MODERX POLICY. 257 



accusing, to omit the good offices of a prince, 

 and to select and publish only his bad ; for by 

 this means, no magistrate shall be innocent. 



As greatness gives a gloss to the virtues of a 

 prince, so it mitigates his vices ; for if we look 

 upon him as circled with honour, and all out- 

 ward enjoyments, we see withal, what variety 

 of temptations he hath to struggle with above 

 others, having no other guard, no other weapon, 

 than his mere virtue ; sometimes, we are de- 

 fended from a sin, by our very impotency ; it 

 may be above our sphere, or out of our reach ; 

 we do not, because we cannot ; how often are 

 our wills offenders, when our hands are inno- 

 cent ? We are checked from without, he com- 

 monly from within, having nothing to dispute 

 with his immoderate desires, but himself. This 

 is that which enhances the goodness of a prince, 

 as that excellent poet (Spencer,) leads his tem- 

 perate knight through all the delicacies and 

 charms of pleasure, and delivers him a con- 

 queror. 



But suppose a magistrate really tyrannical ; 

 it is no contemptible question, whether the evils 

 of the redress may not be equivalent to the 

 mischief? I remember Livy's,* ' We can nei- 

 ther abide the disease, nor the remedy ;' and 



* Nee morbuin ferre possumus, nee remediiim, 

 \^0L. TI. S 



