ish Prince bound to do the same, by subiects merite.
High and mightie kinges doe rewarde and aduaunce their men,
hauing respect that their gift or benefite shal exceede deserte,
otherwise that preferment cannot bee termed liberal. The great
conquerour Alexander Magnus wan a great and notable Citie for
wealth and spoyle. For the principalitie and gouernment wherof
diuers of his noble men made sute, alleaging their paynful
seruice and bloudy woundes about the getting of the same. But
what did that worthy king? was he moued with the bloudshead of
his captaynes? was he styrred with the valiaunce of his men of
warre? was he prouoked with their earnest sutes? No trulye: But
calling vnto him a poore man, whome by chaunce he found there,
to him he gaue that riche and wealthy citie, and the gouernmente
thereof, that his magnificence and his liberalitie to a person
so pore and base, might receiue greatter fame and estimation:
and to declare that the conferred benefyte didde not proceede of
deserte or dutie, but of mere liberalitie, very curtesie, true
munificence and noble disposition, deriued from princely heart
and kinglye nature. Howbeit I speake not this that a faythful
seruaunt should be vnrewarded (a thing very requisite) but to
inferre and proue that reward should excell the merite and
seruice of the receiuer. Now then I say, that you going about by
large desert and manifold curtesie to binde mee to recompence
the same, you seeke thy next waye to cut of the meane whereby I
should be liberall. Do not you see that through your vnaduysed
curtesie I am preuented, and letted from myne accustomed
liberalitye, wherewith dayly I was wont to reward my kynde,
louing and loyal seruauntes, to whom if they deserued one talent
of golde, my manner was to geue them two or three: if a thousand
crownes by the yeare, to geue them V. Do you not know that when
they loked for most rewarde or preferment, the soner did I
honour and aduaunce them? Take heede then from henceforth
Ariobarzanes, that you liue with such prouidence and
circumspection as you may bee knowen to be a seruant, and I
reputed (as I am) for your souerayne Lord and mayster. All
Princes in myne opinion requyre two thinges of theire seruantes,
that is to say, fidelity and loue, which being hadd they care
for no more. Therefore he that list to contende with me in
curtesie, shal fynde in the ende that I make smale accompte of
him. And he that is my trusty and faithful seruant, di