De cautela adulatorum, et fraude multiplici
The Subtle Danger of Flattery
The author warns that while vulgar flattery is easily spotted, the most dangerous forms are those cloaked in the guise of duty or correction.
And with the companions of flattery, and their following. Some, however, don't accept common or vulgar flattery, just as those who refuse to be anointed with cheap ointment or rancid oil that smells foul to everyone when they're seeking the favor of friends or dinner guests. For what is more shameful than to distort your face, change your clothes, and mimic the movements of an actor just to play the part of a performer, appearing not so much as someone else, but as an actor yourself? And what is more foolish than when someone else opens their mouth wide to push a spirit of vanity onto you, and you, in turn, open wide the sails of your ears and the breadth of your heart to let that pride take root? And because these things are seen by everyone, such displays of vanity are more easily despised by most people. Yet those things are more to be feared, because they are more destructive, which are hidden more carefully under a certain veil of caution and which creep in as if under the guise of rebuke, correction, or some other duty or virtue. You'll find that some people have done this while seeking favor too immoderately. For Laelius says—not the one who established the law of friendship, but the one who encouraged civil war and incited madness, who is also called Lentulus by others—'We complain that such sluggish patience has held back your strength.'
The Actor's Mask
Flatterers act like stage performers, manipulating circumstances and timing to deceive their masters for personal gain.
Did you lack confidence in us? While this warm blood still moves through living bodies, and while your strong arms are still able to strike, will you allow the toga and the rule of the senate to be degraded? Is it really so miserable to win in a civil war? In the same way, in comedies, masters are tricked by the cunning of their servants; they let their own arguments be weakened by feigned rebukes, and finally pretend to be defeated, so that they might confirm the error of gullible old men and hunt for favor through the treachery of betrayal, working with great industry to deceive in such a way that they can never be accused of falsehood—for their truth serves a lie. What about the fact that these hunters of novelty gather up rumors and satisfy the ears of the curious, so that by this path they might more quickly reach what they desire? They are also the most diligent observers of timing, so as not to bring anything up at the wrong moment, but only while someone is dining, or when they have been cheered by wine, or are in the grip of some pleasure. Maro recalls this caution when he asserts that a sister was sent by Dido to recall Aeneas, for she alone knew the soft approaches and the right times for a man. But who wouldn't laugh when a worthless stable-boy is adorned with the trappings of high office, and Damma passes for Marcus, not without the mockery and laughter of those who hear it? Good heavens!
The Foundation of Integrity
True friendship and service must be rooted in consistency and truth, rejecting the sordid shortcuts of the flatterer.
If Marcus gives his word, do you refuse to believe him with your money? Are you pale when Marcus is the judge? Marcus has spoken. It is so; sign the documents, Marcus. It is certainly right to seek the goodwill of all, for it is the fountain of friendship and the first step of charity; but this must be done while keeping one's integrity, through diligent service, the path of virtue, the fruit of good deeds, and honesty in speech. Let there also be faithfulness—that is, consistency in both words and actions—and truth, which is the foundation of all duties and good things. Virtue seeks the favor of good people, and indeed of everyone if possible, but it disdains to reach that favor through anything sordid. It is a noble and delicate thing, and it rejects everything that is unbecoming.
The Authority of Vice
Flattery becomes particularly destructive when it uses the weight of great authorities or status to validate vice.
Any appearance that doesn't shine with its own light is suspicious to him. Does he lie, then, just to be liked? Does he call good evil, and evil good? Does he egg on a friend who isn't quite right in the head, just to make him go even crazier? Furthermore, while all flattery is shameful, it's even more destructive when a person's authority, nature, or status is used to dress up a vice. Philosophers, after all, call something 'probable' if it seems so to everyone, to the majority, to the wise, or if it falls within an expert's own field. If, then, Plato or Socrates commends someone's wisdom, or Aristotle their keen intellect, or Cicero their eloquence, or Pythagoras their study of mathematics, or Horace their variety of meter, or Ovid their ease in versifying—why wouldn't one believe it? After all, the seeds of vice take root in people more quickly and more powerfully when they come backed by great authorities.
Self-Knowledge as a Shield
One must rely on self-knowledge rather than the opinions of others, as the flatterer only succeeds when we flatter ourselves.
Yet a person who is master of himself isn't seduced by these things, certainly because no one knows what is in a person except the human spirit that is within him. That’s why a learned man of our time, who masters his own shepherd-self in Virgil, says: 'The shepherds call me a poet too, but I don't believe them.' If you, too, turn pale at the sight of money, you scoundrel, and if you do whatever base desires come to you, even if the whole neighborhood calls you modest and chaste, don't believe them, not even if they swear it. Remember what you learned as a child: don't trust other people's opinions of you more than your own. I wouldn't easily say which one is worse: the one who pollutes his tongue with flattery, or the one who lets himself be dissolved into joy by it. In the first, the blindness of pride is condemned; in the second, the deceit of the one who blinds is condemned. Deceit is condemned everywhere, but the blindness that comes from pride is never excused. Suppose the flatterer is more wicked; the other is no less contemptible, and he wouldn't be caught in the snares of another's tongue if he didn't flatter himself.
