The 48 Laws Of Power

himin
rapt

silence.

Hestarted

slowly

and

softly,

butasthe

speech

went

on,

hebecamemoreandmoreblunt.Yet

again

he

hurledinsults!Histonewas

arrogant,

his

expression

disdainful.Themorehe

spoke,

the

angtier

the

people

became.

Finallythey

shoutedhimdownandsilencedhim.

Thetribunes

conferred,

condemned

Coriolanus

to

death,

andordered

the

magistrates

totakehimatoncetothe

top

ofthe

Titrpeian

rockand

throwhimover.The

delighted

crowdsecondedthedecision.The

patri-

cians,however,

managed

to

intervene,

andthesentencewascommutedto

a
lifelong

banishment.Whenthe

people

foundoutthatRome’s

great

mili-

tary

hero

wouldneverretumtothe

city,they

celebratedinthe

streets.In

fact
noonehad
everseenweba
celebration,
notevenafterthedefeatofa

foreignenemy.

Interpretation

Beforehisentranceinto

politics,

thenameofCoriolanusevokedawe.

Hisbattlefield

accomplishments

showedhimasamanof

great

brav-

ery.

Sincethecitizensknewlittleabout

him,

allkindsof

legends

becameat-

tachedtohisname.Themomenthe

appeared

beforetheRoman

citizens,

however,

and

spoke

his

mind,

allthat

grandeur

and

mystery

vanished.He

bragged

andblusteredlikea

common

soldier.He

insulted

and

slandered

people,

asifhefeltthreatenedand

insecure.

Suddenly

he

wasnotat

all

what

the

people

had

imagined.

The

discrepancy

betweenthe

legend

and

the

realityprovedimmenselydisappointing

tothosewhowantedtobe

lieveintheirhero.ThemoreCoriolanus

said,

theless

powerful

he

ap-

peared——-aperson

whocannotcontrolhiswordsshowsthathecannot

control

himself,

andis

unworthy

of

respect.

HadCoriolanussaid

less,

the

people

wouldneverhavehadcauseto

beoffended

by

him,

wouldneverhaveknownhistrue

feelings.

Hewould

havemaintainedhis

powerful

aura,

would

certainly

have

been

elected

con’

sul,

andwouldhavebeenableto

accomplish

his

antidemocratic

goals.

But

thehuman

tongue

isabeastthat

fewcan

master.It

strains

constantly

to

breakoutofits

cage,

andifitisnot

tamed,

itwillrunwildandcause

you

grief.

Powercannotaccruetothosewho

squander

theirtreasureofwords.

(lystersopencompletely

whenthemoonis

full;

andwhenthecrabseesone

itthrows

a

pieceof

stoneorseaweedintoitandthe

IIy.§’lR‘V

cannotclose

again

sothatitservesthecrab

for

mmt.Suchis

the’fateofhim

who

opens

hismouthtoomuchand

therebyputshimself

atthe

mercy

of

thelistener.

I,Hmtz.2“(.ir9{Ia

Vina,

1452-£519

OBSERVANCEOFTHELAW

InthecourtofLouis

XIV,

noblesandministerswould

spenddays

and

nightsdebating

issuesofstate.

They

would

confer,

argue,

makeandbreak

alliances,

and

argueagain,

until

finally

thecriticalmomentarrived:Twoof

themwouldbechosento

represent

thedifferentsidestoLouis

himself,

whowoulddecidewhatshouldbedone.Afterthese

persons

were

chosen,

questionfrom

Kissinger

——

[nrd

snapped.

“Damnii.

yes

itsrimbarIcando.

"

Towhich

Ki.\‘SlIlg¢','f

replied:“Fina

thanI

guess

I'llreaditthis

nrmr.

"

KISSINGER,

\\«’m:rF,R

ls,-1/tC$0N,

1992

The

King,‘1.nm'5XIV]

maintainsthemar!

impenetrablexecrrery

about

affairsof

Salli’.

Therninirlcrsutleml

cmmcil

nieclmgs,

but

he

confides

his

plans

to

.'hem

only

whenhehas

reflertiz/ti

at

lengthuprm

them

andhas

cometo

a

zlefinizc

dcnsimi,

Iwith

youmight

see

the

King.

Hir

BXpN.’.)'“

.\‘ionis

inscmIaI.wle>;I1i.\'

e_ve5'

likelhosc

of

a

fm-.

Heneverdz'scus.s‘e.$

Slate

affairsexcept

with

hI'.s-rliinisfersin(‘mm-

cil.W/muhe

speaks

to

courtiershe

refers

only

totheir

respective

przerogazives

ordz¢Ii.2y.

Eventhemost

friw.»

lous

ofhir

utI€n‘1rl(‘€.s‘

hastheair

ofheirzg

the

manozmcemenlof

an

anurle.

YRIM‘.VlS(‘,()NTl.

<>I.'m1=,n

IN

Louisxiv.

Lot.is r«:Ri'i{A:~£r).

1928

LAW 4 3:3’