THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE COURTIER riage, to the end that the children may not be too near or too far from their father's age; of the exercises and education to be fol- lowed from birth and during the rest of life, in order to make them handsome, strong and sturdy." My lord Gaspar replied: " That which would best please women for making their chil- dren handsome and beautiful, methinks would be that commu- nity wherein Plato in his Republic wishes them to be held, and after that manner." "' Then my lady Emilia said, laughing : " It is not in the compact that you should fall to speaking ill of women again." "I think," replied my lord Gaspar, "that I give them great praise in saying that they wish to bring in a custom approved by so great a man." Messer Cesare Gonzaga said, laughing: " Let us see whether this could have place among my lord Ottaviano's precepts (I do not know if he has rehearsed them all), and whether it were well for the prince to make it law." " The few that I have rehearsed," replied my lord Ottaviano, "might perhaps suffice to make a prince good, as princes go nowadays; although if one cared to look into the matter more minutely, he would still have much more to say." My lady Duchess added : " Since it costs us nothing but words, tell us on your faith everything that it would occur to your mind to teach your prince." 3I-— My lord Ottaviano replied: " Many other things, my Lady, would I teach him, provided I knew them; and among others, that he should choose from his subjects a number of the noblest and wisest gentlemen, with whom he should consult on everything, and that he should give them authority and free leave to speak their mind to him about all things without ceremony; and that he should preserve such demeanour towards them, that they all might perceive that he wished to know the truth about everything and held all man- ner of falsehood in hatred. Besides this council of nobles, I should advise that there be chosen from the people other men of lower rank, of whom a popular council should be made, to com- 269
