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 XCVII.

BUT neither had Aponius writ∣ten to him the whole Truth, and his Flattering Sycophants made a more slight Interpretation of his Intelligence, as being only the Mu∣tiny of one Legion, while all the rest of the Armies continued in their Obedience.

Says D'Ablancourt, The first Intelligence that Vitellius receiv'd of Vespasians Re∣volt, was from Aponius Saturninus, who sent him word that the first Legion had de∣declar'd for his Enemy. But as one that was himself astonish'd at the Action, he had not given him an account of all the particu∣lars; so that the Emperour's Favorites made

slight of the News, assuring him that it was only thi Revolt of a single Legion, but that all the rest continu'd their Fidelity to Him∣self.

This Article is explain'd by the 79. Ar∣ticle, where it is said, That Princes are Flatter'd, even in the most Perillous Con∣junctures of their Affairs. So far Vitel∣lius was well inform'd, that one Le∣gion was already Revolted, but that other piece of Intelligence, so absolutely necessary for him to have known, was suppress'd, that the Legions of Egypt, Syria, and Judea, had already Elected and Proclaim'd another Emperour. They made him believe, and he himself had divulg'd It among his Soldiers, that there was no fear of a Civil War, and yet at the same time there was one al∣ready begun, while the Empire was shar'd between two Emperours. Then he de∣manded Succours from the Germans, the English and the Spaniards, and yet not one of those Provinces made haste to send him any, in regard that through the per∣nicious Councels of his Flatterers, he dissembl'd the present necessity of his Af∣fairs. A piece of Dissimulation which Tacitus calls Impertinent, while it de∣lays

the Remedy instead of putting a stop to the Distemper: 'Tis very probable, that Portugal had still been subject to the Crown of Spain▪ if the Conde D'Olivares, Chief Minister to Philip the Fourth, had had a better Opinion of the Courage of the Portugueses; and had put a higher Va∣lue upon the Prudence of the Vice-Queen Margaret of Savoy, Dutches Dowager of Montoua, who adviss'd him several times to dispel the Tempest, which she else foresaw would fall upon the Spanish Monarchy. But the Duke was born to be an Example, that the too great Confi∣dence which the Grand Ministers of State have of their Abilities and their Fortunes, is most commonly the foundation of their Destruction; and that God infatuates the Counsels of Princes, whom He de∣signs to punish.