ter; whereupon hee builds most of this Fabrick, viz.
That Subjects must either be dallyed or flatterd withall, or
quite crusht. Whereby our Author advises his Prince to support
his authority with two Cardinall Vertues, Dissimulation, and
Cruelty. He considers not herein that the head is but a member
of the body, though the principall; and the end of the parts is
the good of the whole. And here he goes against himselfe in the
twenty sixt Chapter of his Rep. 1. 1. where hee blames Philip of
Macedon for such courses, terming them very cruell, and against
all Christian manner of living; and that every man should refuse
to be a King, and desire rather to live a private life, than to
reigne so much to the ruine of mankind. The life of Caesar
Borgia, which is here given as a paterne to new Princes, we
shall find to have been nothing else but a cunning carriage of
things so, that he might thereby first deceive and inveigle, and
then suppresse all those that could oppose or hinder his
ambition. For if you runne over his life, you shall see the
Father Pope Alexander the sixt and him, both imbarqued for his
advancement, wherein they engag'd the Papall authority, and
reputation of Religion; for faith and conscience these men never
knew, though they exacted it of others: there was never promise
made, but it was only so farre kept as servd for advantage;
Liberality was made use of: Clemency and Cruelty, all alike, as
they might serve to worke with their purposes. All was
sacrific'd to ambition; no friendship could tye these men, nor
any religion: and no marvell: for ambition made them forget both
God and man. But see the end of all this cunning: though this
Caesar Borgia contrived all his businesse so warily, that our
Author much commends him, and hee had attaind neere the pitch of
his hopes, and had provided for each misadventure could befall
him its remedy; Policy shewd it selefe short-sighted; for hee
foresaw not at the time of his Fathers death, he himself should
bee brought unto deaths doore also. And me thinks this Example
might have given occasion to our Author to confesse, that surely
there is a God that ruleth the earth. And many times God cutts
off those cunning and mighty men in the hight of their purposes,
when they think they have neare surmounted all dangers and
difficulties