1 86 Appendix II 



the putting off of your hat, and making a leg pleases more than reward or 

 preservation, so much doth it take all kind of people. Then to speak well 

 of everybody, and when you hear people speak ill of others reprehend them 

 and seem to dislike it so much, as do not look of them so favourably for a 

 few days after, and say something in favour of those that have been spoke 

 against ; for you may say something of everybody to the best ; the other 

 which is railing, scorn, and jeering, is fitter for porters, watermen, and 

 carmen, than for gentlemen ; how much more then for a Prince, whose 

 dislike is death, and kills any subject. Besides, you may be sure the 

 parties will hear of it, and though they dare do nothing because they want 

 power nor say nothing for fear of being troubled, yet believe it, sir, they 

 are traitors in their hearts to you, and of your own making, and so are all 

 their friends. Of the other side, to speak well of them will be told too, 

 and that wins them as much ; the other loses them ; and this way you 

 will get their hearts, and then you have all they have, and more you cannot 

 have. And how easy a way is this to have the people. To lose your 

 dignity and set by your state, I do not advise you to that, but the contrary : 

 for what preserves you Kings more than ceremony. The cloth of estates, 

 the distance people are with you, great officers, heralds, drums, trumpeters, 

 rich coaches, rich furniture for horses, guards, marshal's men making room, 

 disorders to be laboured by their staff of office, and cry ' now the King 

 comes ' ; I know these maskers x the people sufficiently ; aye, even the 

 wisest though he knew it and not accustomed to it, shall shake off his 

 wisdom and shake for fear of it, for this is the mist is cast before us, and 

 maskers the Commonwealth. Besides authority doth what it list, I mean 

 power that's the stronger, though sometimes it shifts sides, therefore the 

 King must know at what time to play the King, and when to qualify it, 

 but never put it off ; for in all triumphs whatsoever or public showing 

 yourself, you cannot put upon you too much king ; yet even there some- 

 times a hat or smile in the right place will advantage you, but at other 

 times you may do more, and civil speeches to people and short doth much 

 win of them : and certainly, sir, civility cannot unprince you, but much 

 advantage you. To women you cannot be too civil, especially to great 

 ones : what hurt were it to send them a dish from your table when they 

 dine with some of your great lords, and to drink their health ? Certainly, 

 sir, you cannot lose by courtesy. I mean not you should be so familiar 

 as to bring you to contempt, for I mean you should keep yourself up Prince 

 still, and in all your actions, but I would not have you so seared with 

 majesty as to think you are not of mankind, nor suffer others or yourself 

 to flatter you so much. The incommodities to-life and the sustaining of 

 it, and the same things the meanest do, you must do the like or not live ; 

 these things when you are pleased to think of them will persuade you that 

 are of the lump of man, and mortal, and the more you repeat these thoughts 

 the better Prince you will be, both to serve God and for distributive justice 

 to your people ; for being a Prince you ought rather to give Almighty God 

 thanks for the advantage-ground you have of other people, than to be 

 proud. I mean not by repeating your mortality to have a death's head 

 set always before you, or to cry every morning that you are mortal, for I 

 would not have you fall into a divine melancholy, to be an anchorite or a 

 capuchin, or with a philosophical discourse to be a Diogenes in your tub ; 



1 Here aud four lines lower down I should suggest ' masters ' instead of ' maskers.' 



