The accomplish'd courtier consisting of institutions and examples, by which courtiers and officers of state may square their transactions prudently, and in good order and method / by H.W. Gent.

CHAP. XVIII. (Book 18)

The Argument.

How the Injuries of great and small are to be avoided; and how to be handled. Severall Artifices and devices for reconciliation and re∣ingratiating.

BUt because, such abuses are commonly put upon us by such as overpower us; The first remedy to avoid these, is, not to deal with them but with much reverence, and respect, taking heed lest they disdain your familiarity with them, or (if they be more rough and austere) altogether decline to converse with them. Notable is that that of Martial.

Si vitare velis acerba quaedam, Et tristis animi cavere morsus; Nulli te facias nimis sodalem, Gaudebis minùs, & minùs dolebis.

Englished thus.

If shun thou wilt most bitter things, From sad remorse secure thy mind. To none become too much a friend; Lesse joy, lesse grief thou then shalt find.

2. The second is not to prefer the sensibility of an injury before ones own safety: for, it is neither safe, nor is it a wise mans part, to strive too much with one more powerfull then himself. Let the disparity of abilities be a just pretext to excuse thy disguised Dissimulation.

3. I know that some perswade themselves that an adverssary smitten with fear, will come and crouch and begge pardon and reconciliation; nor can it be denied but that some low and poore spirited ones, will sometimes so farre debase themselves, and stoop so low: but such a recon∣cilement and peace-making is but feigned, and will never prove sincere. Nor do such omit, (when occasion is given to renew injury) to in∣dulge and dispense with their own minds; and by how much the more timorous and fearfull they find a man, by so much the more cruelly and outragiously will they aspire and breath forth vengeance. Therefore since an occult and close∣lying enemy, is more difficult to be avoided, then an open and declared one, it is better (after some sort) to have such open enemies, then friends re∣conciled when enforced thereto by fear. I speak of those, who being not greater then our selves,

of Amity be broke, they can doe us little harme.

4. For if we have to do with one greater then our selves whose Emnity may eclipse our Lustre, It were better to hold his affection redinte∣grated, and renewed, though fictitious and feig∣nedly so, then to have him appear an open Ene∣my.

5. If we have been the first offenders, let us be first in appeasing the party offended, ei∣ther to themselves, or by mediation of friends.

6. Now that we may discern who are of most ample ability to suppresse and hinder us, it is need∣full, not only to consider their power, but their af∣fection, by which (besides their hatred) they are carried to do us hurt.

7. For some are acted by a desire of hatred, (the Piedee and Laquey of revenge) others by fear, lest having gotten and obtained what we prosecuted, we should thereby bee better armed to prejudice and offend them.

8. That first and worst affection is violent, but that of fear is more violent, for Court oppressi∣ons; but that enemy, who, besides this, is stimu∣lated also by that other, is the most inevitable.

9. The former may be mitigated, by humble and satisfactory services; but the timorous will scarce ever be perswaded, to change his fear into a confidence, and assurance of your benevolence towards him; yet this must be assayed by all means, which occasion and opportunity will ra∣ther give him to understand, then any instruction or discipline.

10. Agesilaus, that he might make them his friends again, whom he had offended, would pro∣mote them to the most honourable places and offices; in the administration whereof, when they had incurred envy, (as is commonly seen) the accused are constrained to fly to the Prince, who delivering them from hazard and infamy, obliges them by this good turn, to become his sincere friends.

11. It is a very familiar artifice, and subtle trick used in Courts, to supplant and remove a man secretly, that so thou being advanced by this kindnesse and good office of his, maist be the more strictly engaged and obliged to him.

12. Not lesse frequent in Court is that dange∣rous, and to be avoided craft and wilinesse, of Eutrapelus Horatianus, who was wont to lend mony to men, to supply their luxury, and would puff up the minds of those, whom he intended to accommodate, with a good round sum.

13. In like manner, they who applaud and allow us in our pleasures, affections, and expen∣ces, and advise us to undertake such things, as ex∣ceed our strength and abilities, (which also they extoll beyond desert) or such things as are against reason, do most-what go about to hurry us to ru∣ine and destruction.

14. But let us return to the means of renew∣ing friendship with Enemies, amongst which, this is in no wise the last, or least, viz. to assist the wishes and endeavours of an Enemy, both by counsell and endeavour, when you see that you cannot impede and hinder their success that so he may seem to be engaged to love by your good turnes.

15. By this means Ascanius Sforcia the Cardi∣nall, observing, that he in vain interceded and went about, to hinder the machinations and plots of Julian the Cardinall, who laboured to advance John, the Nephew of Alexander the sixth, to the Cardinall-dignity, did afterwards so affectedly act on Johns side, that he obtained it for him; and after that, became a greater favourit to him, than Julian himself.

16. If the stubbornesse of the enemy frustrate all endeavours of reconciliation, we must at last observe, whether our adversary hath not some other, whom he envies, and fears more then our selves; if so, and he seem to prosecute the same designe, which we do, you may so deal with the adversary by a friend, that though his hate be equally prevalent towards both, yet may he ei∣ther favour or lesse hurt and obstruct our party.

A device, not unlike to this, was that used by Gerlachus, the Bishop and Elector of Mentz; when he intended to create Adolfus Nassovius his kinsman, Emperour. He knew, that there was variance between the Princes, who were very likely to get, or else designed for, the Empire then vacant: He deals with the Electors, (whom he was about to make use of for his purpose) pri∣vately and apart: He admonisheth Vinceslans, then King of the Bohemians, that most of the suffrages and votes of the Electors, went against Albertus Duke of Austria, Vinceslaus his enemy; neverthelesse he himself was ready to hinder and stop it, if he perceived, that Vincestaus consented. Having perswaded Vinceslaus, he sets upon the Duke of Saxony, and reports to him, that the

Duke of Brunswick (his adversary) was the next in hope to atchieve the business. But to the Palatine he boasteth lest he should be hindered, that Vin∣ceslaus (who then was offended with the Palatinate) unlesse he were hindered, was neerer to it then the rest. Thus (every one promising to subvert his enemy) he circumvents them all, and at last no∣minates his kinsman, who (if he had mentioned him before), would doubtless have been rejected by consent of all parties.