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vourite sonn’d to himself a new System os Politicks, andthought of nothing then but securing his Prince’s Per-son and Authority. Spies retained by him throughoutall the different Factions and Cabals, instructed him inthe Sentiments of those who hated the new Form of Go-vernment ; and it was the Information he receivedfrom them that induced him to persuade Augustus to re-lax a little his Authority to secure the more estentialPart of it. It was likewise by his Advice that Rome stillcontinued to have Consuls, Pretors and Ediles, ancientOfficers in the Republick *, tho’ in Reality they werenow merely nominal ones, and had no more but the Sha-dow of Authority.

Mæcenas carried his Views and Schemes much far-ther. In Pursuance of his Design to make his Princepersonally esteemed and his Government loved. He at-tracted to him all Persons who could contribute to raise hisPrince’s Glory, Poets, Orators and Historians. He broughtthem about him, loaded them with Honours and Bene-factions, and introduced them to the Emperor. His ob-liging Manner procured him universal Love; and Per-sons of the greatest Consideration and Figure, frequent-ed with Pleasure the polite and learned Conferencesheld at his House. There the Prince’s Merit was highlyextolled, and his Praises spreading from hence over thewhole Empire, insensibly sweetned the Tempers of all

sorts

* Velleius fays,-Restituta vis legibus, judiciis auctoritas, senatui ma-

jestas imperium magistratuum ad pristinum redactum modum : tantummodoocto prætoribus allecti duo ; prifca ilk & antiqua Reip. forma revocata, hc. 89. But Tacitus more truly, Domi res tranquillæ, eadem magistratuum.

vocabula ,--igitur verso civitatis statu nihil usquam prisci & integri moris:

omnis exuta æqualitate jussa principis aspectare. Ann. I. 1.

Machivael in one of his Discourses on Livy observes, that the most ef-fectual Way for a Tyrant to make real Changes, is to preserve the ancientNames of Offices and Things ; for the Populace seldom sees beyond them.

** Est enim omnis dominationis novæ arcanum primarium, simulatio antiquæ.

Boeder.