Demetrius (he which was called the
Besieger) deemed no man more happy, than him who had longest quietly lived in
the greatest aboundance of al things, Paulus Manutius seemeth to have done: who writethAttalus king of Asia; of Coctius king of Alpes; of Ptolaemee
Eumenes king of Pergamus; of Nicomedes king of Bithynia; of Polemon king of Pontus, who left the people of Rome heires of those so
many their kingdomes: for then those kingdomes were quite taken away, and those
Commonweales brought into the forme of Prouinces, and no change made of their
Monarchies into a popular Estate. And so contrariwise, if of one or many cities
or prouincesQuirites, which name
the Magistrates in Tatius king of the Sabines not long after to bee
also slaine: wherefore the Sabines Commonweale so perished not, either accrewed
unto the Romaines (as some have beene of opinion) albeit that other people
called them neither Sabines, nor Quirites, but Romans: For that that name once
giuen unto the Citie and the people, could neuer more be changed; or for that
the name of the Romans was more stately; or else for that those two people so
grew together within the wals Cuneu the lawier, who doubteth, Whither the subiects of the one
Commonweale, if they be ioyned into one and the selfe same bodie with the
subiects of another Commonwealth, be thereby the subiects of them with whom
they are so ioyned: which thing Bartholus denieth; and
for example thereof alleageth Raimond Countie of
Toulouse, not erring indeed in his resolution of the question, but in the
example by him produced, not hauing good regard unto the treatie made betwixt
the Countie and the estates of Languedoc of the one part, and Lewes the ix the French king on the other part, wherin it was
comprised, That the only daughter of the countie Raymond
should Alphonsus countie of Poitiers, the kings brother, with condition, that
if they died without heires of their bodies lawfully begotten, the countrey of
Languedoc should in full right returne unto the crowne; yet for all that so, as
that the customes of the countrey should not be chaunged, neither any
taxe▪imposed without the consent of the estates of the countrey▪ which hath
alwaies beene obserued, the soueraigntie over the country and the inhabitants
of Languedoc remaining unto the kings, as it had before that the countie was
therefrom exempted. But most certaine it is, that an estate subiect vnto
another, maketh not another Commonweale, but onely a part of the subiects.
But that these things may the better be perceiued, it is to be vnderstood, that
al conuersions
Now Commonweales be also chaunged some times to the better, and sometimes to
the worse, whether such chaunge bee naturall or violent: yet the violent change
still hauing violent motions, and so quickely done; and the naturall chaunging
still be little and little, and so the lesse felt. But of all chaunges of
Commonweales, no voluntarieSylla, with incredible violence to have taken upon him the
Dictatorship, and that not without the most cruell slaughter of the people, and
so to have turned the soueraignty of the Commonweale from a popular estate,
into a Monarchie; and yet him the same man within foure yeares after,
voluntarily and of his owne accord, dispoiling himselfe of the Monarchy, which
he had couered under the colour of his Dictatorship, to have againe restored
the soueraignty unto Pandulphus the tyrant, violently afterwards inuaded. And as in mens
bodies diuers changes happen from the qualities of the elements, the
disposition of the body or the minde, the temperature of the humours, as also
from the manner of the education thereof, and diuersity of diet: so also the
Commonweale may suffer an vniuersall change or ruine, from friends or enemies
externall or internall, or from both, whether it be from good to euill, or
euill to good, and that oft times contrary to the good liking of the subiects,
who must sometimes as children and mad folkes, be cured euen against their
wills, as Lycurgus, who changed the lawes and royall
But forasmuch as there are but three sorts of Commonweales, as wee have before
viz. of a Monarchie into a Popular estate, or of a
Popular estate into a Monarchie: and so likewise of a Monarchie into an
Aristocratie, and of an Aristocraty into a Monarchie: and of an Aristocratie
into a Popular estate, and of a Popular estate into an Aristocratie. So also of
euerie estate there be six other imperfect chaunges, or rather alterations;
that is to wit, from the Royall estate unto the Lordlike: from the Lordlike
estate unto the Tyrannicall: from the Tyrannycall unto the Royall, or from the
Royall into the Tyrannicall: from the Tyrannicall into the Lordlike, and from
the Lordlike into theMarcus Antonius, Augustus, and Lepidus) as also a Tetrarchie (or government
But besides these conuersions and chaunges of estates, which wee haue
alreadieRomulus,
the people of Rome was a yeare without a Monarchie, a Popular estate, or
Aristocratie: For the hundred Senatours which commaunded one of them after
another, had no soueraigne power, neither commaunded but onely by commission:
true it is, that one might say, That the soueraigntie was againe returned vnto
the people, and the charge of commaund unto the Senators, vntill that by common
consent they had chosen them a king.
And some times againe it chaunceth, that the Royall, Aristocratike, or
PopularIephte, when as their. 27.Dion, and in Florence after that the
nobilitie was thence driuen out by the people: which so continued a certaine
time without government, as a ship without a pilot or gouernour. And so after
the death of Abusahit king of Fez, that kingdome was in
most miserable case eight yeares without a king. As also after diuers murthers
of many the Aegyptian Sultans, the Mammalukes made choyce of Campson Gaurus, hauing lived a certaine time in a pure Anarchie. And
in
Wherefore when an estate is come unto a meere Anarchie, that is to say, when
no
The last point is, when as an Estate or Commonweale is together with all the
peopledAlexander the
Great vtterly rooted out, together with their city, sauing only the house of
Pindarus the Poet: upon the entrance whereof was
written▪ Pindarus his house. So also the Madianites, the
Amorites, the Iebusites, and Phaerezites, were by the people of Israel vtterly
destroyed: which was not the chaunging of one estate into another, but a meere
ruine of the estate with the people together. But yet it may well be, that some
one member of a Commonweale, or that some one prouince thereof may be
destroyed, or a towne rased, and all the people therein slaine, and yet the
Commonweale stand: as it chaunced to the towne of Arzille,Sebastia, in
the kingdome of Amasia, which Tamarlan the Tattar king
used in like sort: and to the towne of Bizance, a member of the Roman empire,
which after it had bene three yeares besieged by the emperour Seuerus, was in the end taken, sacked, rased, and all the people
slaine, and the scite thereof giuen to the Perinthians, who reedified it, being
afterwards called Constantinople, and now corruptly Stamboll, the choyce seat
of the Turkish emperours.
