536 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



Geylan also enjoyed this good fortune : because in the 

 midst of the marvellous peace in which the Island was 

 governed by Constantino de Sa, watchful about the years to 

 follow, he caused as usual the clash of arms to be heard, the 

 ring of which not only prevented idleness (that cankerworm 

 of empires) among the Portuguese, but also plainly showed 

 the King of Candia, already a violator of the treaty of peace, 

 the spirit which animated him in pursuing the conquest 

 without coming actually to blows ; and to get satisfaction 

 for broken faith which he had so often sworn to for his own 

 profit — an action which is infamous even in a prince, when 

 it happens out of alarm for the misdeed and the insult of not 

 keeping his word and oath (through fear of punishment) that 

 God makes him afraid to break. 



Machiavelli, being a condemned author and of contrary 

 opinion, maintains, however, that the Romans feared more 

 to break treaties than to break laws ; and perhaps for this 

 reason God made them masters of the world. It is a great 

 pity then that he counselled the contrary to Christian princes 

 who followed his maxims for their own convenience, neither 

 keeping statutes nor charters to which they had once given 

 their word punctually to follow for the public welfare of 

 their kingdoms ; so much so that in breaking it they com- 

 mitted deadly sin and perjured themselves. They were 

 obliged to make up for the evil they had done the State in 

 this way, in case the people would not waive in the public 

 courts the privileges that had been conceded to them and 

 sworn in their favour. They could legally renounce them : 

 but the prince could not renew, alter, diminish, nor increase 

 the absolute power, inasmuch as he could not do what he 

 wished, but only what was just. 



Our General made use of dissimulation, concealing certain 

 things which were of importance to the State, so as to 

 make use of them when both the time and occasion were 

 ripe ; for if fraud and deceit destroy kingdoms he had to 

 temporise skilfully to preserve them. The idolater of Candia, 

 being a perfect master in cunning, falsehood, trickery, and 



