Next, That in fame places I vent very great im--pieties, flighting and vilifying the church as author of all the mifgovernment in the world, and by fuch contempt make way for atheism and profaneness.

And lastly, That in my book of the prince, 1 teach monarchs all the execrable villanies that can be invented, and inftruct them how to break faith,› and to opprefs and to enslave their subjects.

I shall answer fomething to every one of these; and that I may observe a right method, will begin with the first.

I shall speak to that which is indeed fit to be wiped off, and which, if it were true, would not only juffly expofe me to the hatred and vengeance of God and all good men, but even deftroy the defign and purpose of all my writings; which is to treat in fome fort, as well as one of my small parts can hope to do, of the politicks: And how can any man pretend to write concerning policy, who deftroys the most effential part of it, which is obedience to all governments? It will be very eafy then for Guilio Salviati, or any other member of our fociety, to believe the proteftation I make, That the animating of private men, either directly or indirectly, to dif obey, much less to Jhake off any government, how

defpotical foever, was never in my thoughts or writings. Those who are unwilling to believe this, may take the pains to affign in any of my books, the paffages they imagine to tend that way, (for I can think of none myfelf) that fo I may give fuch perfon more particular fatisfaction.

I'muft confefs I have a difcourfe in one of my books to encourage the Italian nation, to affume their antient valour, and to expel the Barbarians, meaning, as the antient Romans ufe the word, all ftrangers from among us: but that was before the kings of Spain had quiet poffeffion of the kingdom of Naples, or the emperor of the dutchy of Milan; fo that I could not be interpreted to mean that the people of those two dominions should be stirred up to shake off their princes because they were foreigners, fince at that time Ludovic Sfo za was in poffeffion of the one, and king Frederick reftored to the other, both natives of Italy. But my defign was to exhort our countrymen not to fuffer this province to be the fcene of the arms and ambition of Charles VIII, or K. Lewis his fucceffor, who when they had a mind to renew the old title of the house of Anjou to the kingdom of Naples, came with fuch force into Italy, that not only our goods were plundered, and our lands wafted, but even the liberty of our cities and government

en

endangered; but to unite and oppofe them, and to keep this province in the hands of princes of our own nation, this my intention is fo vifible in the chapter itself, that I need but refer you to it. Yet, that I may not anfwer this imputation barely by denying, I shall affert in this place what my principles are in that which the world calls REBELLION; which I believe to be not only a rifing in arms against any government we live under, but acknowledge that word to extend to all clandeftine confpiracies too, by which the peace and quiet of any country may be interrupted, and by confequence the lives and eftates of innocent perfons endangered. REBELLION then fo defcribed, I held to be the greatest cime that can be committed among men, both against policy, morality and in foro confcien-tia; but notwithstanding all this, it is an offence which will be committed whilft the world lafts, as often as princes tyrannize, and by enflaving and depreffing their fubje&is, make magiftracy, which was intended for the benefit of mankind, prove a plague and deftruction to it: for let the terror and the guilt be never fo great, it is impoffible that human nature, which confifts in paffion as well as virtue, can fupport with patience and fubmiffion the greateft cruelty and injuftice, whenever either the weaknefs of their princes, the unanimity of the people, or any other favourable

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vourable accident, fhall give them reafonable hopes to mend their condition, and provide better for their own intereft by infurrection. So that princes and states ought in the conduct of their affairs not only to confider what their people are bound to fubmit to, if they were infpired from heaven, or were all moral philofophers; but to weigh likewife what is probable de facto to fall out in this corrupt age of the world, and to reflect upon thofe dange-· rous tumults which have happened frequently,. not only upon of preffion, but even by reafon of malverfation, and how fome monarchies have been wholly fubverted and changed into democracies by the tyranny of their princes; as we fee, to fay nothing of Rome, the powerful cantons of Switzerland brought by that means, a little before the laft age, to a confiderable commonwealth, courted and fought to by all the poten tates in Chriftendom. If princes will feriously confider this matter, I make no question but they will rule with clemency and moderation, and return to that excellent maxim of the antients, almoft exploded in this age, That the intereft of kings and of their people is the fame: Which truth has been the whole defign of my writings to convince them of.

Now having gone thus far in the defcription of REBELLION, I think myself obliged to tell you

what

what I conceive not to be rebellion. Whosoever then takes arms to maintain the politic conftitution or government of his country in the condition it then is, I mean, to defend it from being changed or invaded by the craft or force of any man (al though it be the PRINCE or chief magiftrate himself) provided, that such taking up of arms be commanded or authorized by thofe, who are by the order of that government legally entrusted with the cuftody of the liberty of the people and foundation of the government: this I hold to be fo far from rebellion, that I believe it laudable; nay, the duty of every member of fuch commonwealth; for that he who fights to fupport and defend the government he was born and lives under, cannot deferve the odious name of REBEL, but he who endeavours to destroy it. If this be not granted, it will be in vain to frame any mixed government in the world: Yet fuch is at this day the happy form under which almost all Europe lives, as the people of France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Swedeland, Denmark, &c. wherein the prince hath his fhare, and the people theirs: Which last, if they have no means of recovering their right, if taken away from them, or defending them if invaded, would be in the fame eftate, as if they had no title to them, but lived under the empire of Turky or Mufany and fince they have no other remedy

but