But this is in Monarchies speciall and proper, that the Monarches one of them
oftentimesAbuchemo was
by the people driuen out of his kingdome, and Abyamein
chosen king in his stead: who forthwith after was also cast out by Hariadenus Barbarussa, who long time raigned not there,
but that Abuchemo returning with the forces of the
emperour Charles the fift chased away Barbarussa, and tooke sharpe revenge upon his dissoiall subiects,
making himselfe the emperours tributarie and vassall: but was againe not long
after driuen out againe by Barbarussa: the state of a
Monarchie yet neuer chaunging, no more than did the Roman empire, for hauing
had foure emperours in one yeare; one of them slaine by another: the estate of
the Monarchie neuerthelesse still remaining
Sometime also rule and soueraigntie is euen thrust upon men by force and
against their will: as first Claudius, and then Gordianus the elder were euen drawne and enforced to take
upon them the Roman empire. And in our remembrance the inhabitants of Tripolis
in Barbarie, after they were reuolted from Iachia king
of Tunes, chose Mucamen
Peter of Nauarre, by force tooke the citie of Tripolis, together with
the king, whome he sent prisoner into Sicilie: but was afterwards by the
emperour Charles the fift (to his great contentment)
sent backe againe to live in his solitarie cell in Affricke.
But as of men some perish and die in the most flourishing time of their age,
some others in their youth, some in their childhood, and some before they could
bee well borne; so wee also see some kingdomes and cities to bee cut up and
destroyed before they could strengthen themselves with lawes and armes,
othersome as abortiues to be dead and extinguished before they were borne: as
in our time the kingdome of the Anabaptists at Munster (the metropoliticall
citie of Westphalia) was taken away and subuerted before it was well thought to
have bene borne. Iohn of Leiden, a Sadler, and their
ringleader, who had there by the space of three yeares borne himselfe for a
king, and taken upon him the soueraigntie (though still by the imperiall hoast
besieged) being at last together with the citie taken and publikely
executed.
Now when I speake of the flourishing estate of a Commonweale, my meaning
isPapirius Cursor:
Illa aetate, qua nulla virtutum feracior fuit, nemo erat, quo magis
innixares Romana, quàm in Papirio Cursore staret, In that time (saith
Liuie) than whichPapirius
Cursor. This was the iudgement of the Romans, of the most flourishing
time of their Commonweale▪ for neuer after was the militarie and domesticall
discipline, the lawes and ordinances better executed, faith better kept,
religion more sincerely embraced, nor vices more seuerely punished▪ So that it
ought not to seeme straunge, if there was neuer than then greater store of most
valiant and worthy men.
Now if any man shal obiect and say, That the Romans were then but poore, as not
Traian the emperour, who ioyned unto the Roman empire, not onely
Arabia Felix, but many other great prouinces also beyond the riuer Euphrates,
and with incredible workmanshipDecebald, with the kingdom of Dacia, & with
the Roman legions danted the most cruell and barbarous nations that then lived;
when as the citie of Rome it selfe, being head of the whole empire, did so
abound and flow with ambition, couetousnesse, pleasures and delights, as that
it seemed to retaine no more but the shadow of Lycurgus seemed to have beene almost extinct, and so
indeed not long after that same Commonweale came headlong tumbling downe. And
thus much concerning the differences of the changes of Commonweales, which it
is needfull for vs to note, the better to conceiue such conuersions and changes
of estates, which none have touched heretofore.
Now as for the causes of the chaunges of Commonweales, although they bee
Wee have now here before declared, That Commonweales had their beginningNimroth (which is to say a
Bitter Ruler)Ninus, by force and
tyranny made himselfe a soueraigne prince; and that after him his successours
continued that Lordlike Monarchie, taking unto themselves the whole and entire
disposition of their subiects and their goods, vntill that Arbaces gouernour of the Medes, draue out Sardanapalus, which was the last king of the Assyrians, and made
himselfe king, without any forme of fashion of election at all. The cause why,
being for that Sardanapalus drowned in vaine pleasures
and delights, was more amongst women than hee was amongst men: a thing which
men of courage and valour take most impatiently, to see Artabazus, the kings of Persia,
of Aegypt, of the Hebrews, the Macedonians, the Corinthians, the Sicionians,
the Athenians, the Celtes, and Lacedemonians, are all come by right of
succession unto their kingdomes and principalities, for most part founded by
force and violence; but afterward by iustice and good lawes polished, vntill
that their posteritieSolon hauing founded the Popular estate in Athens,
yet would not that the poore and common sort of the people should have part in
the estates. Neither the Romans hauing chased out their kings (albeit that they
had established a Popular estate) yet so it was, that the honorable offices and
preferments were still reserued unto the nobilitie onely. Wee also read, that
the first tyrants beeing driuen Aristides and Pericles in Athens, and Canuleius and the other Tribunes in Rome, first opened
the gate of honourable offices and preferments unto all the people in generall.
But afterwardsNuma Pompilius (to rule their religion
together with their policie) made choice of Tullus
Hostilius, a good captaine. Yea mostMarcus Antonius, a man altogether giuen to riot and
voluptuous pleasure, succeeded the great Augustus, a
most wise & Nero a most cruell tyrant, succeeded Galba,
Vitellus,
succeeded Vespatian the most continent: And unto the
monster of natureHeliogabalus slaine and drawne in the same faction that
was Vitellus, succeeded Alexander
Seuerus the most vertuous: a thing most strange, considering that he
was his cosin germaine, and together with him nourished and brought up: and
that the power to commaund in soueraigntie hath this mischiefe in it, that
often times it maketh of a good man, an euill; of an humble man a proud; of a
mercifull man a tyrant; of a wise man a foole; and of a valiant man a coward.
