s facit; hoc igitur modo maiorem regibus
inesse necesse est miseriae portionem. Expertus sortis suae periculorum
tyrannus regni metus pendentis supra uerticem gladii terrore simulauit.
Quae est igitur haec potestas quae sollicitudinum morsus expellere, quae
formidinum aculeos uitare nequit? Atqui uellent ipsi uixisse securi, sed
nequeunt; dehinc de potestate gloriantur. An tu potentem censes quem uideas
uelle quod non possit efficere? Potentem censes qui satellite latus ambit,
qui quos terret ipse plus metuit, qui ut potens esse uideatur, in
seruientium manu situm est? Nam quid ego de regum familiaribus disseram,
cum regna ipsa tantae inbecillitatis plena demonstrem? Quos quidem regia
potestas saepe incolumis saepe autem lapsa prosternit. Nero Senecam
familiarem praeceptoremque suum ad eligendae mortis coegit arbitrium.
Papinianum diu inter aulicos potentem militum gladiis Antoninus obiecit.
Atqui uterque potentiae suae renuntiare uoluerunt, quorum Seneca opes etiam
suas tradere Neroni seque in otium conferre conatus est; sed dum ruituros
moles ipsa trahit, neuter quod uoluit effecit. Quae est igitur ista
potentia quam pertimescunt habentes, quam nec cum habere uelis tutus sis et
cum deponere cupias uitare non possis? An praesidio sunt amici quos non
uirtus sed fortuna conciliat? Sed quem felicitas amicum fecit, infortunium
faciet inimicum. Quae uero pestis efficacior ad nocendum quam familiaris
inimicus?

V.

But can kingdoms and the familiarity of kings make a man mighty? Why
not, when their felicity lasteth always? But both former and present
times are full of examples that many kings have changed their happiness
with misery. O excellent power, which is not sufficient to uphold
itself! And if this strength of kingdoms be the author of blessedness,
doth it not diminish happiness and bring misery, when it is in any way
defective? But though some empires extend themselves far, there will
still remain many nations out of their dominions. Now, where the power
endeth which maketh them happy, there entereth the contrary which maketh
them miserable, so that all kings must needs have less happiness than
misery. That Tyrant, knowing by experience the dangers of his estate,
signified the fears incident to a kingdom, by the hanging of a drawn
sword over a man's head.[125] What power is this, then, which cannot
expel nor avoid biting cares and pricking fears? They would willingly
have lived