Discourses upon Cornelius Tacitus written in Italian by the learned Marquesse Virgilio Malvezzi ; dedicated to the Serenissimo Ferdinand the Second, Great Duke of Thuscany ; and translated into English by Sir Richard Baker, Knight.

Comparatione Deterrima sibi Gloriam quaesivisse.

That to Elect a wicked successour, thereby to get glory to himselfe; is a beastly Course. The seven and thirtieth Discourse.

BY that which Tacitus and Dio relate, many con∣ceive, that Augustus made choice of Tiberius, whom he knew to be a proud and cruell man, to be his suc∣cessour; to the end, that the ill conditions of Tiberius so much differing from his owne, might turne to his

Glory. I cannot indeed deny; but that a worse suc∣cessour, is apt enough to make a lesse evill Predeces∣sour be thought a good one: which Galba well know∣ing, speaking of Piso said; Nero a pessimo quoque desidera∣bitur. Mihi ac tibi providendum est; ne etiam a bonis deside∣retur. He seeing, that if a wicked Prince, should come af∣ter Nero; his errours would be converted, to the o∣thers Glory; and this is so true, that the holy Spirit, in the mouth of Ezechiel said, that the wickednesse of the Hebrewes, before the comming of our saviour; made the people of Sodome and Samaria to seeme Just, which could not certainly happen, but long of the Compa∣rison, Vivo ego dicit Dominus Deus, (these are the words of Ezechiel) quia non fecit Sodoma soror tua, ipsa, & fi∣liae ejus, sicut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tu, & filiae tuae, and a litle after; Et Samaria Dimidium peocatorum tuorum non 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sed 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 sceleribus tuis, & Iustificasti sorores tuas in omni∣bus 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, quas operata es; Ergo tu 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & porta confusionem tuam, quae vicisti sorores 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 is 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agens ab 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 sunt a te. And he that would see a passage more like to that of Tacitus; let him reade those words in Jeremy, where he saith: Iustificavit animam suam aversatrix Jsrael, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 praevaricatricis Iudae.

But yet this way of acquiring Glory, attributed here to Augustus, is not to be imitated, not only of Chri∣stians, but not so much as of impious Barbarians: see∣ing there are better and directer wayes, (I meane not, to governe well, but speake onely of a successour) be∣cause, if they have children to succeed them in the Kingdome, there will Glory enough accrew to the fa∣ther, if he give them good education; whereby they may come to prove good: This Salomon affirmes in his Proverbs where he saith, Filius sapiens 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, or as others read it, Filius sapiens Gloria patris, that is, a wise sonne is the honour and Glory of his Father,

and keepes him alive, after he is dead: and therefore it is said in Ecolesiasticus, Mortuus est pater ejus, & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 non est mortuus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 enim reliquit sibi post se; and there∣fore Princes need not desire, their successours should be worse then themselves, seeing they may hope for more glory by them, if they shall be better, and there∣fore David tooke great Joy to heare, that Salomon was like to be greater, then himselfe had ever beene: Sed & Salomon sedet super Solium Regni, & Jngressi servi ejus, benedixerunt Domino nostro Regi David dicentes: Amplificet Deus Nomen 〈◊〉〈◊〉, super 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & magnificet Thronum ejus super thronum tuum: rather indeed, a wicked suecessour is a Prejudice to a good Prince. Therefore writers say, that Marcus Aurelius had dyed a happy man, if he have not left Commodus his successour; for this cause, many of the Antients (as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉) were of opinion, that Children living, might make their dead fathers unhappy: in such sort, that he who living was happy, yet could not be called happy, if after his death, hee had ill 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and were un∣fortunate in his children.

To give therefore his successours good education, is a matter of much honour to Princes, and in case they prove not to have those vertues which are required in a Prince, hee must not suffer Paternall piety to pre∣vaile with him, but wholly abandon, and utterly dis inherit them of the royall dignity; (though as Aristotle saith) it be hard for a father to doe.

