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A Good Prince can (without any grudge) obtain difficult matters, by imposing mo∣derate Taxes, when the necessity of the Go∣vernment requireth them, and afterwards, by remitting a great part of them, when his Sub∣jects
ask for no Relief or Immunity from them, nor make any Complaint against them: Be∣cause the Prince, by so doing, doth sufficiently manifest to them his Good-will and Clemency.
Thus King Darius, the third from Cyrus, being to impose Taxes upon his Subjects, enquired of the Governours of his Provinces (together with other Questions) whether the Taxes were grievous and burdensome? when they answered, That they were but moderate, he charg'd them that they should exact but the half thereof. The Kings equity was such, that he thought the half of that, which seemed moderate to his Princes, to be enough; yea, over and above. For he had rather win his People by Clemency, and Acts of grace, than by a rigid Superiorty to disarm, weaken, and enslave them.
Thus a Tyrant (who is but the Ape of a King) when he intends to demand intollerable Things, and suck the very Blood of his Sub∣jects (because they should never be in capa∣city to shake off the yoak of their Slavery) first of all imposeth great Burdens, to the end he might afterwards seem to remitt and pass off his own Right and Interest, and by that means act with the Clemency of a good King.
You shall obtain what you desire from one, by asking not directely, and at first
dash (if it be a hard thing, and that your re∣quest may be denied;) but by this course you shall obtain it from one who is altogether averse from your purpose.
First of all, ask very eagerly, something that is harder to be obtain'd than what you design'd to ask; till, at Length, you get him to pro∣mise that he could rather grant any thing in the World. Then ask what you designed, and you shall obtain it, unless he has a mind to be worse then his promise.
Thus Scipio, when he would translate the War into Africa, (to the end he might well accoutre his unarmed men) gave charge to the Nobles of Sicily, to accoutre themselves most gallantly, as if they had been to go along with him. When they met together, the Nobles as earnestly begg'd of him not to go, as if they had been unarmed Men. Give then (said he) your Arms to my Souldiers; which they very rea∣dily did, as Scipio would have had it.
But if he, whom you Petition, shall swear he will not grant your Request; Then you shall ask the quite Contrary to that which you resolved to Petition for, at First. Then when he shall turn his Vows and Protestations to the Contrary, you shall either obtain what you would have, else he shall be forsworn.
Thus Anaximenes (when he had heard that Alexander the Great had sworn to do the
quite Contrary to whatsoever he reqested of him) obtained Li∣berty to his Lampsacenians,* 1.1 First, desiring that their City might be plundred, then overthrown, and then that the Citizens themselves might be kill'd or sold Slaves. By which wicked and cunning Counsel, the Victorious Alexander, was Van∣quished, so that fearing the swelling Fury and irreconcileable Revenge, on both sides, and dangerous Consequences of what Anaximenes advised him to, he made up the supposed Breach, Reconcileing them (which was no hard mat∣ter to do) and protested, by an Oath, that he would never after, do any thing to the Pre∣judice of the Lampsacenians.
Nicolans Thomae lib. 2. cap. 65. de var, Hist.