For what could be more notable then the first five yeares of Nero his raigne? what more excellent then his youth? or who for
modestie was to be compared in the beginning to Tiberius? who so behaued Suetonius) as if he had almost beene a priuat man:
and being of one called Lord, commaunded him, that he should no more by way of
reproach so call him: and against slaunderous and infamous libels made of him,
oft times said no more, but that in a free citie, men ought also to have their
tongues free: but speaking unto the Senat: I have had this good fortune (said
he) to have you for my gratious Masters, and so long as I live I will
acknowledge you for my good Lords: for a good prince (said he) must be the
slaue not onely of the Senat, but also of all the citisens in generall, and
often times of every one of them in particular. Neither did he any thing in the
beginning of his raigne, no not euen in the least things, without the aduise of
the Senat; and yet afterwards hauing well tasted of the power of soueraigntie,
hee became the Herod the elder raigned six yeares as a good and iust
king (as saith Philo) and one and thirtie yeares as a
most cruell tyrant, who caused seauentie Senators of the the house of Dauid to be all slaine, which was indeed the whole bodie
of the Senate except Semneas, and afterward put to death
his wife a most noble gentlewoman, with three of his owne children: and now
lying at the point of death, gaue commaundement to kill all the best and chiefe
of the Nobilitie of the whole land, to the intent thatTiberius the emperour is said to have excelled
all others. Whereas of them which have so curiously learned the art of false
semblant and dissimulation, and have their countenances at commaund, nothing
that good is, true, or honest, is to be expected; but all things vaine, salse,
and fained, ful of hipocrisie and craft: Whereas he which at the first
discouereth his imperfections (albeit that he be not therein wise) yet can he
not possibly be a man exceedingly mischieuous or naught: yea of such an one it
is to be hoped, that he may at length proue an upright and iust man: such an
one as Iohn the French king is reputed to have bene, who
was of such a stomacke, as that he could by no meanes endure to looke arCambyses did many most cruell and shamefull things, yet was hee
alwaies both loued and honoured of his subiects, and redoubted of his enemies,
and all for the great loue they bore unto his father Cyrus, which was so well grauen in the harts of the people (as saith
Plutarch) that they loued euen all such as had a
great and rising nose, such an one as Cyrus had. And the
emperour Commodus, albeit that he were a most cruell
tyrant, and had in one day commaunded the great Prouost of Rome to kill all the
beholders of the playes in the Theatre (which were not fewer than threescore
thousand persons) for Marcus Aurelius his father.
Wherefore we see kingdomes which come by succession, seldome times to suffer
chaunge or innouation, albeit that a wicked sonne succeed a good father: for
that his kingdome is like unto a great tree which hath taken as deepe root as
it spreadeth branches: whereas he which commeth but newly unto a kingdome
commended nor strengthened with no vertue or power of his auncestours, is
indeed like unto an high tree: which for that it is not well rooted, is with
the wind and tempest easily ouerthrowne.Hierome a tyrant of Sicilie, who succeeded to Hiero his grandfather, a new prince in his kingdome, which he had by
no right or claime gained, but was yet for his manifold and great vertues, of a
priuat man, thought right worthy of that so great a kingdome, which hee so held
almost sixtie yeares, without force or garrison, to the great contentment of
all men; beloued not of his owne subiects onely, but of all his neighbour
princes also, and especially of the people of Rome, to whome Dionysius
Dionysius the elder, who by fraud
inuaded the estate, which he of long time held with strong garrisons and
fortresses, without the stay or alliance of any other forren prince: but he
once dead, and this his sonne a man vnskilfull of the government, and
altogether giuen to riot, succeeding in his place, and banishing his vncle Dion, and confiscating his goods, he was by the same Dion, returning out of exile againe into his owne
countrey, with an armie thrust out of his kingdome, and all the fortresses of
his tyrannie ouerthrowne: which Dion not long after
being also slaine, the Monarchie was againe chaunged into a Herod the elder, upon
whome Caesar for the valour of Antipater his father, by a decree of the Senat bestowed the kingdome
of the Iewes: who although he were in great favour with Marcus Antonius, and Octauianus Augustus, yet
for the better assurance of his kingdome, built most strong castles, and to
gaine the good will of his subiects, bestowed great masses of money for reliefe
of the poorer sort, and eased the people of a third part of their woonted
tributes: but knowing how little he had for all that gained, he tooke also an
oath of alleagiance of his subiects, seeking to gaine them of the better sort
with extraordinarie favours and good turnes: and yet for all that he could do,
he was so hated of his subiects, that beeing become Herod his sonne bene then in great favour
with Augustus the emperour, unto whome the elder Herod had before by hisHerod, which were in number many, in lesse than threescore yeares, all
in poore estate perished, as well for that he being but a new man, was not
descended of royall race: as for that his prowesse and valour fayled in his
successours.
