means, That Eloquence is not to be learnt, with∣out good Manners; to let us understand, that Eloquence is a dangerous Talent in them, who are not endu'd with a Since∣rity capable to make a right use of it.