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OF HONOUR, AND REPUTATION

THE

CAP: 8

HE winning of Honour, is but the revealing of a mans vertue, and worth wthout disadvauntage: for some in their actions doe affect honour, and reputation, wch sorte of men are much talked of, but inwardly litle admired: and some darken their vertue in the shewe of it, so that they be undervalued, in opinion: If a man performe that wch hath not beene attempted before, or attempted, and giu'n over, or hath beene atcheived, but not wth so good circumstaunce; he shall purchase more honour, then by effecting a matter of greater difficulty wherein he is but a follower: if a man so temper his actions, as in some of them he doe content every faction, the musicke willbe the fuller. a man is an ill husband of his honour, that entereth into any action, the failing wherein may disgrace him more then the carying it through can honour him: discreete followers helpe much to reputation: Envy wch is the canker of honour is best extinguished by declaring a mans selfe in his endes, rather to seeke merrit then

fame, and by attributing a mans successe rather to providence, and fœlicity, then to his owne vertue, and policie. the true marshalling of the degrees of soveraigne honour are these: in the first place. Conditores. founders of states. In the 2o place are. LEGISLATORES. Lawgivers, wch are also called seconde founders: or PERPETVI. PRINCIPES. because they governe by their ordinaunces after they are gonne. In the 3d place are LIBERATORES. such as compounde the long miseries of civill warres, or deliver their countrie from the servitude of straun

gers, or Tirauntes. in the 4th place. are PROPAGATORES. or. PROPVGNATORES. IMPERII. such as in honorable warres inlarge their territories, or make noble defence against the Invadors: and in the last place are PATRIÆ PATRES. wch raigne Iustly, and make the times good wherein they liue. Degrees of Honour in subjects, are first. PARTICIPES CVRARVM. those vpon whome Princes doe discharge the greatest waight of their affaires, their right handes as we call them: the next are. DVCES. BELLI. greate Leaders, such as are Princes Leiuetenauntes, and doe them notable service in the wars: the 3a are. GRATIOSI. FAVORITES. such as exceede not this scantling to be solace to their soveraigne, and harmelesse to the people. and the 4th are called NEGOTIIS. PARES, such as haue greate places vnder Princes, and execute their places wth sufficiencye.

OF FACTION

[CAP: 9]

ANY haue a newe wisdome, otherwise

MANY

called a fond opinion, that for a Prince to governe his estate, or for a greate person to governe his proceedings according to the respect of factions is the principall parte of pollicie: whereas contrariwise the chiefest wisdome is either in ordering those thinges wch are generall, and wherein men of severall factions doe nevertheles agree; or in dealing wth corrispondent persons one by one: but I say not that the consideration of factions is to be neglected: meane men must adheare, but greate men that haue strength in themselues were better to maintaine themselues indifferent, and neutrall: yet euen in beginners to adheare so moderately as he be a man of the one faction, wch is passablest wth the other commonly giveth best waye: the lower, and weaker faction is the firmer in condition: when one of the factions is extinguished, the remaining subdivideth, wch is good for a second: it is commonly seene that men once placed take in wth the contrary

faction to that by wch they enter: the traitor in factions lightly goeth away wth it, for when matters haue stuck long in ballancing the winning of some one man casteth them, and he getteth all the thankes.

I

OF NEGOATIATING

CAP: 10

T is better generally to deale by speeche, then

by letters, and by the mediation of a third, then by ones selfe: tres are good, when a man would drawe an aunswere by letter backe againe, or when it may serue for a mans Iustification afterwardes to produce his owne fre: to deale in person is good, where a mans face breedes regarde, as commonly wth inferiours: in choise of Instruments it is better to choose men of a plainer sorte, that are likely to doe that wch is committed vnto them, and to report back againe faithfully the successe; then they that are cunning to contriue out of other mens busines somewhat to grace themselues, and will helpe the matter in reporte for satisfactions sake: It is better to sounde a person wth whome one dealeth a far of, then to fall vpon the pointe at first, except you meane to surprize him by some short question: It is better dealing wth men of appetite, then wth those who are where they would be: if a man deale wth another vpon conditions, the start, or first

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