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108 Canneschi; so that not one of his family were living but John Bentivoglio, who was then an infant in the cradle. The people rose against the conspirators, and massacred the whole family of the murderers; and still more strongly to shew their attachment to the house of Bentivoglio, as there was none left who could supply the place of Hannibal, the Bolonese applied to the government of Florence for a natural son of the prince, whose death they had just avenged, who lived in that city under the name of an artisan who passed for his father, and confided to him the direction of affairs till John Bentivoglio should be of age to govern.

A prince has therefore little to fear from conspiracies when he possesses the affections of the people; but he has no resource left, if this support should fail him. Content the people and manage the nobles, and you have the maxim of wise governors.

France holds the first rank amongst well governed states. One of the wisest institutions they have is unquestionably that of the parliaments, whose object is to watch over the security of the government and the liberties of the people. The founders of this institution were aware, on the one hand, of the insolence and ambition of the nobles, and, on the other, of the excess to which the people are apt to be transported against them,