Many punishments sometimes, and
in some cases, as much discredit a prince, as many funerals a
physician. The state of things is secured by clemency; severity
represseth a few, but irritates more. {74a} The lopping of trees
makes the boughs shoot out thicker; and the taking away of some kind
of enemies increaseth the number. It is then most gracious in a
prince to pardon when many about him would make him cruel; to think
then how much he can save when others tell him how much he can
destroy; not to consider what the impotence of others hath
demolished, but what his own greatness can sustain. These are a
prince's virtues: and they that give him other counsels are but the
hangman's factors.
Clementia tutela optima.--He that is cruel to halves (saith the said
St. Nicholas {74b}) loseth no less the opportunity of his cruelty
than of his benefits: for then to use his cruelty is too late; and
to use his favours will be interpreted fear and necessity, and so he
loseth the thanks. Still the counsel is cruelty. But princes, by
hearkening to cruel counsels, become in time obnoxious to the
authors, their flatterers, and ministers; and are brought to that,
that when they would, they dare not change them; they must go on and
defend cruelty with cruelty; they cannot alter the habit.
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