sion. And, at last, he who had
refused pardon to his first offense submitted to give it him after he
had committed many other more monstrous crimes; by which his pardon lost
all grace to the offended, and received double censure from all others.

"The king was greatly inclined to the Normans, had created a Norman
archbishop of Canterbury, and had heaped extraordinary favors on him.
I had no other objection to this man than that he rose without my
assistance; a cause of dislike which, in the reign of great and powerful
favorites, hath often proved fatal to the persons who have given it,
as the persons thus raised inspire us constantly with jealousies and
apprehensions. For when we promote any one ourselves, we take effectual
care to preserve such an ascendant over him, that we can at any time
reduce him to his former degree, should he dare to act in opposition to
our wills; for which reason we never suffer any to come near the
prince but such as we are assured it is impossible should be capable of
engaging or improving his affection; no prime minister, as I apprehend,
esteeming himself to be safe while any other shares the ear of his
prince, of whom we are as jealous as the fondest husband can be of his
wife. Whoever, therefore, can approach him by any other channel than
that of ourselves, is, in our opinion, a declared enemy, and one whom
the first principles of policy oblige us to demolish with the utmost
expedition. For the affection of kings is as precarious as that of
women, and the only way to secure either to ourselves is to keep all
others from them.

"But the archbishop did not let matters rest on suspicion. He soon gave
open proofs of his interest with the Confessor in procuring an office
of some importance for one Rollo, a Roman of mean extraction and very
despicable parts. When I represented to the king the indecency of
conferring such an honor on such a fellow, he answered me that he was
the archbishop's relation. 'Then, sir,' replied I, 'he is related to
your enemy.' Nothing more passed at that time; but I soon perceived,
by the archbishop's behavior, that the king had acquainted him with our
private discourse; a sufficient assurance of his confidence in him and
neglect of me.

"The favor of princes, when once lost, is recoverable only by the
gaining a situation which may make you terrible to them. As I had no
doubt of having lost all credit with this king, which indeed had been
originally founded and co