well gouerned , if thou perceyue them that ben vnder thy gouernaunce to be by thy dylygence welthy and more temperate in lyuynge .

¶ Sette more by leauynge to thy chyldren honest fame or renoume / than great possessyons or rychesse / for these be transytorie , Honest fame . the other immortalle . Also goodes may be gotten by fame , but good fame canne be bought with no money . Also goodes happen to men that be of euyll disposytion / but so doth not good estimation , but cometh onely to them that endeuour them selfe with vertue to gette it .

¶ Be delicate in thyne apparayle and garmentes that serue for thy body , in all other partes of thy lyuynge be contynent as it besemeth all pryncis of honour / that they that beholde the / for thyne honorable presence may deme the worthy to be a gouernour / and thy famyly 〈◊〉 and seruauntes for thy noble courage may haue of the a lyke good opynyon .

¶ Consyder dylygently bothe thyne owne wordes and thy dedes , to the entent thou mayst fall in very fewe errours .

¶ Of all thynges hit is beste to happen on the ryght poynte of all thynges that are to be doone , but for as moche as that is very harde to be knowen , better is to leue somewhat / than to excede . For moderacyon shall preuayle more , where somwhat doth lacke than where that any thynge is superfluous .

Courteisy & grauitie ¶ Endeuour the to be both courtaise and of a reuerende grauytie : for the one besemeth a prynce / the other is expedyent and more agreable to euery company : all be it to vse both , it is of al other thinges the most dyffycile , for thou shalt fynde for the more part them that vse a reuerent grauyte to be vnpleasaunt , them that be courtoyse , to be of base courage and symple . Therfore the one and the other is to be vsed , than exchne that thyng , whiche in any of them is yll or semeth not conuenyent .

Experyence and philosophy . ¶ If thou woldeste perfectly knowe that , whiche belongeth to kinges to perceyue / geue the to experience and studye of philosophy , for phylosophy shall declare vnto the the meanes or wayes howe to bring to passe thyn affayres : experience in semblable busynesse shall make the able to do or sustayne them .

¶ Beholde dylygently / what as well princis as priuate persons do dayly , and what of theyr actis dothe succede or happen .

¶ Surely if thou remembre well thynges that are passed , thou shalt the bettere consult of thynges comming .

¶ Thinke where priuate persons haue died with good wyl , to the intent that after their dethe they mought be commended , that it were great shame to princis not to trauayle in suche study or busynesse , wherby in theyr lyues they may be worthyly praysed .

¶ Desyre to leaue whan thou dyest / rather monumentes or Images of thy vertues than of thy personage .

¶ Endeuor the specially to kepe alway thy selfe and thy contray in surety .

¶ If necessite constrayne the to ieopard thy person , these rather to dye with honour , than to lyue in reproche .

¶ In all thine actis remembre that thou arte a prynce : and therfore do no thynge vnworthy to so noble a state .

¶ Do not despyse so thy nature , that thou suffre thy selfe all hooly to perisshe / but in as moche as thy bodye is mortalle , and thy soule immortal , assay to leue to thy soule an immortall remembraunce .

¶ Vse the to speke of honest affaires and studies , that by suche custome thou mayst thinke on lyke thynges as thou speketh of .

¶ Thynges that in cosultation seme to be best / those execute thou in thy proper actes .

¶ Whose opynions thou enuyest , his dedes do thou folowe .

¶ Lake what thou counsaylest thy children or seruauntes to do , thynke it conuenyent that thy selfe do the semblable .

¶ Eyther vse that whiche I haue aduysed the to do , or enquyre for better than that is .

¶ Suppose not them to be wise men , that sharpely can talke of smalle thynges and trifles , but those that can substancially speke in matters of waighty importance .

¶ Nor thynke not them wyse , that promisse to other men welthe and good fortune , they them selfe beynge in great necessyte / but rather those that spekyng of them selfes moderately , can with other men and in theyr affayres vse them selfe well and discretely , and being not troubled with any channge of theyr lyuynge , knowe howe to beare honestly and temperately as well aduersite as also prosperite .

