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 LXVII.

TIgellinus growing daily more powerful, and believing his wicked Artifices, wherein his chief∣est Excellencies lay, would prove more acceptable, could he but en∣gage the Prince to be an Accomplice with him in his Crimes, he dives into his Fears, and found that Plan∣tius and Sylla were the objects of his Terror.

Says D'Ablancourt; Tigellinus grew more and more in Credit every day; and to render himself yet more considerable, he re∣solv'd to plunge Nero deeper & deeper in Vice, as being the only Craft of which he was the absolute Master. Seeing therefore that the Persons whom the Prince most fear'd, were

Sylla and Rubellius, he endeavour'd to ren∣der their Exile suspected.

Rubellius Plautus and Cornelius Sylla, were Persons suspected and dreaded by Nero- The first, because he was descen∣ded from Augustus by the Mothers side, and in the same degree next of Kin to Nero; besides that, he was vastly Rich. The second, for that having espous'd Antonia the Daughter of Claudius, and Si∣ster to Octavia, Nero's Wife, he seem'd to have some Right, or at least some Pre∣tension to the Empire. For which reason he had procur'd their Exilement, the one being Banish'd into Asia, and the other into Gallia. But Nero (as it is the custome of bad Princes to be prone to Fears and Jealousies) had still the same suspitions of these two Men, notwithstan∣ding the distance of their Consinement: Wherefore Tigellinus, who was not igno∣rant of the innate Cruelty of his Master, and understanding from whence his Jea∣lousies arose, infuses into his mind, That two Persons of such Illustrious Extracti∣on, had the ready opportunity to revenge themselves in their Exile, where they were at hand to debauch both the Eastern and German Armies. That Nero might

secure himself from the Contrivances of his Enemies at Rome, where his presence was sufficient to curb the growing Inso∣lencies of Mutiny and Disorder, but that it would be a difficult thing for him to put a stop to Designs well laid in distant Provinces. That the Gaules already cast their Eyes upon Sylla, as a Noble Branch of the Dictators Family; and that the hopes of Asia were no less in the Grand∣child of Drusus. That Sylla's Poverty was a sufficient incitement to push him forward in the prosecution of bold and daring Attempts, and that he only affe∣cted a counterfeit Supidity, till he met with an opportunity to shew his Cou∣rage. On the other side, that Plautus was a Person of prodigious Wealth, and so far from seemiog to love Repose and Quiet, that he took a pride in imitating the Ancient Romans, and in practising the Maxims of the Stoicks, a Sect that teaches Men to be arrogant, turbulent, and daring. These are the dangers that attend Great Personages: The Flatterers tell the Prince, that the excessive Wealth of a Subject, is fatal to Domination; that they are too High for the Condition of a Private Person, and over-shadow the Grandeur of a Prince. And therefore it

was, that the Prince of Conde made An∣swer to a Proposal that was made him, only to beg and have such a Government as he should himself desire, That he had Wealth and Estate sufficient, to preserve himself by his good Services and Loyalty; that if he had more, it would but render him justly suspected to the King, who could have no other reason to Ruine him, but only because he was too Great.

If they are Poor, then they are repre∣sented to the Prince as Malecontents, who study all opportunities to meliorate their Fortunes at the Expence of the Public Tranquillity; that if they are not pre∣vented, their Misery will hurry 'em to Despair; and their Despair to Revolt; and that therefore there is a necessity to hast'n their Destruction. If they are Persons of mean Parts or little Courage, those Feeblenesses are interpreted to be refin'd Policy and Dissimulation. But if they are Persons of Courage and Merit, then they are branded for Dangerous Persons, that will soon be their Sove∣reign's Masters, if once admitted to the Helm of State. Or if excluded, that they will meditate Revenge, unless cropt in the budd of their Resentment. Taci∣tus tells us, That Plautus led a retir'd

Life, went mean and plain, and kept his Family in good order: But the more he conceal'd himself in privacy from the stratagems of Envy, the more his Reputa∣tion expos'd him. Therefore that Phi∣losopher was in the right, who said, That Great Men were born to afford Subjects for Tragedies.