But these conuersions and chaungings of kingdomes and Commonweales chance
Nero, Tiberius,
and Caligula: and yet of these, wantonnesse and
whoredome hath ruinated moe princes than all the other causes: and so is it
also much more daungerous unto a prince for his estate than crueltie: for
crueltie keepeth men in feare and awe, & bringeth a terrour upon the
subiects; whereas wantonnesse bringeth after it an hate and contempt also of
the tyrant; forasmuch as euerie man deemeth the effeminat man to be also faint
hearted, and farre vnworthie to commaund a whole people, which hathSardanapalus king of Assyria, Canades king of
Persia, Dionysius the younger, and Hierosme, kings of Sicilie, Heliogabalus,
Amyntas,
Chideric, Periander, Pisistratus, Tarquin, Aristocrates
king of the Messenians, Timocrates king of Cyrene, Andronicus emperour of Constantinoble, Rhoderike king of Spaine, Appius Claudius, Galeace
Sfortia, Alexander Medices, the Cardinall Petruce Tyrant of Sienne, Lugrac and Megal,
kings of Scots, all for wantonnesse to have lost their estates, and most of
them slaine upon the fact doing. Neither is it long since Delmendin and
Delmedin, two of the greatest cities of Affrike, were by rebellion dismembred
from the kingdome of Fez, and brought under the obeysance of the Portugals, for
a maiden by force taken from her husband to whome she was betrothed, by the
gouernour, who was therefore afterwards slaine: as was also Ahusahid king of Fez himselfe with his six children all massacred by a
secretarie of his, for hauing abused his wife. Neither for any Delcaid
a Christian renegat, than to obey the king of Tunes his sonne. And why in our
time was Muleasses thrust out of his kingdome, and so
lost his estate, but for intemperance? and yet neuerthelesse was so drowned in
delights, as that returning out of Germanie, without hope that the emperour Charles the fift (in whom his greatest trust was) would
afford him any aid, and banished as he was out of his kingdom, yet spent he an
hundred crowns upon the dressing of one peacock, as Paulus
Iouius reporteth: and to the end he might better conceiue the pleasure
of musick, stil couered
But for the crueltie of a prince, the estate easily chaungeth not, if he be not
more cruell than the wild beasts themselves, such as were Phaleris, Alexander Phereus, Nero, Vitellius, Dometian, Commodus,
Caracalla, Maximinus, Ecelinus of Padua, and Iohn
Maria of Millan, who were all slaine, or driuen out of their dominions,
and their Tyrannical estates for the most part chaunged into estates Popular.
Which befell them not so much for the crueltie by them used against the common
sort of people (wherof no reckoning nor account is made in a Tyrannicall
estate) as for crueltie committed in the Bodile, who for that he was by the commaundement of Childeric king of Fraunce whipped, slew not onely the
king, but the queene also, being then great with child. So was also the
emperour Iustinus the third slaine by Atelia generall of his armie, whose sonne he had slaine, and in
despight prostituted his wife unto his seruants. And Archetaus king of Macedon, was likewise slaine by him whome he had put
into the hands of Euripides the poet, to be whipt: as
was his nephew also king of Macedon, slaine by him whome hee had without
punishment suffered to be abused against nature by Antipater, and scorned him crauing of him revenge.
The Aristocratike estate also of them of Mitylen, was chaunged into a Popular,
for that it chaunced certaine gentlemen as they went along the streets with
their bastanadoes, in sport to strike all such of the common people as they
met: Whereupon one Megacles tooke occasion to stirre up
the comminaltie to fall upon the nobilitie, and so to kill them. And not to
seeke for examples farther, Henry, of late king of
Sweden (but now a prisoner) was also thrust out of his kingdome, for that he
not onely disdainfully reiected the request of a certaine gentleman his
subiect, but also with his owne hand most cruelly stabbed him with his dagger:
wherwith the nobilitie and people moued, tooke him prisoner, and enforcing him
to resigne his kingdome, gaue it to his younger Brutus, obtained
the greatest estates in Rome; the one of them for hauing driuen out the proud
king Tarquin, and the other for hauing slayne Caesar. And Arbaces gouernour of
the Medes hauing brought Sardanapalus king of Assyria to
such extremitie, as that he was glad to burne himselfe alive together with his
concubines and treasures, for reward enioyed his kingdome. So Lewes of Gonzaga hauing slaine Bonacolse,
tyrant of Mantua, was by the subiects chosen their prince, his posteritie euer
since by the space of about two hundred and fiftie yeares hauing enioyed that
estate. And the Venetians Eceline, obtained the seigneurie of Padua.
Some others there be, which seeke the tyrants death, and so the chaunge of
theRoderike, who had rauished his wife, drew the Mahometan
Moores into Spaine, who draue out the king, and there vsing an hundred thousand
cruelties, possessed the kingdome of Spayne, which they held by the space of
seuen hundred yeares after. And some others there bee also, who neither for Harmodius; and Aristogiton in Athens, and those which slew Domitian and Caligula the cruell
emperours. A thing which most commonly happeneth in the Popular estates,
wherein the new tyrants by force or fraud hauing oppressed the libertie of the
people, are neuer assured of themselves, or of their estate, without great and
strong garrisons about them. So we see Alexander
Medices, nephew to pope Clement the seuenth,
& sonne in law to the emperour Charles the fift, by
whose forces and power hee obtained the soueraigntie of Florence, and draue out
them also that were of greatest power and Laurence Medices,
not onely his neere kinsman, but his most familiar and domesticall friend also▪
when as the said Laurence had promised to prostitute
unto him his owne sister; that so he might the better deliver the man disarmed
(euen as he was kissing and embrasing his sister, who me he thought to haue
rauished) to the murtherer to be slaine▪ which was so couertly done, as that
the souldiours of his guard, whome he kept for the saftie of his person, making
merrie in a dining chamber fast by, perceiued nothing of the murther of their
prince. And yet in so doing, the said Laurence neither
Cosmu Medices, who after the
death of Alexander, by the helpe of the garrison
souldiours, the supportation of his friends, and fauor of the pope, obtained
the same government▪ albeit that he was reported to have bene one of the wisest
princes of his age, or of long time before him, and a right great justicier,
euen by the report of his enemies themselves, and had diuers strong castles
