So _Rome_, or rather the Church-men in _Rome_, cover every thing with the gold of their inventions and slights, giving thus to Princes and Nations most bitter medicines covered with the zeal of Religion, which they have no sooner swallowed, but they find that there was nothing but an appearance of good in it. In the Court of _Rome_ it often falls out, that he that makes as if he knew all mens intrigues is altogether ignorant, and he that feigns to know nothing, knowes all. The exterior shew of goodness runs like a stream in the sight of all, but it springs from a head of mischeif, which is seen by few, because there they seldome give the sting without the honey. Nothing is done in _Rome_ without the zeal of Religion; and yet the zeale of Religion is that which prevailes least in all things. For they make a great distinction between those things that they desire, and those that they ought to do. They employ all their resolution and their prudence towards the compassing of the first, but they seldome performe the last, as not being inclin’d to make their wills stoop to their duty. These maximes, or the like, are common in all the Princes Courts, both within and without _Italy_; but _Rome_ is the Seminary of these Arts, in which the Church-men are masters. He that goes to negotiate in _Rome_ as a publick Minister from some Prince or State, must first have made some stay in it as a private person; and for my part, I am perswaded, that to have good success in such an employment, one stands in need of that double spirit which _Eliseus_ asked _Elias_ for; since that Church-men are so double-souled, as to use nothing but slights and subtilties in their negotiations. He that can live four or five years in the Court of _Rome_, without meeting with such impediments as shall make him stumble and go neer to fall, may live a whole Age in any other Princes Court without trouble. We see every day by experience, that many excellent Politicians, Ministers of Princes, and States, who in other Courts had got a great deal of credit and reputation, by managing business to their Princes content, are no sooner come to _Rome_, but in an instant they lose all that honour that they had taken so much pains for. And indeed many are they that come to the Court of _Rome_ with a great deal of credit, but few come off and leave it with honour and reputation. In a Climate subject to so many sudden changes, they that live in it must expect thunder and lightning, as well as fair weather. There negotiations must needs be hard, where the face of things is changed every day.