tempo, che tende a buon fine, et conforme all'
opinione de' molti.--La vendetta non giova se non per fugir lo
sprezzo.--Ogn'huomo ha opinione che il mendacio sia buono in ragion di
medicina, et di far bene a far creder il vero et utile con premesse
false." One of his countrymen, having examined his writings, reports: "I
ricordi di questo grand' uomo furono piu da politico che da christiano."
To him was attributed the doctrine of secret punishment, and the use of
poison against public enemies: "In casi d' eccessi incorrigibili si
punissero secretamente, a fine che il sangue patrizio non resti
profanato.--Il veleno deve esser l' unico mezzo per levarli dal mondo,
quando alla giustizia non complisse farli passare sotto la manaia del
carnefice." Venice, otherwise unlike the rest of Europe, was, in this
particular, not an exception.

Machiavelli enjoyed a season of popularity even at Rome. The Medicean
popes refused all official employment to one who had been the brain of a
hostile government; but they encouraged him to write, and were not
offended by the things he wrote for them. Leo's own dealings with the
tyrant of Perugia were cited by jurists as a suggestive model for men
who have an enemy to get rid of. Clement confessed to Contarini that
honesty would be preferable, but that honest men get the worst of it:
"Io cognosco certo che voi dicete il vero, et che ad farla da homo da
bene, et a far il debito, seria proceder come mi aricordate; ma
bisognerebbe trovar la corrispondentia. Non vedete che il mondo e
ridutto a un termine che colui il qual e piu astuto et cum piu trame fa
il fatto suo, e piu laudato, et estimato piu valente homo, et piu
celebrato, et chi fa il contrario vien detto di esso; quel tale e una
bona persona, ma non val niente? Et se ne sta cum quel titulo solo di
bona persona.--Chi va bonamente vien trata da bestia." Two years after
this speech the astute Florentine authorised _The Prince_ to be
published at Rome.

It was still unprinted when Pole had it pressed on his attention by
Cromwell, and Brosch consequently suspects the story. Upon the death of
Clement, Pole opened the attack; but it was not pursued during the
reaction against things Medicean which occupied the reign of Farnese.
Machiavelli was denounced to the Inquisition on the 11th of November
1550, by Muzio, a man much employed in controversy and literary
repression, who, knowing Greek, was chosen by Pius V. for the work
afterwards committed