in the good-will of thy people, two
things, among others, thou must not fail to observe: one is, to be
courteous to all,--that, indeed, I have already told thee; the other is,
to take especial care that the people be exposed to no scarcity of food,
for, with the poor, hunger is, of all afflictions, the most
insupportable. Publish few edicts, but let those be good; and, above
all, see that they are well observed, for edicts that are not kept are
the same as not made, and serve only to show that the prince, though he
had wisdom and authority to make them had not the courage to insist upon
their execution. Laws that threaten and are not enforced become like
King Log, whose croaking subjects first feared, then despised him. Be a
father to virtue and a step-father to vice. Be not always severe, nor
always mild; but choose the happy mean between them, which is the true
point of discretion. Visit the prisons, the shambles, and the markets;
for there the presence of the governor is highly necessary. Such
attention is a comfort to the prisoner hoping for release; it is a
terror to the butchers, who then dare not make use of false weights; and
the same effect is produced on all other dealers. Shouldst thou
unhappily be secretly inclined to avarice, to gluttony, or women,--which
I hope thou art not,--avoid showing thyself guilty of these vices; for,
when those who are concerned with thee discover thy ruling passion, they
will assault thee on that quarter, nor leave thee till they have
effected thy destruction. View and review, consider and reconsider, the
counsels and documents I gave thee in writing before thy departure hence
to thy government, and in them thou wilt find a choice supply to sustain
thee through the toils and difficulties which governors must continually
encounter. Write to thy patrons, the duke and duchess, and show thyself
grateful, for ingratitude is the daughter of pride, and one of the
greatest sins; whereas, he who is grateful to those that have done him
service, thereby testifies that he will be grateful also to God, his
constant benefactor.

"My lady duchess has despatched a messenger to thy wife Teresa with thy
hunting-suit, and also a present from herself. We expect an answer every
moment. I have been a little out of order with a certain cat-clawing
which befell me, not much to the advantage of my nose; but it was
nothing, for if there are enchanters who persecute me, there are others
who defend me. Let m