Now then, since the affairs of the cities have neither wars to be
managed, tyrannies to be overthrown, nor leagues and alliances to be
treated, what can any one undertake for the beginning of an illustrious
and splendid government? There are yet left public causes and embassies
to the emperor, which require the courage and prudence of an acute and
cautious person. There are also in the cities many good and laudable
usages neglected, which may be restored, and many ill practices
brought in by custom, to the disgrace or damage of the city, which
may be redressed, to gain him the esteem of the people. Moreover, a
great suit rightly determined, fidelity in defending a poor man’s
cause against a powerful adversary, and freedom of speech in behalf of
justice to some unjust nobleman, have afforded some a glorious entrance
into the administration of the state. Not a few also have been advanced
by enmity and quarrels, having set themselves to attack such men whose
dignity was either envied or terrible. For the power of him that is
overthrown does with greater glory accrue to his overthrower. Indeed,
through envy to contend against a good man, and one that has by virtue
been advanced to the chiefest honor,—as Simmias did against Pericles,
Alcmaeon against Themistocles, Clodius against Pompey, and Meneclides
the orator against Epaminondas,—is neither good for one’s reputation
nor otherwise advantageous. For when the multitude, having outraged
some good man, soon after (as it frequently happens) repent of their
indignation, they think that way of excusing this offence the easiest
which is indeed the justest, to wit, the destroying of him who was the
persuader and author of it. But the rising up to humble and pull down
a wicked person, who has by his audaciousness and cunning subjected
the city to himself (such as heretofore Cleon and Clitophon were in
Athens), makes a glorious entrance to the management of public affairs,
as it were to a play. I am not ignorant also that some, by opposing—as
Ephialtes did at Athens, and Phormio amongst the Eleans—an imperious
and oligarchical senate, have at the same time obtained both authority
and honor; but in this there is great danger to him who is but entering
upon the administration of state. Wherefore Solon took a better
beginning; for the city of Athens being divided into three parts, the
Diacrians (or inhabitants of the hill), the Pedieans (or dwellers on
the plain), and the Paralians (or those whose abode was by the water
side), he, joining himself with none of them, but acting for the common
good of them all, and saying and doing all things for to bring them to
concord, was chosen the lawgiver to take away their differences, and by
that means settled the state.
Such then and so many beginnings has the more splendid way of entering
upon state affairs.
11. But many gallant men have chosen the safe and slow method, as
Aristides, Phocion, Pammenes the Theban, Lucullus in Rome, Cato, and
Agesilaus the Lacedaemonian. For as ivy, twining about the strongest
trees, rises up together with them; so every one of these, applying
himself, whilst he was yet young and inglorious, to some elder and
illustrious personage, and growing up and increasing by little and
little under his authority, grounded and rooted himself in the
commonweal. For Clisthenes advanced Aristides, Chabrias preferred
Phocion, Sylla promoted Lucullus, Maximus raised Cato, Pammenes
forwarded Epaminondas, and Lysander assisted Agesilaus. But this
last, injuring his own reputation through an unseasonable ambition
and jealousy, soon threw off the director of his actions; but the
rest honestly, politically, and to the end, venerated and magnified
the authors of their advancement,—like bodies which are opposed to
the sun,—by reflecting back the light that shone upon them, augmented
and rendered more illustrious. Certainly those who looked asquint
upon Scipio called him the player, and his companion Laelius the
poet or author of his actions; yet was not Laelius puffed up by any
of these things, but continued to promote the virtue and glory of
Scipio. And Afranius, the friend of Pompey, though he was very meanly
descended, yet being at the very point to be chosen consul, when he
understood that Pompey favored others, gave over his suit, saying that
his obtaining the consulship would not be so honorable as grievous
and troublesome to him, if it were against the good-will and without
the assistance of Pompey. Having therefore delayed but one year, he
enjoyed the dignity and preserved his friendship. Now those who are
thus by others led, as it were, by the hand to glory do, in gratifying
one, at the same time also gratify the multitude, and incur less odium,
if any inconvenience befalls them. Wherefore also Philip (king of
Macedon) exhorted his son Alexander, whilst he had leisure during the
reign of another, to get himself friends, winning their love by kind
and affable behavior.
