This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
How to avoid a Treatning Ruine, and When it is upon us, how to make the best use of it: Ex∣ample of the fall of Great men.
HIthetto we have observed the Principal Precepts that are to be observed by our Courtier; if any want, every Rational mans (for such only we intend to instruct) Prudence and Dexterity will supply it. Now
because these kind of Rules are no less necessary, for the Preserving our Greatness and Fortune in the Court, than for the Gaining of it; it will not be impertinent to have by us the examples of some of those that have Fallen from their Power and Greatness, to the end, we may grow Wise by other men's Mischances; and learn, if not to Avoid a Ruine, at least to Arm and Prepare our selves for it; for this Latter is almost as necessary as the First, since the endeavours of those that seek to escape their Approaching Misfortunes, are for the most part Vain; whilst he that Prepares him∣self for it Long before, makes that Fall (which few or none of them can Avoid that For∣tune hath lifted up on high) to be much More Gentle and Easie, than otherwise it would.
These Falls happen unto us, either through our own Faults, through the Arts and Contrivance of our Enemies, or through the Perverseness of the Prince's Nature, or perhaps his Death. Since the lives of all men are obnoxious to Faults, and full of Errors, and Failings, it is so especially with those that are on High, who by reason of their Greatness, are out of the Lists of Reprehension; all that are about them, being compelled to approve of Whatever they Do, be it well or ill. A∣mongst all which Faults, the foulest they are incident unto, is, A Treacherous Turning against
their Prince, who is the Author of their Dignity and Power: A crime marked out with the Blackest note of an Ʋngrateful and Faithless Soul; and a most just subject of the Prince's Hate and Indignation. All men that are in Authority ought to flie the very Shadow of this Crime, and to the end of taking all ground of Suspicion from the Prince, to decline those Honors and Places, that are opportune for such At∣tempts.
Paterculus esteems Sejanus to have been one of the wisest Courtiers that ever was and truly it is likely, That He that flourish∣ed so long in the Favour of a Prince, so Subtil and Diffident, as Tiberius was, did Comport himself with great Modesty and Wariness. He was (saith our Author) in appearance given to ease; assuming nothing to himself, and by that means obtaining all things; Crouching still willingly beneath the opinion of other men, and striving to come behind them in repute; His countenance and his life, was Calm and Quiet, although his Mind was Restless, and ever awake; yet Ambition at last transported this Provident and Wary man so far, as to aspire to the Empire. To which end, Drusus being dead, he married Livia his Widow, that so being linked into the House of the Caesars, he might more easily compass his Desire: And although he perceived out of Tiberius his Tergiversations, when he demanded his
consent in the case, that it had drawn a Suspicion upon him; yet did he not change his mind; but what he had failed of this way, he sought to compass another.
He knew that Tiberius was grown weary of the City, whereupon he presently Spurs him on, and perswades him to Retire to Caprea; read Tacitus, Annal. 4. who says That lest he should either infringe his Power or weaken his Authority, by debarring the Mul∣titude from the Court, or minister matter of Slander, and suspicion by Entertaining them, he took this Course: He perswaded Tiberius to go live in some Pleasant place, far from Rome; foreseeing many conveniences in it. First There could be no access to the Prince but through him; then, That the Disposal of all Letters would be in his hands, since the Soldiers, by whom they were to be Con∣veyed, would be at his Devotion; and last∣ly, That Caesar now growing old and waxing Effeminate with the privacy of the place would easily transfer the burthen of Affairs, and Go∣vernment upon him, and truly, his hopes de∣ceived him not, for in a short time, under Pretence of easing Tiberius his age, he drew all the power of the Empire into his own hands.
Yet at last, the event showed, That this way of Sejanus, was both Perilous and Tedi∣ous; to mention which more accurately seems worth my labor here, to the end,
That both Courtiers may be more Wary in governing their Fortune, and Princes more Cautious in exal••ing their Minions. Tiberius did either love or suffer patiently Sejanus, as long as he found his help useful to the Op∣pression of Agrippina, and her Children, Nero, and Drusus; to which kind of Imployments, Sejanus shewed himself very Ready, know∣ing, That thereby he should not onely win the Favor of the Prince, but also establish his own Power and Hopes; there being none left of Caesar's House now, but two youths, whose tender Age, if they should come to the Government, must needs leave the Au∣thority, and ordering of Affairs, to him; un∣til he saw his opportunity of Usurping the Empire it self.