euen in the citie it selfe: yet neuerthelesse was he an hundred times in
daunger of his person, by the conspiracies of his subiects against him, being
not able to endure a maister over them, albeit that hee were both iust and
vertuous. And he which now raigneth, not long since missed not Puccinus, neither can bee safe without a
strong garrison, so long as the citisens his subiects shall either remember or
hope for the rewards of their valour and libertie. And for this cause Dionysius the elder of Syracusa, being chosen generall,
and hauing made himselfe maister of all, and chaunged the Popular estate into a
Monarchie, had alwaies forty thousand souldiors in readinesse at his call to
set forward, beside a great garrison still attendant about his person, and
diuers strong holds, onely to keepe the people of Syracusa with a part of
Sicilia in subiection. And yet neuerthelesse was he no tyrant, as we call a
tyrant, that is to say, a cruell, vitious, and naughtie man: neither was he
euer amorous of other mens wiues, but to the contrarie sharply reproued his
sonne (as saith Plutarch) for hauing taken away one
Now if any man shall obiect and say unto mee, That force and feare are two
euillNuma put from
him the three hundred archers which Romulus his Seruius hauing of a
slaue made himselfe a king, beset himselfe with strong guards, and that wisely,
as beeing forsaken of the Senators, who tooke his seruile government in great
euill part: For as iust, pleasing, & gracious, as he was, yet had it bene a
thing impossible for him without guards, garrisons, and fortresses, long to
have maintained himselfe and his so new an estate, but that he should haue
fallen into the hands of his enemies. There was neuer a more gratious,
magnificent, noble, couragious, or courteous prince then Caesar; and yet notwithstanding, all these his great vertues were not
able to preserue him, but that he was by his sonne Brutus and other the conspirators with incredible consent and
fidelitie Augustus his successour followed not, but first caused to be put to
death all the conspiratours against Caesar, (not so much
in revenge of the death of his vncle Caesar, as he
pretended, as so to prouideAugustus in his government, for the establishing of
his estate.Sextus Pompeius, and Lepidus, and ouercome Marcus Anthonius in
battell at Actium, (who afterwards also slew himselfe) and the other citisens
of greatest force and courage, either in battell slaine or otherwise taken out
of the way; he might have seemed to have beene able to have raigned in great
securitie: yet neuerthelesse hee dispersed fortie legions into the prouinces,
placed three legions in Italie, and that not farre from the citie, kept a
strong guard about him for the safetie of his person: forbid the Senators
without leaue to depart out of Italie, and committed the government of his
legions not unto any the great Lords, but to gentlemen onely, or some of the
meanest of the nobilitie. As for the creating of the officers of the citie, he
divided it betwixt himselfe and the people; yet so as that of such as stood
Seneca) and so began to loue and reuerence him: he againe
on his part
Now all Monarchies newly established by the change of an Aristocratie, or
PopularPisistratus, when he had got
the chiefe office in the commonweale, inuaded the libertie of the people: as
did also Cypselus
Thrasybulus,
Gelo, Dionysius, Hiero, Agathocles at Syracusa, Panaetius, and Icetes at Leonce, Phalaris at Agrigentum, Phidon at
Argos, Periander at Ambrace, Archelaus in CaEuagoras in Cyprus, Polycrates in Samos, Anaxilaus at Rhegium, Nicocles at
Sicyon, Alexander at Pheree, Mamercus at Catana, the Decemuiri at Rome, and there after them Sylla and Caesar: the Scaligers at Verona, the Bentinoli
at Bolonia, the Manfreds at Fauentia, the Malatestes at Atiminum, the Baleones at Perusium, the Vitelles at Tifernas,
the Sforces at Millan, and diuers others of like sort,
who of gouernors of cities and armies have taken upon them the soueraigntie.
For in matters of estate it may be holden for an vndoubted maxime, that he
isArchon at Athens, the Prytani with the Rhodians, the yearely Generall with the Achaeans and the Aetolians, and the Duke at Genes. And for the same cause the Dictatorship in
Rome continued no longer then the charge required, which neuer passed six
monethes at the longest; yea and sometime lasted but one day; which time
expired, the power to commaund ceased: and if so be that the Dictator did for
any longer time retaine his forces, he might therefore be accused of treason.
And in Thebes, so long as it was a Popular estate, the law was that the
Generall of the armie should be put to death, if he retained the forces aboue a
day after the appointed time: which was the cause that the great capitaines Epaminondas and Pelopidas were
condemned to death, for hauing retained their forces foure monethes after
Camillus, to whom the Dictatorship was prorogued for six monthes,
which had neuer to any other person beene graunted. And namely by the law
Sempronia it was straitly forbidden that the governments of Prouinces should be
graunted unto any for longer time than five yeares: which law had it beene
kept, Caesar had neuer inuaded the estate as he did,
hauing the government of the Gaules by the consent of Pompeius and Crassus graunted for five yeares
more than the law allowed of; whereunto in that point was derogated in favour
of him. Which was a notable ouersight, considering that they had to doe with
the most ambitious man that euer was; who so well grounded his power to
Paulus the Consull nine hundred thousandCaesar in
aspiring to the estate.Curio, fifteene hundred thousand crownes to take his part. The people
of Rome moreover allowing him pay for ten legions of souldiers so long as the
warres in Fraunce should last. Which so great a power was ioyned with the
hardiest hart that then lived, and the most valiant that euer was, and
discended of so noble an house, as that in an oration unto the people he
doubted not to say, That by the fathers side he was discended from the gods,
and by the mothers side from kings; and yet withall so modest, as that his
great enemie Cato said, That there was neuer so modest a
tyrant as he, and withall so vigilant: as that Cicero an
other great enemie of his,Iulian the Apostatament by that
his embleanie or deuise of an Eagle shot thorow with arrowes fethered with his
owne feathers, being before pluckt from her. For so do the soueraigne gouernors
and magistrats of those estates, especially when too great power is giuen to
him which is of too ambitious and hautie a mind. And thus much concerning the
chaunge of a Popular or Aristocraticall estate
But the chaunge of a Popular estate into an Aristocratie chanceth commonly
