
PLUS PAR VERTU QUE
par armes.
L’Estat du Prince bon plus fermement se fonde
Dessus le pilotis de clemence, & bonté.
Que si plus sourcilleux son sceptre il eut monté
De force & de rigueur sur la base profonde.
Le Roy qui est benin mesprise guet, & ronde:
Le repos sans celà, clost son oeil en seurté.
Au contraire, du jour la plus belle clarté
Effroyable, au [=aux]
Tyrans, mille terreurs desbonde.
Ainsi, bien que la force arma de toutes pars
Le Throne de Denis, de mille armez soudars,
La crainte bourreloit sa palle conscience.
Et vuyde d’asseurance, il aymoit mieux fier
La façon de son poil au charbon, qu’au barbier.[1]
Tant l’injustice au coeur ente de meffiance.

Ad Basilium Charondam Albanum.[2]
Plus virtute quàm armis.
More by virtue than by arms
PLus Princeps bonitate suâ, quàm robore pollet:
Poscunt regna fidem, tela tyrannis amat.
At Rex securis premit alta cubilia somnis:
Quod metuat mediâ luce tyrannus habet.
The prince is strong more on account of his goodness than his physical strength. Ruling demands reliability; it is tyranny that loves weapons. A king presses his high bed with secure sleep; the tyrant has something to fear in broad daylight.
1. Dionysius I, Tyrant of Syracuse, was an archetypal tyrant of antiquity (roughly 4th century BC), who feared assassination so much that he could never entrust himself even to a barber.
2. Basilius Charondas, from Albania (or more correctly, from Epirus, now split between modern Albania and Greece), a poet and friend of Boissard’s who died in the plague of Padua of 1576.
Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- adult man [31D14] Search | Browse Iconclass
- armour [45C22] Search | Browse Iconclass
- carrying something [46C121] Search | Browse Iconclass
- casting weapons (with NAME) [45C11(SPEAR)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- column, pillar ~ architecture [48C161] Search | Browse Iconclass
- container of ceramics: jar, jug, pot, vase [41A773] Search | Browse Iconclass
- fa‡ade (of house or building) [41A31] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Greek script [49L13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hand touching the beard [31A2532] Search | Browse Iconclass
- hangings and drapery [41A422] Search | Browse Iconclass
- historical person (with NAME) [61B2(Dionysius I of Syracuse)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- inscription [49L8] Search | Browse Iconclass
- land forces ®® KEY (2) TO 45 warfare; military affairs [45(+2)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- looking over the shoulder [31A247] Search | Browse Iconclass
- monument, statue [25I152] Search | Browse Iconclass
- on fire, ablaze [41B4] Search | Browse Iconclass
- shaving, being shaved [31A5353] Search | Browse Iconclass
- smoke [41B162] Search | Browse Iconclass
- throne [44B1212] Search | Browse Iconclass
- tyrant, dictator [44B119] Search | Browse Iconclass
- urn [42E34] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- barber, barbershop [31A535] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Confidence, Security, Tranquillity; 'Confidenza', 'Sicurezza e Tranquillità', 'Sicurtà', 'Sicurtà o Sicurezza', 'Tranquillità' (Ripa) [56D3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Conscience; 'Coscienza' (Ripa) [57A3] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Fear, Dread; 'Paura', 'Timidit… o Timore', 'Timore' (Ripa) [56DD1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Goodness; 'Bontà' (Ripa) [54A5] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Injustice; 'Ingiustitia' (Ripa) [59CC2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sleeping; unconsciousness [31B1] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Sternness; 'Rigore' (Ripa) [53C13] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Strength, Power; 'Fortezza', 'Fortezza d'Animo e di corpo', 'Fortezza del corpo congiunta con la generosità dell'animo', 'Fortezza & valore del corpo congiunto con la prudenza & virtù del animo', 'Forza' (Ripa) [54A7] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Trustworthiness, Reliability [57A6141] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Virtuousness; 'Amor di Virt—', 'Attione virtuosa', 'Guida sicura de' veri honori', 'Virt—', 'Virt— insuperabile' (Ripa) [57A6] Search | Browse Iconclass
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