But mark how Rash and Blind Ambition makes us; He did not see, that the nearer he came to the Top, the more he became Suspected of this jealous Prince; who now sought all means of Lessening, ra∣ther than Advancing him; that strove as much on the other side to Climb still on; For though he wanted nothing, but the Name of Emperor (which some did not stick to give him) and the Tribunes pow∣er (which the Emperors never intrusted to any) yet was he not Content, but daily Endeavoured to Augment his Autho∣rity. By which course, as he rendred himself Venerable to all others, so he
made himself Formidable to Tiberius; For when he saw that Sejanus had not onely Won the Praetorian Guards, but also very many of the Senators, and principal Fami∣lies of Rome, by either Benefits or Hopes, or Fears, unto himself; and likewise, That his Secrecies were by his own Servants told un∣to Sejanus, and not Sejanus his to him again; he determined his Destruction, as one that was become his Rival: But be∣fore he went about it, he thought fit to Sound the Inclinations of those about him, to the end, That he might know how to Chuse out some that would like of his Design.
Lest that Sejanus should smell out any change in Caesar's affection towards him, he makes him Consul, and calls him both Pre∣sent and Absent in his Letters to the Senate, and the People, his Friend, and Companion of his Labors. Lastly, he feigns himself Sick, to discover thereby, the affections both of Sejanus, and several others. Sometimes he Writes to the Senate of his Recovering con∣dition, and that he would shortly come to Town; sometimes Praising, sometimes Blaming Sejanus; sometimes Receiving those that came Recommended by him, and at other times Refusing others; that thus he might keep him suspended between Hope and Fear, who, whether trusting to his Favor with the Prince, or for Fear of losing of
his Hopes, Resolved to attempt nothing by Force; hoping, that the Disgusts of the Prince, if there were any, would wear out with time. In this interim, Others who had hitherto Fawned upon Sejanus his Fortune, not upon Himself, seeing Tiberius stagger, began to carry themselves more Warily, and the Devotion of many towards Sejanus, grew Cold.
Tiberius having discovered long ago the Pride and Insolency of Sejanus, and fearing withal, lest provoked by Contempt, he should Run some Desperate Course, Caused it to be given out, That he intended to Confer the Tribunical Power upon Sejanus; and presently after, Commands him to be laid in Prison, writing Letters, to that end, to the Senate, which were carried by Macro, Cap∣tain of the Guards: Who coming to Rome, first communicated the Prince's pleasure to Memmius-Regulus, then Consul (for the other Consul was more addicted to Se∣janus) and then to Graecinus Laco, Cap∣tain of the Watch, it being not yet break of day. Thence going to the Senate∣house, he met Sejanus, who startled to see him, demanded if he had brought him any Letters from Tiberius, he whis∣pered in his ear, That he should anon be saluted Tribune; whereupon, he en∣tring the Senate-house, not without an inward joy, Macro commanded the Pre∣torian
Guards to go home, showing them to that end, a Warrant from the Emperor, in which also, he promised them a Largess. The Pretorian Soldiers being departed, and Laco's Company placed there in their Room, Macro enters the Senate, and delivers his Letters; Immediately going forth, without expecting the Reading of them, to bid Laco stand well upon his Guard, lest Se∣janus raising a Tumult in the Senate, should break away; and went thence himself to the Pretorian Gua••ds, to hinder them, lest they should attempt any thing.
The Letters that were then a Reading, were spun out into a Great length, to the end, That Macro might have Time enough to order his business; and truly they were interwoven with a wonderful Contrivance, In the beginning there was no mention of Business, nor any thing concerning Se∣janus; a little after he was touched up∣on, as they say, with a Gentle hand; then some other things interlaced, there fol∣lowed a More Open, but that also a slight Accusation against him: At last, after sun∣dry Excursions about the Affairs of the Common-wealth, two of Sejanus his Favo∣rites were named, and the Senate com∣manded to Proceed against them; and with∣al, that Sejanus himself should be Secu∣red. All mention of his Death being pur∣posely left out, to the end, That Hope
might be left to the Accused, of Clearing himself of those Crimes, and those but Light ones, that were there objected against him.
