Page:The Book of the Courtier.djvu/411

 THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER of these men and as a stimulus to others, so that they might be led by worthy emulation to strive to reach that glory too. 10.—" In this way the Courtier will be able to lead his prince along theJJioriiyL-path-XifLvictufi, decking it as with shady leafage and strewing it with lovely flowers to relieve the tedium of the weary journey to one whose strength is slight; and now with music, now with arms and horses, now with verses, now with love talk, and with all those means whereof these gentlemen have told, to keep his mind continually busied with worthy pleasures, yet always impressing upon him also, as I have said, some virtuous practice along with these allurements, and play- ing upon him with salutary craft; like cunning doctors, who often anoint the edge of the cup with a sweet cordial, when they wish to give some bitter-tasting medicine to sick and over- delicate children. " If, therefore, the Courtier put the veil of pleasure to such a use, he will reach his aim in every time and place and exer- cise, and will deserve much greater praise and reward than for any other good work that he could do in the world. For there is no good thing that is of such universal advantage as a good ^ prince, nor any evil so universally noxious as a bad prince: hence, too, there is no punishment so harsh and cruel as to be a sufficient penalty for those wicked courtiers who use their gentle and pleasant ways and fine accomplishments to a bad end, and therewith seek their prince's favour, in order to corrupt him and entice him from the path of virtue and lead him into vice; for such as these may be said to taint with deadly poison not a single cup from which one man alone must drink, but the public fountain used by all men." II.— My lord Ottaviano was silent, as if he did not wish to say more; but my lord Gaspar said: " It does not seem to me, my lord Ottaviano, that this right- mindedness and continence, and the other virtues which you wish the Courtier to show his lord, can be learned; but I think that the men who have them are given them by nature and by God. And that this is true, you see that there is no man in the world so wicked and ill conditioned, or so intemperate and perverse, as to confess that he is so when he is asked; nay, everyone, how- 251