overn themselves in keeping their promises made: whereof he
sayes they ought to make such small reckoning, as that rather
they should know by their craft how to turne and wind men about,
whereby to take advantage of all winds and fortunes. To this I
would oppose that in the fifteenth Psal. v. 5. He that sweareth
to his neighbor, and disappointeth him not, though it were to
his own hindrance. It was a King that writ it, and me thinks the
rule he gave, should well befit both King and Subject: and
surely this perswades against all taking of advantages. A man
may reduce all the causes of faith-breaking to three heads. One
may be, because he that promised, had no intention to keep his
word; and this is a wicked and malitious way of dealing. A
second may bee, because hee that promisd, repents of his promise
made; and that is grounded on unconstancy, and lightness in that
he would not be well resolved before he entred into covenant.
The third may be, when it so falls out, that it lyes not in his
power that made the promise to performe it. In which case a man
ought to imitate the good debter, who having not wherewithall to
pay, hides not himself, but presents his person to his creditor,
willingly suffering imprisonment. The first and second are very
vitious and unworthy of a Prince: in the third, men might well
be directed by the examples of those two famous Romans, Regulus
and Posthumius. I shall close this with the answer of Charles
the fifth, when he was pressed to break his word with Luther for
his safe return from Wormes; _Fides rerum promissarum etsi toto
mundo exulet, tamen apud imperatorem cam consistere oportet_.
Though truth be banisht out of the whole world, yet should it
alwaies find harbour in an Emperors breast.

[Sidenote: _Gulielmus Xenocarus_ in vit. Car. Quinti.]

CHAP. XIX

That Princes should take a care, not to incurre contempt or hatred.

But because among the qualities, whereof formerly mention is made, I
have spoken of those of most importance, I will treat of the others more
briefly under these qualityes that a Prince is to beware, as in part is
above-said, and that he fly those things which cause him to be odious or
vile: and when ever he shall avoid this, he shall fully have plaid his
part, and in the other disgraces he shall find no danger at all. There
is nothing makes him so odiou