thee; cannot find more fresh and lively examples than the actions of
this man. He deserves to be found fault withall for the creation of
Julius the second, wherein an evil choice was made for him: for, as it
is said, not being able to make a Pope to his mind, he could have
withheld any one from being Pope; and should never have consented that
any one of those Cardinals should have got the Papacy, whom he had ever
done harme to; or who having attaind the Pontificate were likely to be
afraid of him: because men ordinarily do hurt either for fear, or
hatred. Those whom he had offended, were among others, he who had the
title of St. Peter ad Vincula, Colonna, St. George, and Ascanius; all
the others that were in possibility of the Popedome, were such as might
have feard him rather, except the Cardinal of Roan, and the Spaniards;
these by reason of their allyance and obligation with him, the other
because of the power they had, having the Kingdome of France on their
party; wherefore the Duke above all things should have created a
Spanyard Pope, and in case he could not have done that, he should have
agreed that Roan should have been, and not St. Peter ad Vincula. And
whoever beleeves, that with great personages new benefits blot on the
remembrance of old injuries, is much deceiv'd. The Duke therefore in
this election, was the cause of his own ruine at last.
Till wee come to this seaventh Chapter, I find not any thing
much blame-worthy, unlesse it be on ground he layes in the
second Chapter; whereupon hee builds most of this Fabrick, viz.
That Subjects must either be dallyed or flatterd withall, or
quite crusht. Whereby our Author advises his Prince to support
his authority with two Cardinall Vertues, Dissimulation, and
Cruelty. He considers not herein that the head is but a member
of the body, though the principall; and the end of the parts is
the good of the whole. And here he goes against himselfe in the
twenty sixt Chapter of his Rep. 1. 1. where hee blames Philip of
Macedon for such courses, terming them very cruell, and against
all Christian manner of living; and that every man should refuse
to be a King, and desire rather to live a private life, than to
reigne so much to the ruine of mankind. The life of Cæsar
Borgia, which is here given as a paterne to new Princes, we
shall find to have been nothing else but a cunning carriage of
things so, that he might thereby first deceive and inveigle, and
then suppresse all those that could oppose or hinder his
ambition. For if you runne over his life, you shall see the
Father Pope Alexander the sixt and him, both imbarqued for his
advancement, wherein they engag'd the Papall authority, and
reputation of Religion; for faith and conscience these men never
knew, though they exacted it of others: there was never promise
made, but it was only so farre kept as servd for advantage;