The Woe of False Comfort
Using scripture, the author condemns those who soothe the conscience of others with empty praise, effectively 'whitewashing' their sins.
Why, then, does someone who flatters himself criticize another for flattery? In the very thing he accuses another of, he condemns himself; for he does the same things he judges in others. “Woe,” says the Lord, “to those who sew pillows under every elbow and place cushions under the head of every age.” They certainly do sew pillows who set traps for the ears, who pile up empty and soft words to soothe the senses, and who praise the works of men so that they might lead them to rest through the fame of public acclaim and a certain sweet, pleasant favor. After all, the purpose of a cushion and a pillow is to provide soft rest. A cushion is placed under every elbow when not only a person's work, but everything connected to it, is praised. The head of every age is placed upon a pillow when someone takes delight in the words of flatterers regarding the works of their entire life. And elsewhere: “He himself was building a wall, but they were whitewashing it.” Whoever, through the vice of a hardened mind, piles up the perversity of their works is building a wall, not a house.
The Call for Accountability
Because flattery destroys integrity and blinds the community, it is a grave offense that warrants strict discipline, especially among the clergy.
Anyone who makes a door in a wall alone is still outside, no matter where they try to enter. Whoever lives with a hardened mind in the depravity of their own works is cut off from the company of the saints; therefore, anyone who fawningly applauds someone else's wicked deeds is just plastering over a wall that's already built. While it's shameful for anyone to flatter, it's far more shameful when that flattery is directed at those in positions of authority or religious order. It's to the point that the sacred canons explicitly decree that clergy who are known to engage in flattery must be removed from office. And rightly so, because every kind of flattery brings with it deceit, fraud, betrayal, the mark of a liar, and as a consequence, the shame of servitude, the blinding of one's neighbor, and the total destruction of integrity. Shouldn't such a person be cast out not only from the clergy but from the entire community of the faithful?
Read the original Latin
et comitibus adulationis, et sequela. Sunt tamen qui uulgares et adulationes plebeias non admittant, ut qui nolunt uili unguento oleoue corrupto quod omnibus fetet inungi, cum amicorum aut conuiuarum expetunt gratiam. Quid enim turpius est quam ad lenocinia histrionis transfigurare uultum, mutare habitum, motum ducere, et non tam uidere alium quam se ipsum gerere histrionem? Quid ineptius quam, cum alius magno hiatu oris ad te impellendum uanitatis spiritum proferat, si tu aurium uela et latitudinem cordis ad tumorem concipiendum oppandas. Et quia uidentur ab omnibus, facilius haec a plerisque uanit tis obsequia contempnuntur. Verumtamen iila magis timenda, quia magis pemiciosa sunt, quae quodam cautelae uelamento studiosius occultantur et quasi sub imagine increpationis aut correctionis alteriusue officii aut uirtutis irrepunt. Quod nonnullos, dum beniuolentiam immoderatius captant, fecisse reperies. Ait enim Lelius, non ille lator legis amicitiae sed suasor belli ciuilis et furoris incentor, qui et ab aliis Lentulus appellatur: Quod tam lenta tuas tenuit patientia uires, conquerimur.
Deeratne tibi fiducia nostri? Dum mouet haec calidus spirantia corpora sanguis, et dum pUa ualent fortes torquere lacerti, degenerem patiere togam regnumque senatus? usque adeo miserum est ciuiii uincere bello? Sic et in comediis seruorum calliditate domini deluduntur, praemissis increpationibus rationes suas infirmari permittunt, et tandem se uictos simulant, ut et credulorum senum confirment errorem et de proditionis perfidia gratiam aucupentur, magna satagentes industria ut sic semper decipiant ut numquam possint argui falsitatis; eorum namque ueritas mendacio seruit. Quid quod aucupes nouitatum rumusculos congerunt eisdemque curiosorum auribus satisfaciunt, ut hac uia compendiosius ad id quod desideratur accedant Temporis quoque diligentissimi obseruaa tores sunt, ne quid intempestiue ingerant, sed inter prandendum aut cum uino quis exhilaratus fuerit aut cuiuscumque compos uoluptatis. Huius cautelae meminit Maro, cum ad Elneam reuocandum sororem a Didone missam asserit, quae sola uiri molles aditus et tempora norat. Quis autem non rideat, cum agaso non tressis titulorum fascibus purpuratur, et non sine sanna et cachinno audientium Damma transit in Marcum. Papae!