uponNiceas
their generall, vanquished by the Syracusians and so discomfited, forthwith
chaunged their Popular estate into an Aristocratie of foure Pisander: so Alcibiades
against the Lacedemonians, tooke up armes against the foure hundred of the
nobilitie, whom they by the leading of Thrasybulus
thrust out or slew, and so againe chaunged the Aristocratie into a Popular
estate. And in like manner the Thebans ouercome by the Enophites, chaunged
their Popular estate into an Aristocratie. And albeit that the Pirrhus changed not their popular estate, yet so it was that indeed it
was then a faire Aristocratie of three hundred Senators which gouerned the
estate, and but in appearance and show a Democratie, or a Popular estate, the
people being neuer than then more calme and tractable. But so soone as the
Romans had gained the estate of Tarentum, the people forthwith began to set up
their hornes, demaunding to have part in the lands which the nobilitie had of
long time possessed. And yet neuerthelesse afterwards, when as Hannibal had brought the Roman estate into great
extremitie, the people became as humble as was possible: but after that the
Carthaginensians were ouercome, king Perseus
ouerthrowne, Antiochus put to flight, the kingdome of
Macedonia and Asia subuerted▪ then immediatly Gracchies, wherewith the Tribunes armed
the people in most insolent manner, insulting upon the nobilitie. In like
manner the Florentines ouerthrew their Oligarchie, established by Pope Clement the seuenth, restoring the people againe vnto
their wonted libertie: for so soone as newes was brought unto Florence, That
Rome was by the imperials sackt, and the Pope with the rest of the Cardinals
and Bishops besieged▪ it is not to be beleeued, with what pride the headstrong
people began to rage against them of the house of Medices; with what Scipio the yonger so much as in him lay, to hinder the
rasing of the famous citie of Carthage, wisely foreseeing, that the people of
Rome being altogether martiall and warlike, if it had no enemies abroad would
at length be enforced to make war upon it selfe. For which cause also Onomadesme generall of the Commonweale of
Yet amongst other conuersions and chaunges of Commonweales, the chaunge of a
Popular estate into a Monarchy oftenest happeneth; and that either by civill
warres,Cicero speaking of the civill warres
betwixt Caesar and Pompey, saith,
Ex victoria cum multa, tum certe Tyrannis existit, Of
victorie ensue many things, but especially a Tyrannicall government. For that
almost alwaies in civill warres the people is divided: wherein if it so fall
out, that the leaders of the factions bring the matter unto the tryall of a
battaile, no man can doubt but that hee who therein shall carrie away the
victorie, possessed of the forces and powers, shall either for ambition and the
desire of honour, or for the saftie of his person, keepe unto himself thePisistratus was slaine; at Rome, after Tarquin
the proud was driuen out: at Syracusa, after Hiero
slaine, and againe after that Dionysius was banished: at
Florence, after that the duke of Galuagno the tyrant had there lost his
estate, where the people of Milan for fiftie yeares after, held a Popular
estate, vntill that at last it was againe changed into a Tyrannicall government
by the ToresaAlexander the tyrant of the Phereans was
slaine: and in Sienna, after that Alexander Dichi the
new tyrant, was by the conspiracie of Hierome Seuerin
slaine, and his partakers of the De Monte Nouo cast out, slaine, and banished, the people
forthwith tooke upon Alexander Medices the new tyrant, would have taken the
government from them of the house of Medices, and
reestablished their Popular estate, if they had certainly knowne the tyrant to
have beene slaine: but when as almost onely Laurence
Medices with Caracciolus the muttherer were
priuie to the murther (supposed to bee not onely the tyrants familiar and
domesticall acquaintance, but his most inward friend also) no man could by him
be persuaded, that he had slaine the tyrant: but so by present flight making
shift for himselfe, gaue opportunitie to young Cosmus
Medices his cosen (who then had the forces of the estate in his power)
to take uppon them the soueraigntie. But this conuersion or chaunge of
Tyrannicall governments into Democraties,
Sometime also the people are so fickle and fantasticall, as that it is almost a
thing impossibleThucidides, Xenophon, and Plutarch, the Athenians lesse than in an hundred yeares, six times to
have chaunged their estate; and since them the Florentines seuen times: which
so happened not neither unto Charles of Fraunce brother to king Lewes the ninth, who at the request of the pope, and of
the Florentines themselves, came to Florence, and with the good liking of the
people in generall, tooke upon him the government, ended their quarrels, and
reconciled the citisens among themselves, together with the Commonweale: and so
hauing appeased the citisens, and reformed the Commonweale, being inuited to
the kingdome of Naples, he left in the citie of Florence his deputies. But he
was scarce well gone out of the citie, but that the Florentines wearie of the
government of the deputies, came againe unto their popular government, and so
with all renewed their civill warres. For redresse whereof Cosmus Medices,
Now albeit that Aristocratike estates seeme to many both better and more
assuredSeneca writeth. We read in the hystorie
of Cardinall Bembus, that the greatest assemblie
Now all these changes of Aristocraties into popular Commonweales haue
beeneThemistocles. And for this cause the nobilitie of the Argiues, being
almost all slaine by Cleomenes king of
Lacedemonia,Liuie writeth.
And therefore the Venetians, better citisens than warriors, if they bee to
Lothaire the eldest sonne of
Lewes the Gentle, on the one part, and Lewes and Charles the Bald on the
other: yet for all that all their three Monarchies stood still firme: and
namely when the countrey of Champagne had lost so much of the nobilitie in
those wars, as that for the restoring therof, the gentlewomen had especial
priuilege to ennoble their husbands with whom they should marrie, and yet for
all that the Monarchy in the state therof felt no change at all. And thus are
the great and notable changes commonly made in Aristocratike and Popular
Commonweales.
Thrsyllus first, and afterward Thrasybulus at Athens, Marius and Caesar at Rome, Fra. Valori, and
P. Sodorin at Florence, armed the people against the
nobilitie: which is also so much the more to be feared, if the great honours of
the estate bee bestowed uppon most filthy and wicked men, and other vertuous
men and such as have well deserued of the Commonweale, kept backe and excluded.
