CHAPTER XXIII. HOW FLATTERERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED

On the other hand, puro 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 alone, 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 privativa 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 per 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 per their own affairs, and in verso way so deceived sopra them, that they are preserved with difficulty from 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 esatto 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 to hold verso third course by choosing the wise men durante his state, and giving puro 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 preciso question them upon everything, and listen onesto their opinions, and afterwards form his own conclusions. With these councillors, separately and collectively, he ought preciso carry himself sopra such per 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 onesto niente affatto one, pursue the thing resolved on, and be steadfast con his resolutions. He who christiandatingforfree sito di incontri does otherwise is either overthrown by flatterers, or is so often changed by varying opinions that he falls into contempt.

This arose because of his following verso practice the opposite esatto the above; for the emperor is a secretive man-he does not communicate his designs esatto any one, nor does he receive opinions on them

Frammezzo a Luca, the man of affairs esatto Maximilian, the present emperor, speaking of his majesty, said: He consulted with niente affatto one, yet never got his own way sopra anything. But as in 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 no one ever understands what he wishes or intends to do, and no one can rely on his resolutions.

Maximilian I, born sopra 1459, died 1519, Emperor of the Holy Roman Riempire. He married, first, Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold; after her death, Bianca Sforza; and thus became involved in Italian politics.

I wish on this subject to adduce per modern example

Per prince, therefore, ought always preciso 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 per 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.