der what he taketh in hand.
The good Marcus Portius was the first that caused the Officers
of the Romane Common Wealthe to bee thus visited and corrected.
And bycause that these Almayne Warres doe styll increase, by
reason that kyng Deceball wyll not as yet bee brought to
obedience of the Romanes, but rather goeth about to occupy and
winne the Kingdomes of Dacia and Polonia, I shall be forced
through the businesse of the wars, (so long continuing) to
deuyse and consult here vppon the affayres touchyng the
gouernement of the common wealth of Rome. For a lesse euyll it
is for a Prynce to be neglygent in matters of Warre, than in the
gouernement of the Common Wealth. A Prynce also ought to think,
that he is chosen, not to make wars, but to gouerne, not to kyll
the Enimies, but to roote out vices, not that he goe in person
to inuade or defend his foes, but that he reside and be in the
Common Wealth, and not to take away other men's goodes, but to
do iustice in euery man, for so mutch as the Prynce in the
warres can fight but for one, and in the publyke wealth he
committeth faults against a numbre. Truly it liketh me wel, that
from the degree of captaines men be aduaunced to bee emperors,
but I think it not good, that emperours do descende to be
captains, considering that, that realm shal neuer be in quyet,
where the Prince is to gret a warrior. This haue I spoken
(fathers conscript) to the intent ye may beleue, that I for my
parte if these warres of Almayne were to begin, I being at Rome,
it wer impossible that I should be brought vnto the same, for
that my principal intent, is to be estemed rather a good
gouerner of a common wealth, than a forward captain in the
field: nowe then principally I commend vnto you the veneration
of the temples, and honor of the gods, bicause kings neuer liue
in surety, if the gods be not honored, and the temples serued.
The last words which my good lord Nerua wrot vnto me were these:
"Honour the Temples, feare the gods, maintein Iustice in thy
commonwealth and defend the pore: in so doing thou shalt not be
forgotten of thy friend, nor vanquished by thy foe." I do
greatly recommend vnto you the vertues of amity and fraternity,
for that you know how in great common wealthes, more hurt and
damage do ciuile and neighborly wars bryng vnto the same, than
those attempted by the enimies. If parents against parents, and
neighbours against neighbours had not begon mutuall hatred and
contention, neuer