12. Now he that begins to enter upon the administration of state
affairs should choose himself a guide, who is not only a man of credit
and authority but is also such for his virtue. For as it is not every
tree that will admit and bear the twining of a vine, there being some
which utterly choke and spoil its growth; so in states, those who are
no lovers of virtue and goodness, but only of honor and sovereignty,
afford not young beginners any opportunities of performing worthy
actions, but do through envy keep them down and let them languish
whom they regard as depriving them of their glory, which is (as it
were) their food. Thus Marius, having first in Afric and afterwards in
Galatia done many gallant exploits by the assistance of Sylla, forbare
any farther to employ him, and utterly cast him off, being really vexed
at his growing into repute, but making his pretence the device engraven
on his seal. For Sylla, being paymaster under Marius when he was
general in Afric, and sent by him to Bocchus, brought with him Jugurtha
prisoner; but as he was an ambitious young man, who had but just
tasted the sweetness of glory, he received not his good fortune with
moderation; but having caused the representation of the action to be
engraven on his seal, wore about him Jugurtha delivered into his hands;
and this did Marius lay to his charge, when he turned him off. But
Sylla, passing over to Catulus and Metellus, who were good men and at
difference with Marius, soon after in a civil war drove away and ruined
Marius, who wanted but little of overthrowing Rome. Sylla indeed, on
the contrary, advanced Pompey from a very youth, rising up to him and
uncovering his head as he passed by, and not only giving other young
men occasions of doing captain-like actions, but even instigating some
that were backward and unwilling. He filled the armies with emulation
and desire of honor; and thus he had the superiority over them all,
desiring not to be alone, but the first and greatest amongst many great
ones. These therefore are the men to whom young statesmen ought to
adhere, and with these they should be (as it were) incorporated, not
stealing from them their glory,—like Aesop’s wren, which, being carried
up on the eagle’s wings, suddenly flew away and got before her,—but
receiving it of them with friendship and good-will, since they can
never, as Plato says, be able to govern aright, if they have not been
first well practised in obedience.
13. After this follows the judgment that is to be had in the choice
of friends, in which neither the opinion of Themistocles nor that of
Cleon is to be approved. For Cleon, when he first knew that he was to
take on him the government, assembling his friends together, brake
off friendship with them, as that which often disables the mind, and
withdraws it from its just and upright intention in managing the
affairs of the state. But he would have done better, if he had cast
out of his soul avarice and contention, and cleansed himself from
envy and malice. For cities want not men that are friendless and
unaccompanied, but such as are good and temperate. Now he indeed drove
away his friends; but a hundred heads of fawning flatterers were, as
the comedian speaks, licking about him;[60] and being harsh and severe
to those that were civil, he again debased himself to court the favor
of the multitude, doing all things to humor them in their dotage, and
taking rewards at every man’s hand,[61] and joining himself with
the worst and most distempered of the people against the best. But
Themistocles, on the contrary, said to one who told him that he would
govern well if he exhibited himself alike to all: May I never sit on
that throne on which my friends shall not have more power with me than
those who are not my friends. Neither did he well in pinning the state
to his friendship, and submitting the common and public affairs to his
private favors and affections. And farther, he said to Simonides, when
he requested somewhat that was not just: Neither is he a good poet or
musician, who sings against measure; nor he an upright magistrate, who
gratifies any one against the laws. And it would really be a shameful
and miserable thing, that the pilot should choose his mariners, and the
master of a ship the pilot,
Who well can rule the helm, and in good guise
Hoist up the sails, when winds begin to rise,
and that an architect should make choice of such servants and workmen
as will not prejudice his work, but take pains in the best manner to
forward it; but that a statesman—who, as Pindar has it,
The best of artists and chief workman is
Of equity and justice—
should not presently choose himself like-affected friends and
ministers, and such as might co-inspire into him a love of honesty;
but that one or other should be always unjustly and violently bending
him to other uses. For then he would seem to differ in nothing from a
carpenter or mason who, through ignorance or want of experience, uses
such squares, rules, and levels as will certainly make his work to
be awry. Since friends are the living and intelligent instruments of
statesmen, who ought to be so far from bearing them company in their
slips and transgressions, that they must be careful they do not, even
unknown to them, commit a fault.
And this it was, that disgraced Solon and brought him into disrepute
amongst his citizens; for he, having an intention to ease men’s debts
and to bring in that which was called at Athens the Seisachtheia (for
that was the name given by way of extenuation to the cancelling of
debts), communicated this design to some of his friends, who thereupon
did a most unjust act; for having got this inkling, they borrowed
abundance of money, and the law being a little after brought to light,
they appeared to have purchased stately houses, and great store of land
with the wealth they had borrowed; and Solon, who was himself injured,
was accused to have been a partaker of their injustice. Agesilaus also
was most feeble and mean-spirited in what concerned the suits of his
friends, being like the horse Pegasus in Euripides,