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 in the service of one who is vicious and malign, let him depart as soon as he discovers it, lest he suffer that keen anguish which all good men feel who serve the wicked." "We must needs pray God," replied Calmeta, "to send us good masters, for when we have them, we are forced to endure them such as they are; because an infinity of reasons constrain a gentleman not to leave the patron he has once begun to serve; but the misfortune consists in beginning to serve a bad patron, and Courtiers in this condition are like those unhappy birds that are hatched in a gloomy valley." "It seems to me," said messer Federico, "that duty ought to outweigh all other reasons. And provided a gentleman does not leave his patron when at war or in adversity,— lest he be thought to have done so to better his fortunes or because he feared that he might lack opportunity for gain,— I think that at any other time he rightly may and ought to leave a service that is like to disgrace him before all good men; for everyone assumes that whoever serves the good is good, and that whoever serves the wicked is wicked." 23.— Then my lord Ludovico Pio said: "I should like to have you clear a doubt that is in my mind; that is, whether a gentleman in the service of a prince is bound to obey him in all things that he commands, even if they be dishonourable and infamous."

"In dishonourable things we are not bound to obey any man," replied messer Federico.

"And how," returned my lord Ludovico, " if I am in the service of a prince who uses me well and trusts to my doing for him all that can be done, commanding me to go kill a man or do anything else you please,— ought I to refuse to do it?"

"You ought," replied messer Federico, "to obey your lord in all things that are advantageous and honourable to him, not in those that bring him injury and disgrace. Therefore if he were to command you to commit an act of treachery, not only would you not be bound to do it, but you would be bound not to do it,— both for your own sake and for the sake of not being a minister to your lord's disgrace. True it is that many things which are evil seem at first sight good, and many seem evil and yet are