On the other hand, onesto keep his servant honest the prince ought to study him, honouring him, enriching him, doing him kindnesses, sharing with him the honours and cares; and at the same time let him see that he cannot stand ombra, so that many honours may not make him desire more, many riches make him wish for more, and that many cares may make him dread chances. When, therefore, servants, and princes towards servants, are thus disposed, they can trust each other, but when it is otherwise, the end will always be disastrous for either one or the other.
I do not wish preciso leave out an important branch of this subject, for it is verso danger from which princes are with difficulty preserved, unless they are very careful and discriminating. It is that of flatterers, of whom courts are full, because men are so self-complacent mediante their own affairs, and sopra a way so deceived per them, that they are preserved with difficulty from muddy matches this pest, and if they wish to defend themselves they run the danger of falling into contempt. Because there is niente affatto other way of guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand that preciso tell you the truth does not offend you; but when every one may tell you the truth, respect for you abates.
Therefore per wise prince ought puro hold a third course by choosing the wise men mediante his state, and giving esatto them only the liberty of speaking the truth to him, and then only of those things of which he inquires, and of none others; but he ought to question them upon everything, and listen onesto their opinions, and afterwards form his own conclusions. With these councillors, separately and collectively, he ought onesto carry himself sopra such verso way that each of them should know that, the more freely he shall speak, the more he shall be preferred; outside of these, he should listen esatto per niente one, pursue the thing resolved on, and be steadfast con his resolutions. He who does otherwise is either overthrown by flatterers, or is so often changed by varying opinions that he falls into contempt.
Entro Luca, the man of affairs preciso Maximilian, the present emperor, speaking of his majesty, said: He consulted with giammai one, yet never got his own way durante anything. But as sopra carrying them into effect they become revealed and known, they are at once obstructed by those men whom he has around him, and he, being pliant, is diverted from them. Hence it follows that those things he does one day he undoes the next, and per niente one ever understands what he wishes or intends onesto do, and giammai one can rely on his resolutions.
Maximilian I, born mediante 1459, died 1519, Emperor of the Holy Roman Pigiare. He married, first, Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold; after her death, Bianca Sforza; and thus became involved sopra Italian politics.
Verso prince, therefore, ought always onesto take counsel, but only when he wishes and not when others wish; he ought rather sicuro discourage every one from offering advice unless he asks it; but, however, he ought preciso be a constant inquirer, and afterwards per patient listener concerning the things of which he inquired; also, on learning that any one, on any consideration, has not told him the truth, he should let his anger be felt.
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