The Letters being read, many that had Waited upon him into the Senate, seeing things of another nature in hand, than making Sejanus Tribune, rose up and com∣passed him in, lest he should Escape; which it is believed, that he would at least have Attempted to do, if in the beginning, the Em∣peror's Letters had thundered any thing sharply Against him. But he then despising those Slight Touches, sate still in his place; and being called upon, either two or three times, by the Consul Memmius to rise up, with much ado he Obeyed at last, as being accustomed to Give, and not to Receive Com∣mands. When he was risen, Laco follow∣ed him Close at the heels and after him came Regulus, accompanied with other Senators, who led him from the Senate to the Prison; and thence, soon after, to Exe∣cution at the Scalae Gemoniae, where he was put to Death.
Behold here the ruine of a great Courtier, and a Favorite, who for Craft and Power had scarce ever his equal▪ The Contrivance of wh••se Fall, though it may seem due to Tibe∣rius his Prudence, ye•• it is rather to be at∣tributed to his own Greatness and Prosperity, which ruined it self with its own Weight, so evidently, That all those Sleights and Strata∣gems
of Tiberius, were not very needful; as may be gathered out of the example of Perennius, who aspiring to the same Height that Sejanus did, and by the same Arts, was Subverted by Commodus, a Prince of a judg∣ment far inferior to Tiberius. It may well be, that many will not be moved with these Examples, because they will seem to be Wiser than others, and to know some∣thing more than these did, whose Misfor∣tunes are here recounted. I will not move them to Passion, with telling them what I think; although truly, I will not deny, but in those latter Ages, there have been some, whose Projects succeeded less unhappily, as Boylas, whose story we read in the History of Constantinople; who being Caught in a Conspiracy against Constantinus Monomachus, then Emperor, did not undergo so hea∣vy a Punishment as for such Crimes is wont to be inflicted, the reason be∣ing, because he had the Luck to Trans∣gress against a Mild and Gentle Prince.
It will not be amiss to recite the Sto∣ry briefly here, to the end, you may see how the Secretest Counsels, and Un∣discoverable by the eyes of Man, are of∣tentimes Discovered by the Divine Provi∣dence, after an unlookt for Manner; not being able to escape Punishment, by whatsoever Caution they are managed. No Mortal Man would have believed, that
this Boylas should have any Inclination to, or could have any Ground for, so great a Vil∣lainy. The greatness of the Favors, which were Heaped upon him, had possessed the good Prince with a great Hope and O••inion of his Singular Fidelity, who seemed also by nature unapt for Great Ʋndertakings: He was not onely of very Mean Birth; but also Stammered so much, as he could hard∣ly be understood; which Stuttering, since he saw it pleasing to the Emperor, he did afterwards Affect on purpose: With this Assentation and Flattery, he so Insinuated himself into the Prince's Familiarity, That the Bed-chamber, and Cabinet of Constan∣tine, were always opened unto him: At last, being Inriched by the Prince, he was chosen into the number of the Senators, and begins to cast his thoughts Higher; wherein he went so far, that he determi∣ned by the Murther of the Prince, to make his Own Way to the Scepter. This design he first opened to those he knew sure∣ly hated the Emperor, promising Moun∣tains to such as Approved it, and Offer∣ed him their Assistance; and Praising Greatly those that Disliked it, and Refused it, out of their Affection and Loyalty to∣wards the Prince; as whose Spie, he would seem to propound Such things, to discover the Inclinations of his Subjects.
By which means he was undescryed by
all, but such, whose Fellowship in the Treason, make him secure of them; and had, at last, Effected that Abominable Act, if at the very time, when he had the Weapon in his Hand, which he had prepared for the Emperor's Throat; one of the Conspirators, touched with a sudden Remorse of Conscience, had not seasonably Disclosed, and discreetly Pre∣vented it. The Emperor t••ok the Injury so patiently, That having Condemned some of the Conspirators to die, he was satisfied in inflicting Banishment onely on the Author of the Treason.
It were too long to recount all those here, who having undertaken such Treasons, were caught in them, or else, though In∣nocent, were falsly believed to be Guilty of some such design, and made Shipwrack in Court. But contenting our selves with what we have already said, this onely is to be added, That all Pride, whether through Ambition, Bragging, Reproaches, Detraction, Ostentation, or other Pompous manner of li∣ving, it displease the Prince, is the high Rode to Ruine.