¶ And meruaylle thou not , that I haue now rehersed many thinges that thou knewest before / nor that forgatte I not / but knewe well ynoughe , that beynge suche a multitude as well of princis as of priuate persones / some of them haue spoken the same that I dyd , & many haue harde it , & dyuers haue sene other men done it , and some there be that by them selfes haue experienced it . Notwithstandyng in matter concernynge instructyon , noueltie is not to be souhgt for , for therin ought not to be founden eyther synguler opinion , or thynge impossyble , or contrary to mens expectacyon , but suppose that to be in herynge mooste gracyouse or pleasaunte / whiche beynge sowen in the myndes of other , may assemble moste matter to the pourpose / and the same declare beste and mooste aptly . For this knowe I wel , that the counsayles and wyse sentences of poetes and other good authours , are thoughte of all menne to be very profytable : yet wyll not they gladly gyue eare vnto them , but be therwith in the same case , as they be with these that do giue them good counsayle : for they prayse them all , but they care not howe seldome they come in theyr company , desyrynge to be rather with offendours / than with them that of synne be the rebukers . Example we may take of the poemes or warkes of Hesiodus , Theognes , and Phocillides , for euery man affyrmeth them to be excellent counsayles coucerning mannes lyfe , but al though they say so , yet had they leuer vse that , wherto theyr owne madnesse induceth them , than folowe that , wherto the others preceptes doeth aduyse them . Moreouer if one shuld gader out of the said authors that which men cal sentences , wherin they perchance haue ben studiouse , in semblable wise towardes them shulde they be disposed , for they shuld with more plesure here a lyeng fable or fantasy , than the sayd preceptes made by moch connyng and diligence . But what nedeth it to tary longe vpon euery mater ? Genyrally if we wyll consyder the natures of men , we shal perceiue , that many of them delyte neyther in meates that ben most holsome , nor in studies that ben most honest , nor in dedes that is most conuenyent : nor yet in doctryne that is mooste commodiouse , but imbracynge pleasaunte appetites , whiche be repugnaunt to profite , wolde seme to be painful and laboriouse . How may any man content any suche persons , eyther by preachinge or teachyng , or tellyng of any thing that is profitable : that for the wordes that be spoken , do ennie and haue indygnacion at them that speke truly , and do take them for playne men or symple , in whome lacketh wysedome : so moche they abhorre trouthe in all thynges , that they knowe not what is theyrs , or do belong to their office , but consultynge or raysonynge of that which doth partayne vnto them / they be sadde and vnpleasaunte , whan they talke of other mennes affayres they be merye and ioyouse . More ouer they hadde leuer suffre some griefe in their bodies / than in reuoluyng what shuld be moste necessary , trauayle any thyng in theyr mindes . And if a man take good hede , he shall fynde in theyr mutuall assembles and companies , that eyther they reproue other men , or els that they of other be in some thynge reproued . And whan they be by themselfes / they be euer wisshinge and neuer consultinge . I haue not spoken this agayne all men but only againe them that be giltie in that which I haue rehersed . Finally this is apparraunte and certayne , who so euer wyl make or wryte any thynge pleasaunte and thankfull to the multytude , he may not seke for wordes or maters moste profitable / but for them that contayne most fables and leasynges . For in herynge such thynges they reioyce : but whan they perceyne to be labours and contentions in theyr affayres / than be they pensife . Wherfore Homere and they that founde fyrst Tragedyes , may be well maruayled at , who in theyr warkes vsed bothe the sayd fourmes in wrytynge , for Homere expressed in the contencions and batayles of them / whiche for theyr vertues were named halfe goddes , the other brought those fables in to actuall apparaunce , in so moche as we not onely may here them , but also may presently beholde them , by such example it is declared to them that be studiouse to please their herers , that they must abstayne frome exhortynge and counsayllynge them , and that they apply them to wryte and speke that onely / where in they perceyue the multitude to haue most delectation . This before wrytten haue I declared , thynkynge that it besemeth not the that are not one of the people , to be of lyke opynyon with the multytude , nor to iudge thynges to be honest , or men to be plesaunt , accordynge to thy sensuall appetite / but to trye and esteme them by theyr good and profytable actes . Moreouer for as moche as they that labour in the study of Philosophy , concernynge the exercyse of the myndes , be of sundry opynions , some sayenge that men become wiser by moche disputynge and raysonyng , other affyrme that it hapneth by exercyse in polytyke gouernaunce or cyuill causis , dyuers suppose it to come of other doctrynes : but finally they all do confesse , that he whiche is well brought vp , may by euery of the sayd studyes gather mater suffycient to geue good counsayle . Therfore he that wyll leaue the doubtfull opinions / and wyl apply to that which is certayne , he must examyne the raysons therof , and specyally they that be counsailors ought to haue consideration of the occasyon , tyme , and oportunyte , if they can not brynge that to passe , than to reiecte and put a way as well them which speke in al maters generally , as also those that knowe nothynge that is expedyent or necessary , for it is apparante and certayne , that he whiche can not be to him selfe profitable , he shall in other mens busynesse do nothyng wisely , make moch of them that be wyse , and do perceyue more than other men , and haue good regarde towarde them : remembrynge that a good counsaylour , A good counsaillour . is of all other treasure the most royal and profytable , and thynke veryly that they which can most ayde and profyte to thy wytte or reason , shall make thy kyngedome moste ample and honorable . wherfore for my part as moch as I can , I haue exhorted the , and honored the with such presentes as be in my power to geue the. And desyre thou not / that other men shuld bryng vnto the ( as I sayde at the begynnynge ) theyr accustomed presentes , which ye shulde bye moch derer of the giuers , than of the sellers : but couaite thou suche presentes , which if thou do vse well and dylygently ommyttynge no tyme , thou not onely shalt not consume them , but thou shalte also encrease them , and make them of more estimation and value .