e for their safety, his prudence,
his magnanimity, and the good order he maintained in conducting and
commanding them. What made him hated was his being more stern to
punish than bountiful to reward; and Livius instances the following
circumstances as giving rise to this hatred. First, his having applied
the money got by the sale of the goods of the Veientines to public
purposes, and not divided it along with the rest of the spoils. Second,
his having, on the occasion of his triumph, caused his chariot to be
drawn by four white horses, seeking in his pride, men said, to make
himself the equal of the sun god. And, third, his having vowed to Apollo
a tenth of the Veientine plunder, which, if he was to fulfil his vow, he
had to recover from his soldiers, into whose hands it had already come.

Herein we may well and readily discern what causes tend to make a prince
hateful to his people; the chief whereof is the depriving them of some
advantage. And this is a matter of much importance. For when a man is
deprived of what is in itself useful, he never forgets it, and every
trifling occasion recalls it to his mind; and because such occasions
recur daily, he is every day reminded of his loss. Another error which
we are here taught to guard against, is the appearing haughty and proud,
than which nothing is more distasteful to a people, and most of all to
a free people; for although such pride and haughtiness do them no hurt,
they nevertheless hold in detestation any who display these qualities.
Every show of pride, therefore, a prince should shun as he would a rock,
since to invite hatred without resulting advantage were utterly rash and
futile.

CHAPTER XXIV.--_That prolonged Commands brought Rome to Servitude_.

If we well examine the course of Roman history, we shall find two causes
leading to the break-up of that republic: one, the dissensions which
arose in connection with the agrarian laws; the other, the prolongation
of commands. For had these matters been rightly understood from the
first, and due remedies applied, the freedom of Rome had been far more
lasting, and, possibly, less disturbed. And although, as touching the
prolongation of commands, we never find any tumult breaking out in Rome
on that account, we do in fact discern how much harm was done to the
city by the ascendency which certain of its citizens thereby gained.
This mischief indeed would not have arisen, if other citizens whose
period of office was