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Hello and welcome to the history of China.

Episode 240, the Solicism of Power.

To speak now of the true temper of empire, it is a thing rare and hard to keep.

Both temper and distemper consist of contraries.

But it is one thing to mingle contraries, another to interchange them.

The answer of Apollonius to Vespasian is full of excellent instruction.

Vespasian asked him, what was Nero's overthrow?

He answered, Nero could touch and time the heart well.

But in government, sometimes he used to wind the pins too high, sometimes to let them down too low.

And certain it is that nothing destroyer authority so much as the unequal and untimely

interchange of power pressed too far and then relaxed too much.

This is true that all the wisdom of these last times in princes affairs is rather fine

deliveries and shifting of dangers and mischiefs when they are near, then solid and grounded

courses to keep them aloof. But this is to try masteries with fortune.

And let men beware how they neglect and suffer matter of trouble to be prepared.

For no man can forbid the spark nor tell when it may come.

The difficulties in princes' business are many and great, but the greatest difficulty

is often in their own mind. For it is common with princes, say it's tassitus, to will

contradictories. Sunt Ploronque regum volentates, at inter say contrariere.

The desires of kings are often vehement and contradictory with one another.

For it is the solidism of power to think to command the end and yet not to endure the mean.

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