Which thing seemeth not grieuous onely to euerie good man, and not to be borne
withall, but ministreth occasion also unto the seditious and popular, to
enflame the people against the nobilitie. Neither Heracleotes, a man
for his euill life infamous. Which thing also was the destruction of Nero and Heliogabalus, for that
they had bestowed the greatest honours and preferments of the empire, upon most
wicked and corrupt men. Which of all other things is most to be feared and
shunned in an Aristocratie Aristocratically gouerned: that is to say, where the
people is kept from all honours and places of commaund: which although it be of
it selfe an hard thing patiently to endure, yet were it the better to bee
borne, if the government were committed to good men: but when it is giuen to
wicked and vnworthy men, euerie audacious fellow uppon occasion offered, will
easily Bondelmont, to marrie a gentlewoman to whome hee had before giuen his
promise, gaue occasion to the raising of a faction amongst the nobilitie, who
so wasted and deuoured one another, as that the people to end the quarrel,
easily draue
Sometime also the changes and ruines of Commonweales come, when the great ones
are to be brought in question, to cause them to giue an account of their
actions, whether it be for right or wrong: wherein euen they which are
guiltlesse (and especially in Popular estates) not without cause alwaies feare
the calumnies and doubtfull issues of iudgements, which most commonly endaunger
the lives, the goods, and honour of such as are accused. And to leaue forren
examples, wee have store enow of our owne, and that of such as of late have set
on fire all the kingdome with civill wars when it was but spoken of, for
calling them to account for two and fortie millions. And Pericles, a man of greatest integritie, and which had most
magnificently spent euen his owne wealth for the Athenian Commonweale, rather
than he would hazard the account that they demaunded of him for the treasure of
Athens, which he had mannaged, and so generally of his actions, raised the
Peloponesian warre, which neuer after tooke end vntill it had ruinated diuers
Commonweals, and wholly chaunged the estate of all the cities of Greece. Who
alwaies hauing bene a good husband, and had the charge of the common treasure
of that Commonweale, by the space of almost fiftie yeares, was therefore yet
found neuer the richer, as Thucydides, a most true
historiographer, and Pericles his most mortall enemie
reporteth of Caesar was of himselfe most ambitious and desirous of soueraigntie:
yet was he not so much desirous to beare rule, as affraid to be called to
account by priuat men, for such things as he had done, as his enemies had
openly boasted that he should, so soone as hee was discharged of his charge:
not the least cause that moued him to ceise upon the estate. For what assurance
could he have of himselfe, seeing before the two Scipioes (Africanus the honor of his time, and
Scipio Asiaticus) Rotulus and
Cicero, by the iudgement of the people condemned? Now
if good men were to feare, what should the wicked do? who besides Cateline▪ That the fire
(forsooth) which had taken hold of his house, which he could not with water
quench, hee would yet quench with the vtter ruine of the same. And truly much
he missed not, but that hee had vtterly ouerthrowne the Roman Commonweale, or
stept into the soueraigntie, had not Cicero the watchful
Ca.
Antonius his companion (although it were with much a do) slaine him so
desperat a citisen, with all his fellows. Neither ought Cicero (by his good leaue bee it said) to have driuen Catiline out of the citie, but to have oppressed him euen
there, the conspiracie once detected. For it is not to be hoped, but that he
which seeth himself banished from his house, & from his country, if he haue
power, wil forthwith put himself in arms, as he did. And had he gained the
battell against Ca▪ Antonius, hee had put theDion
banished out of Syracusa by Dionysius the yonger,
against whom for all that he yet tooke not up armes vntill he was by him
proscribed. And Martius Coriolanus, who cast into exile,
brought the Romans to such extremitie, as that had he not suffered himselfe to
have beene ouercome with the prayers and teares of his mother, and the other
women whom the Romans had sent unto him, the Roman state had there taken end.
In like manner the banished men of the house of Medices,
and the nobilitie of Zurich in the yeare 133Artaxerxes
king of Persia had cast in prison Cyrus the yonger,
guiltie of high treason, and had commanded him in princely manner to be bound
with chaines of gold; and afterwards ouercome with his mothers requests
enlarged him: but he had no sooner got his libertie, but that he made most
grieuous warre upon the king, and was like enough by his brothers Augustus, hauing discouered the
conspiracie of Cinna against him, and hauing him in his
power attainted and conuinced by his owne letters, yet neuerthelesse pardoned
him; and not so content, tooke him by the hand, and swore a bond of mutuall
friendship with him, and afterwards bestowed the greatest honours and
preferments of the estate upon him, at the time that Cinna expected nothing but the sentence of condemnation, and so
present execution; vsing these words of grace and favour unto him: Vitam tibi Cinna iterum do, priùs hosti, nunc insidiatori ac
parricidae; Ex hodierno die amicitia inter nos incipiat, contendamus
vtrum
ego meliore fide vitam tibi dederim, an tu debeas, Cinna
(said he) thy life I giue thee againe, being before mine enemie, and now a
traitour and a murtherer; But from this day, let vs begin to be friends, and
from henceforth let vs striue, whether I with greater trust have giuen thee thy
life, or thou with greater faithfulnesse doest ow it. After which time he neuer
had a more faithfull friend; being also afterwards by him appointed heire of
all his goods. Augustus had before put to death an
infinite number of such as had sworne and conspired his death: but now had a
purpose in Cinna to proue if by gentlenesse and mercie
he could gaine the hearts of men, wherein he was not deceiued: for from that
time there was neuer any found which durst attempt any thing Gonzaga the duke of Mantua,Lewes of Fraunce for the ouerthrow of
the Venetian state) did not onely set him at libertie, but made him Generall
also of their forces; by which so honorable a kindnesse he bound, for euer
after continued their most fast and loiall friend. And this is it for which Pontius the old capitaine of the Samnites said, That the
great armie of the Romans surprised in the straites of the Appenine mountaines
was either franke and freely to bee set at libertie, or else all to be put to
the sword: for that so it should come to passe, that either the power of the
Romans should by so great a slaughter be greatly weakned, or else hauing
receiued from the Samnites so great a benefit, as the life and libertie of so
many men, they should for euer after keepe good league and
But these conuersions and chaunges of Commonweales do more often happen inIoseph king of Marocco
and of Fez, of two townes standing somewhat distant one of them from the other
by continuate building made them both one, and that now the greatest citie of
Fez, whereby he gained the praise and commendation of a most wise &
discreet prince; for that he so not onely ioyned houses to houses, and wals to
wals, but bound also the mindes of the citisens and inhabitants of both places
(before burning with an incredible hatred one of them against an other, and
alwaies divided in warres) now in perpetuall loue and friendship together.
