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. XXII. (Book 22)

The Argument.

Bragging and boasting before the Prince, reproach∣ing and twitting with offices, liberty, arrogancy, too much familiarity, pride, vanity, avarice, per∣fidiousnesse, conspiracy, sowing of dissention and strife, are every one of them denoted by their ex∣amples.

BOasting and upbraiding of Offices, in the Court of Alexander the Great, lost Philotas and Clytus; Craterus also, was almost blown up with the same winds. Certes, he had longer stood affected with the Prince, had he contained him∣self within the bounds of noble and generous modesty.

2. Thus Caius Sylius with Tiberius: Antonius the first, with Vespasian; Syllas with King Agrip∣pa, publishing aforehand their offices and em∣ployments, deprived themselves of all the fruit and benefit of them; concerning the first of whom, Tacitus, in the 4th. of his Annalls; and Josephus in his 4th. History, touching the last, are to be inspected and looked into.

3. Princes believe, that their fortune is de∣stroyed, by such kind of boastings; which for∣tune they will have seem to be due to them∣selves, not to the merits or vertue of their sub∣jects.

4. A lust and desire of reprehending the actions of Princes, and a freedom of inveighing

against others before the Prince, is to be avoided, as the neighbour to arrogancy. Eumenes, petu∣lantly and saucily, complaining before Alexan∣der of Hephestion, that he assigned to Stage-play∣ers, and such kind of fellowes, the Souldiers quarters, incurred the displeasure of the King.

5. To be too familiarly busie about the Prince, or to boast ones self, the sole Arbitrator and Commissioner of principall charges, savoureth, if not of pride, yet certainly vanity; and cove∣tousnesse sometimes crouds it self in with it. Many examples of such are extant every where, in Histories. How immodestly did Zotirus demean and carry himself, under Heliogbalus? how did Turinus under Alexander, the son of Mammea? One whereof was by the Emperour's command suffocated with smoak, using a more uncouth and harsh fortune then the former, it seeming just, ut, qui fumum vendiderat, fumo puniretur, That he who had vended and sold smoak, should perish by smoak. The other was wont to boast, that the Prince was ruled by his advice, and also made advantage, by selling favours, when the courtesie was no way advantagious to the pur∣chaser.

6. Worthy in the first place to be remembered, is the arrogancy of Plancianus, which also was accompanied with vanity, and at length broke out into treachery: He was of that arrogancy, that he durst oppose himself against Bassianus, the Emperours son, the author of his dignity and fortune: Moreover also, so vain, that passing through the City, he would not onely preclude others from addresses to him, but almost from

having a view of him; and had some to go before him, to turn those whom they met, out of his way. At length proved traitor to his Prince; and being found guilty of manifest conspiracy, lost his head for his pains.

7. Philip the fair reigning in France, Enguer∣randus Marigny, presuming to confront Carolus Valesius, how miserably he perished, together with others, is observed out of the French Hi∣stories.

8. Before all things also in Courts, we ought to beware, that we lend not our help to the sow∣ing of discord amongst Princes; for they being re∣conciled to each other, do mostly sacrifice such persons to their friendship. Which thing is made good, both by many examples, in the Histories of all Nations, and also by that memorable ex∣ample of Otho Crondorferus, which the History of Bavaria supplies us withal. He was in flourishing favour with Radulphus the Palatine, and was the author of the enmities between him and his mo∣ther: At length, the mother ingratiates her self with her son; but Crondorferus was rewarded, with the losse and deprivation, both of his tongue and eyes.