Ciuill considerations vpon many and sundrie histories, as well ancient as moderne, and principallie vpon those of Guicciardin. Containing sundry rules and precepts for princes, common-wealths, captaines, coronels, ambassadours and others, agents and seruants of princes, with sundry aduertisements and counsels concerning a ciuill life, gathered out of the examples of the greatest princes and common-wealths in Christendome. Handled after the manner of a discourse, by the Lord Remy of Florence, and done into French by Gabriel Chappuys, Tourangeau, and out of French into English, by W.T.

CHAP. 28. Princes and great Lords ought not to despise those which desire audience of them, and especially such as may rise to some degree of honour. [ B]

ONe of the fairest conditions that may be in a Prince, or great Lord, in my opinion, is this, to be gentle and readie to giue audience to such as desire to speake to him, and principal∣lie to strangers which come to him about af∣faires: for besides that, he getteth and win∣neth to himselfe the loue and good will of his Subiects, he may easilie rid and deliuer himselfe from the trouble of the aboundance of busines, which by [ C] giuing often audience is cut off, either by meanes of grace or iu∣stice, according to the qualitie thereof. And those which doe o∣therwise, and doe not willingly giue audience, purchase to them∣selues much blame and ill will, and those which cannot be heard, sometimes may so thinke thereof, that concealing their discontent, when occasion shall be offered, they may be reuenged. And no Lord ought to thinke himselfe so great, but that he may haue need of another man: Wherefore let him disdaine no man, for fortune (as often it happeneth) may change, and a man may peraduenture be brought to so lowe an ebbe, that from him (of whom in former [ D] time, he hath made small account) he may chaunce to receiue a dis∣pleasure: as it happened to Peter de Medicis, who (as our author af∣firmeth, to haue heard by persons worthie to be beleeued) was not assisted by Duke Valentine, to returne againe to Florence, in reuen∣ging of an iniurie receiued of him, refusing to giue him audience when he was in meaner estate. The words of Guicciardin are these. Valentin had no desire to restore Peter de Medicis to his Countrey, neither to doe any thing for him, seeing that the greatnes of the houses of the Orsini and of Vitellozo, vnto which he well knew that Peter de Medicis after his returne would be very firmelie conioyned:

and moreouer, I haue heard by men of credit, that in his heart was [ E] ingrauen the remembrance of an ancient olde grudge conceiued against him, when the Archbishop of Pampeluna, before he was promoted to the Sea apostolike, studied the Canon Lawe in the V∣niuersitie at Pisa: for that comming one day to Florence to speake with him, in a criminall cause of a friend of his, after he had many houres in vaine waited to haue audience of him, being busied ei∣ther in affaires or pleasures, without speaking with him he returned to Pisa, holding himselfe scorned, and therewith much offended. So farre Guicciardin, whereof may be collected, that Princes ought sometimes to giue ouer their sports and pleasures, to dispatch an [ F] honourable Gentleman, which desireth to speake with them, and a little to let rest the course of their affaires, to gratifie a Gentleman with a word or two; for such persons may in time and place re∣member pleasures and displeasures receiued. I remember that vp∣on a time I was in a Lords chamber with certaine others his friends, entred into a pleasant (although nothing profitable) discourse, wherein this Lord tooke so great pleasure, that notwithstanding that the Porters gaue him to vnderstand, that there was a Gentle∣man without, who desired to speake with him about matters of im∣portance, and that we which were within, did intreate him to heare [ G] and dispatch the Gentleman; yet was it not possible for vs, with all our prayers and intreaties, to cause him to giue him audience: wherewith this Gentleman much offended, after he had attended a long space, returned and would rather misse of that which he desi∣red, then returne any more vnto him: and was also a man that might in time and place remember this discourtesie and disdaine, for that by the laughing which he heard within, he might well know that the matters in handling were neither serious nor of importance. Let Lords then be more gracious and courteous to heare those which would speake with them, for by the hundreth part of an [ H] houres audience, a man may be so well contented, as to holde him∣selfe perpetuallie beholding for that fauour, and in time and place to acknowledge the same in a greater matter than a few words.

Notes

• Men happen oftentimes to haue neede of those men which in for∣mer time they despised.
• Guicciar. lib.