Which hapned also unto the Clazomenians, where one part of the citie standing
in the maine, and the other part in an Island, there was alwaies discord and
Pericles with long walles ioyned the Hauen unto the Citie. For which
cause also such tumults and quarrels fell betwixt the citisens of Venice, and
the mariners and other the seafaring men, as had brought the citie into
extreame perill and daunger had not Peter Lauredan with
his great authoritie and wisedome appeased the same.
But most often it hapneth the chaunges of Commonweales to follow after civill
Tefza, the citisens being almost all consumed
and spent with civill warre, And in the memorie of our fathers Philip the second duke of Bourgondie ioyned unto the
boundes of his dukedome Dinan and BoPhilip Commines. So also whilest the kings of
Marocco were in armes together for the soueraigntie, the Gouernour of Thunes
and of Telesin dismembred those two prouinces to make himselfe a kingdome of.
And by the same meanes Lachares seeing the Athenians in
combustion, in the time of Demetrius the besieger, stept
into the Seignorie. And that more is, we read that foure thousand five hundred
slaues and banished men inuaded the Capitoll, and missed but a little to haue
made themselves lords of Rome, whilest the Nobilitie and Common people in the
meane time were together by the eares in an uproar in the middest of the citie,
who thereupon fell to agreement among themselves; not vnlike unto two dogges,
who readie to pull one an others throat out, seing a wolfe, fall both upon him.
Wherfore such civill discord is most daungerous unto cities or estates,
especially if there be
Yet for all that a Monarchie hath this aduantage proper unto it selfe, aboue
theCharles the fift was the resolution of king Francis then his prisoner, who gaue him to vnderstand
that he wasFrancis
the French king, being prisoner to the Emperour Charles the fift.
And yet is there no kingdome which shall not in continuance of time be
chaunged,Charlemaigne and discending to his posteritie, so long
continued a true Monarchie under one soueraigne princes government, vntill that
the line of Charlemaigne
Iagellon failing: as also the Danes, after that Christierne their king was by them his subiects
imprisoned, and his brother to be chosen king in his place, sworne to such
conditions as the nobilitie would: and after that Frederike which now raigneth hath beene constrained to confirme the
same, (as I have before noted) whereby it manifestly appeareth, that the
Nobilitie there Frederike
should die without children.
And albeit that the estates of Hungarie, Bohemia, Polonia, and Denmarke, haue
alwayesCazimir the Great, king of Polonia, worthily defended the
soueraigne rights by him receiued from his great grandfather: but hee dead
without issue, the Polonians indeed called Lewes king of
Hungarie (and Cazimir his nephew) unto the kingdome of
Polonia, but with the soueraigntie therein much diminished; he for the gaining
of the kingdome yeelding to whatsoeuer the estates desired. But Lewes dead also without heires male, Iagello duke of Lithuania marrying one of the daughters and heires of
Lewes, and so with her obtaining the kingdome of
Polonia, yet more impaired the soueraigne rights than they had before bene: the
princes of whose posteritie neuerthelesse as it were in successiue right, for
the space of aboue Sigismundus
Augustus, last heire male of that house: unto whome by right of
election succeeded Henrie of Fraunce, Charles the ninth the French kings brother: but with oathes and
conditions bound unto the estates, so much derogating from the rights of a
soueraigne Monarch, as that indeed he might have seemed rather a prince than a
king. And to say yet more, I being sent to Mets, to assist them which were
thither sent with the duke, to receiue the ambassadours of Polonia, and to
parle with them, it was told me by Salomon Sboroschi one
of the ambassadours, That the estates of Polonia had yet cut much shorter the
power of the new elected king, had it not bene in the regard they had of the
honor Charles the fift the emperour upon this condition
gaue them. And albeit that the colledge of cardinals after the death of
Iulius the
second, determined in the conclaue, to moderat the popes power: yet shortly
after they flew from that they had before decreed, in such sort that Leo the tenth, then by them chosen, tooke upon him more
power than had any pope of long time before him.
But that chaunge is of others most daungerous to a Monarchie, when as the
kingHugh
Capet the right line of Charlemaigne ended,
being Prouost Charles duke of
Loraine, who with his sonne Otho were the onely men left
of all the posteritie of Charlemaigne. Which is also to
bee feared of the great Othoman princes, who although they have their families
of the Machaloglies, of the Ebranes, and the Turacans, of the princes house
and blood, to succeed in the Turkish empire: yet for all that if the Othoman
familie should altogether perish, it is to be thought, that some one of the
Bassaes or other great men, in greatest favour with the Ianzaries, and the
other souldiours of the court will carrie away the estate and soueraigntie from
the other princes of the aforesaid families, being but weake, and far offCleomenes the king vanquished and put to flight by Antigonus, the kingdome was chaunged into a Popular
estate, which so continued for three yeares: during which time the people made
choyce of five Prouosts, or chiefe magistrats, whome they called Ephori, chosen
out of the people themselves: but newes being brought of the death of Cleomenes, slaine in Aegypt, two of the five Ephori
conspired against the other three their companions and fellowes in office: and
so as they were doing sacrifice, caused them to be slaine: which done, they
proceed to the election of Agesipolis for their king, a
prince of the royall blood. But whereas before Cleomenes
they were woont to have two kings: one Lycurgus a man
Chilon, a noble gentleman,
discended from Hercules, being for his pouerty and want
of ability excluded, who not able to endure so great an indignity offered vnto
his house and family, procured all the magistrats to be slaine: Lycurgus himselfe onely escaping, who after great
effusion of blood, held the soueraignty himselfe alone, hauing before almost
quite destroyed the royall race of the Heraclides posterity of Hercules. And thus much concerning the chaunge and ruine
of Commonweales, which whether they may by any meanes be forseene and
preuented, let vs now also see.