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HISTORY C ROSICRUCIANS.
This is a truth very well known to princes ; and though it
be clearly seen that they do not observe it, he is a fool
that believes they do not out of carelessness. I, who have
long studied a point of so great weight, am perswaded that
ignorant and raw men, and men of no merit, are preferred
before learned and deserving persons, not out of any fault
in the prince, but (I blush to say it) through default of the
vertuosi. I acknowledge that princes stand in need of
learned officers and men of experienced valor, but they
likewise need faithful servants. If deserving men and men
of valor were loyal in proportion to their capacity, we
should not complain of the present disorders in seeing un-
deserving dwarfs become great giants in four daies' space,
ignorance seated in the chair of vertue, and folly in valor's
tribunal. 'Tis common to all men to overrate their own
worth, but the vertuosi do presume so much upon their
own good parts that they rather pretend to add to the
prince's reputation by accepting preferments then to receive
credit themselves by accepting his munificence. I have
known many so foolishly enamoured of their own works
that they have thought it a greater happiness for a prince
to have an occasion of honouring them then good luck for
the other to meet with so liberal a prince. Such men, ac-
knowledging all favours conferred upon them as debts paid
to their deserts, prove so ungrateful to their benefactors in
their necessity that they are abhorred as perfidious, and are
causes of this grievance, that princes seek fidelity instead of
more shining accomplishments, that they may be secure of
gratitude when they stand in need of it."
Periander having
thus:
" Most wise
finished his
philosophers,
discourse,
all of you
Bias spake
sufficiently
know that the reason of the world's depravity is only be-