Marco spondente recusas credere tu nummos? Marco sub iudice palles? Marcus dixit. Ita est, assigna, Marce, tabellas. Est equidem omnium captanda beniuolentia quae fons amicitiae et primus caritatis progressus est; sed honestate incolumi, officiorum studiis, uirtutis uia, obsequiorum fructu, integritate sermonis. Assit et fides dictorum scilicet factorumque constantia, et ueritas quae officiorum et bonorum omnium est fundamentum. Gratiam bonorum sed et omnium, si fieri posset, uirtus appetit, sed ad eam dedignatur per sordes accedere. Nobilis utique res est et delicata et quae omne quod dedecet aspernatur.
Omnis etiam species quae ex seipsa non lucet ei suspecta est. Numquid igitur mentitur ut placeat? Numquid bonum dicit malum et malum bonum? Numquid amicum, qui parum sanus est, instigat ut amplius faciat insanire? Porro cum omnis assentatio turpis sit, perniciosior est cum ad subornandum uitium personae uel naturae uel dignitatis accedit auctoritas. Nempe philosophi probabile dicunt quod uideatur uel omnibus uel pluribus aut sapientioribus aut quod in propria facultate artifici. Si ergo sapientiam cuiusque Plato commendet aut Socrates, Aristotiles acumen ingenii, Cicero dicendi copiam, mathematicae studium Pitagoras, metrorum uarietates Flaccus, Naso leuitatem uersificandi, quidni credat? Subeunt enim citius et fortius singulos fomenta uitiorum, magnis cum subeunt animos auctoribus.
His tamen sui conipos animus non seducitur, certe quia nemo nouit quid sit in homine praeter spiritum hominis qui in ipso est. Vnde apud Virgilium compos sui pastor et sapientibus et magnis uiris nostri temporis doctior ait: Me quoque dicunt uatem pastores, sed non ego credulus illis. Tu quoque praeuiso si palles, improbe, nummo, si facis in penem quicquid tibi uenit amorum, licet te tota uicinia modestum dicat ac pudicum, minime uel iurantibus credas. Memoriter tene quod paruulus didicisti: Plus aliis de te quam tu tibi credere noli. Non facile dixerim uter sit prior in uitio, qui linguam adulationibus polluit aut cuius eor ex eis se in letitiam resoluit. In hoc enim elationis cecitas, in illo fraus excecandi dampnatur. Vbique uero dampnatur dolus sed et a cecitas quae a superbia est nusquam absoluitur. Esto quod adulator sit nequior, iste non minus contemptibilis est, nec caperetur linguae tendiculis alienae, si non blandiretur ipse sibi.
Quid itaque alium arguit adulationis qui sibimet adulaturl In quo enim alium accusat, seipsum condempnat; eadem enim facit quae iudicat. Vae, inquit Dominus, qui consuunt puluillos sub omni cubito manus et ponunt ceruicalia sub capite uniuersae etatis. Vtique puluillos consuunt, qui auribus parant insidias, qui uana et mollia congerunt quibus sensus demulceant, qui opera commendant hominum ut eos famae praeconiis et quadam suaui iocunditate fauoris inducant ad quietem. Vsus enim puluinaris et ceruicalis est mollities quietis. Puluinar ergo sub omni cubito manus ponitur, quando non modo operatio sed quicquid ei adiacet commendatur. Caput uniuersae etatis ceruicali superponitur, dum quis adulantium uerbis in totius uitae operibus delectatur. Et alibi: Ipse edificabat parietem, illi autem liniebant eum. Parietem edificat non domum quisquis induratae mentis uitio prauitatem congerit operum.
Qui in pariete solo ostium facit, quocumque ingrediatur foris est. Quicumque in prauitate operis indurata mente conuersatur a sanctorum societate seiungitur; edificatum ergo parietem linit, quisquis prauis operibus alicuius adulanter applaudit. Cum uero sit turpe omnibus adulari, longe turpius est si in praeceptae auctoritatis aut ordinis uiros adulatio cadat. Adeo quidem ut sacrorum canonum institutis cautum sit clericos irrefragabiliter deponendos qui noscuntur adulationibus inseruire. Recte quidem, quia omnis adulatio comites habet dolum et fraudem proditionemque et notam mendacii, sequelam quoque ignominiam seruitutis excecationem proximi et exterminium totius honestatis. An non est talis non modo eiciendus a clero sed a toto fideliura cetu?
Policraticus companion
Study the argument weekly; pray the tradition daily
Pair the outline with the Chosen Portion app, which serves short daily portions from the same royal devotional tradition — free on iOS.
John of Salisbury argued that rulers must keep the law of God before their eyes daily; Chosen Portion gives modern readers that same daily discipline in five minutes a morning.
- 8 weeks, one book per week, with the 3-4 key chapters flagged in each
- Discussion questions usable for a reading group from week one
- A daily 5-minute companion portion in the app alongside your weekly study