This Plato expressed in his Common-weath, who ordained, that they should be Princes, who in their Nativity had Gold mingled with Earth, meaning, that if their Sonnes had together with Earth, either Iron or brasse in them, they should not then be admitted to the Kingdome. Qua propter ipsis Principibus, & Primo & maxime Deus praecepit, ut nullius rei majorem curam custodiamque 〈◊〉〈◊〉, quam natorum, ut dignoscant quid

ex quatuor his potissimum illorum animis sit immixtum; & si quis ex ipsis nascatur 〈◊〉〈◊〉, aut serreus, nullo pacto mise∣reantur, sed honorem illi naturae convenientem, tribuentes, interopifices vel agricolas mittant: and therefore Moy∣ses was contented, that our Lord God, should chuse Iosuah, of another Tribe, to be his successour, ra∣ther then his owne Sonne. In consideration whereof, Saint Hierome saith, Moises amicus Dei, cui 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ad faci∣em 〈◊〉〈◊〉 loquutus est, potuit utique successores Principatus filios suos facere, & Posteris propriam relinquere dignita∣tem: sed extraneus de alia Tribueligitur Iesus, ut sciremus Principatum in populos non sanguini deferendum esse, sed 〈◊〉〈◊〉; and this is the true way for acquiring of Glory: so much more, as it is more repugnant to Naturall af∣fection.

And if it happen that in default of children, he be to chuse a stranger for his successour, what better can he doe, to get himselfe glory, then to chuse a person of prudence and vertue, in whom, his Iudgement in choosing may appeare? and if the Prince living be good; it will encrease his glory, that he hath cho∣sen another that is good: if bad, it will lessen his own ill name, to have chosen a good successour. So it hap∣pened to Adrianus, (as Iulius Capitolinus and Spartia∣nus relate) because Antoninus Pius succeeding him by way of Election, and knowing that the Senat meant to burne all the Acts of Adrianus, as to whom they were deadly enemies, for the many slaughters he had committed of the Nobility, he out of his goodnesse, pacified the Senat: placed Adrianus amongst the Gods, and erected a Temple to his Name. Igitur nec ipse (said he) Princeps vester ero, si omnia Acta ejus in quibus est Adoptio mea, rescinditis. This Glory Galba sought after, when adopting Piso, he said, Vt nec mea Senectus conferre plus Populo Romano possit, quam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Successorem.

Thus a Father receives honour, by a good Sonne, and Predecessours, by good successours; whereupon, that great Oratour, who spake in praise of Philip King of Macedon, could not find auy greater praise, then that of his sonne: Hoc tibi unum sufficiat, te filium 〈◊〉〈◊〉 A∣lexandrum.

Tacitus therefore is not to be blamed, as he, that al∣ledgeth not his owne opinion; but relates it onely as the opinion of others: for as for himselfe, he shewes rather, he thought Augustus worthy to be blamed for it; and he had reason, because, though a Prince by chusing a wicked successour, make his owne actions to seeme good; yet this is so farre from making him praise-worthy, that it brings him more dishonour, as being a concurrent cause, of all the Evill his successour doth.

Let not men therefore blame Tacitus, at all adven∣ture, but consider, that all that which Tacitus saith; it is not Tacitus that saith it, neither the things he re∣lates, are they all to be imitated, no more then all those things which Moses relates, who relates a thou∣sand villanies of the Hebrewes: seeing it is the part of Historians, to speake of all things, whether good or bad: the good, to the end we may follow them; the bad, to the end we may avoid them; and this, saith Ta∣citus in the third of his Annalls, is the end of an 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Exequi sententias, haud institui, nisi in signes per honestum, aut notabili dedecore, quod praecipuum munus An∣naliumreor, Ne virtutes sileantur, utque gravis Dictis Fa∣ctisque ex posteritate, & Infamia metus sit.