267
THE
DISCOURSES
OF
NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,
Citizen and Secretary of Florence,
Upon the First Decade of
TITUS LIVIUS
TO
Zanobius Bon de montus and Cosimus Rucellaius.
LIBER I.
Considering with my self what honour is given to Antiquity, and how many times (passing by variety of instances) the fragment of an old Statue has been purchas'd at an high rate by many people, out of curiosity to keep it by them, as an ornament to their house, or as a pattern for the imitation of such as delight in that art; and with what industry and pains they endeavour afterwards to have it represented in all their buildings. On the other side, oberving the most honourable and heroick actions (describ'd in History, perform'd by Kingdoms and ancient Common wealths; by Kings, great Captains, Citizens, Legislators, and others, which have not only tir'd, but spent themselves in the service of their Country) are rather admir'd than imitated, and indeed so far shun'd and declin'd, in all places, there is scarce any impression or shadow to be seen in this age of the virtue of our ancestors; I could not at the same time but admire, and lament it; and the more, by how much I observ'd in all civil and personal controversies, in all diseases incident to mankind, recourse is continually had to such judgments and remedies as have been deriv'd to us by our predecessors; for to speak truth, the Civil Law is nothing but the sentence and determination of their fore Fathers, which reduced into order, do shew and instruct our present Lawyers which way to decide; nor is the art of the Physician any thing more than ancient experience handed down to our times, upon which the Practiser of our age founds all his method and doctrine. Nevertheless, in the ordering of Commonwealths, in the conservation of their several
members,
