the master-pieces of Greek literature, — Sophocles, Aristo- 

 phanes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Plutarch, Plato, 

 Aristotle and Demosthenes, hesides a large number of the 

 Latin classics, all of which publications with his imprint, at 

 this day are worth more than their weight in gold. 



The origin of Modern Diplomacy is to be found in Venice, 

 and the Venetians acquired their skill in this art of deception 

 — as it was in their day — "from the Byzantines with whom 

 their trade expansion in the Levant early brought them in 

 close contact." 



As early as 1236 the Republic "began to lay down a series 

 of rules for the conduct of Ambassadors," among which, they 

 were to deliver a written account of their missions ; the re- 

 plies made to them during their tours of service and anything 

 they might have seen or heard which would be of benefit to 

 the State. These provisions were renewed on several occasions 

 down to 1533, "and they are the origin of the famous reports 

 of the Venetian Ambassadors to the Senate, which are at once 

 a monument to the political genius of Venetian Statesmen and 

 a mine of historical material." 



In those days, Diplomacy was frankly Machiavellian and 

 "the ordinary rules of morality were held not to apply in the 

 intercourse between nations. This was admitted in theory as 

 well as in practice." 



Germonius, after a vigorous denunciation of lying in gen- 

 eral, argues that "it is permissible for the safety or conveni- 

 ence of princes, since solus populi suprema lev, and, quod uon 

 permittit naturalis ratio, admittit civilis," and he adduces in 

 support of this principle the answer given by Ulysses to 

 Neoptolemus in the Ajax of Sophocles and the examples of 

 Abraham, Jacob and David. An Ambassador was not only a 

 liar ex officio, but also an honorable spy, and the famous defi- 

 nition of Sir Henry AVotton — "An Ambassador is an honest- 

 man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country," was held 

 to be an indiscreet revelation of the truth. 



During the supremacy of the Venetian Republic, her Am- 

 bassadors were sent to every nation of Europe and to all the 

 Western powers of Asia bordering upon the Mediterranean, 

 and these Ambassadors were unequaled for their skill in nego- 

 tiation, their acuteness of intellect, their faculty for gathering 

 information concerning the most secret movements of the gov- 

 ernments to which they were accredited and the minute and 

 comprehensive Reports which they transmitted to the Venetian 

 Senate. In only one respect have they been surpassed by the 

 modern Diplomat. The principal of Truth in Diplomatic state- 

 ments, now prevails in all Christian lands, and accomplishes 

 more than all the intrigue, deceit and lying that characterized 

 the Mediaeval Diplomat. 



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