eneral iustice.
And therfore if you loue and reuerence the Gods, if you bee
pacient in trauels, warie in daungers, curteous to your people,
gentle to straungers, and not couetous of treasure, nor louer of
your owne desires: you shall make your fame immortall, and
gouern the common wealth in soueraign peace: that you be not a
louer of your own desires, I speake it not withoute cause, for
there is no worse gouernement than that which is ruled by selfe
wyll and priuate opinion. For as he that gouerneth a common
wealth ought to lyue in feare of al men, euen so mutch more in
feare of him selfe, in so mutch as he may commit greater errour
by doinge that which his owne luste commaundeth, than if he were
ruled by the counsell of other. Assure you sir, that you can not
hurt your selfe, and mutch lesse preiudice vs your subiects, if
you do correct your selfe before you chastise others, esteemyng
that to bee a ryght good gouernment when you be prodigal in
workes, and spare of speache. Assay then to be such a one now,
that you do commaunde, as you were when you were commaunded. For
otherwise it would lyttle auaile to do things for deseruing of
the empyre, if afterwards your dedes be contrary to former
deserts. To com to honour it is a humane worke, but to conserue
honour it is a thing diuine. Take hede then (most excellent
Traiane) that you do remembre and still reuolue in minde, that
as you be a Prince supreme, so to apply your self to be a
passing ruler. For there is no authority amongs men so high, but
that the Gods aboue be iudges of their thoughts, and men beneth
beholders of their deedes. Wherfore sith presentlye you are a
mighty Prince, your duety is the greater to be good, and leisure
lesse to be wycked, than when you were a pryuate Man. For hauing
gotten authority to commaund, your lyberty is the lesse to bee
idle: so that if you bee not sutch a one as the common people
haue opinion of you, and such againe as your maister Plutarch
desireth, you shall put your selfe in greate Daunger, and myne
Ennymyes wyll seeke meanes to bee reuenged on mee, knowynge wel
that for the Scholler's faulte the Mayster Dayly suffreth wronge
by slaunderous checke imputed vnto hym (although withoute
cause.) And for so much as I haue ben thy maister, and thou my
scholer, thou must indeuour by well doyng, to render me some
honour. And lykewyse if thou do euyll, great infamy shall lyght
on me, euen as it did to Seneca for Nero his cause, whose
cr