Liber primus: de origine rei publicae Polonorum (initium)
The Light of Virtue in the Commonwealth
The narrator recalls the virtue that once shone in the Polish commonwealth, illuminated by the deeds of noble fathers and remembered through the conversation of illustrious elders.
There was, there was once in this commonwealth a virtue which, like certain lights of heaven, the enrolled fathers illuminated—not indeed with the parchments of writing, but with the most brilliant rays of deeds. For not plebeian aborigines, not vindicative to those are the powers of principality, but successor princes, whose serenity, although covered by a cloud of ignorance it may seem, wonderful nevertheless gleaming has shone redly, which things by so many centuries' storms to be extinguished not has been able. I remember indeed of mutual conversation of illustrious men, whose by so much more faithful is recollection, by how much more renowned flourishes authority. For were disputing John and Matthew, both very old, both weighty in sentences, concerning of this commonwealth origin, advance and completion.
The Elders' Dialogue on Origins
John and Matthew discuss how to approach the infancy of their institutions, with Matthew humbly confessing his own limitations but pledging to share what he has learned from truthful ancestral narration.
When John 'I ask,' said, 'my Matthew, under which conceived shall we consider of our institutions infancy? For we of today are nor any of yesterday is in us grey knowledge.' Matthew: 'You know, that in ancients is wisdom and in much time prudence; me however in this part childish I confess, so that even whether of this present simple some will have proceeded small portion, altogether not I would know. Which nevertheless by most truthful of ancestors narration I have learned, not I will be silent.
The Ancient Band and Their Boundless Ferocity
An aged witness tells of an enormous early tribe whose greatness made a kingdom seem trivial, driven not by greed but by a mature ferocity that refused all limits, since true virtue cannot be confined by boundaries.
And so a certain man, advanced in years, was telling how a band of most enormous size had once thrived here — among whom the vastness of so great a kingdom was barely valued at a single juger's worth. So far were they driven not by the urge to dominate or the lust for possession, but by the full force of a mature ferocity, that they counted nothing of weight beyond sheer boldness, and refused to set any limit to the growth of their power. For they wouldn't be virtues at all, if they deigned to be shut within any confines of boundaries.
Conquest of Lands and Islands
The early Poles carved borders with victory titles, subjugated mainland nations and Danish islands, shattered enemy fleets in naval battles, and captured King Canute himself in chains.
For these men carved out the borders of lands beyond their own with the titles of their victories. For they had brought under their authority not only the nations on every side of the mainland, but also the islands of the Danes. With these forces they first shattered their opponent's not inconsiderable legions in naval battles, then, pouring into the inmost heart of the islands, they subdued every vassal nation, even hurling their king Canute himself into chains.
The Cruel Choice and Double Humiliation
The conquered were offered a degrading choice between perpetual tribute or effeminate dress, and while they argued over which to accept, they were forced to endure both.
To these men a choice was given between two options: either to acknowledge their tribute obligations in perpetuity, or to let their hair grow long and live with women, indistinguishable in dress — a clear proof, to be sure, of womanly weakness. While they disputed with each other over which option to accept, they were forced to accept both.
Honor Over Riches
John reflects that acknowledging deference was less painful than bearing disgrace, and Prudence values reputation above wealth, since riches tainted by dishonor lose their very name.
John: "Yet the acknowledgment of deference was a lesser thing than the brand of disgrace. For Prudence provides for reputation more than she spares riches. For riches acquired by disgrace would be stripped of the name of riches."
Read the original Latin
Fuit, fuit quondam in hac republica virtus, quam velut quaedam coeli luminaria non scripturae quidem membranulis, sed clarissimis gestorum radiis patres conscripti illustravere. Non enim plebeii aborigines, non vendicariae illis principatae sunt potestates, sed principes succedanei, quorum serenitas, licet nube ignorantiae obducta videatur, mira tamen rutilantia rutilavit, quae tot saeculorum tempestatibus exstingui non potuit. Memini siquidem collocutionis mutuae virorum illustrium, quorum tanto fidelior est recordatio, quanto celebrior viget auctoritas. Disputabant enim Iohannes et Matthaeus, ambo grandaevi, ambo sententiis graves, de huius reipublicae origine, progressu et consummatione. Cum Iohannes «quaeso,» inquit, «mi Matthaee, sub quonam conceptam existimabimus nostrarum constitutionum infantiam? Nos enim hodierni sumus nec ulla hesternitatis est in nobis cana scientia.» Matthaeus: «Scis, quod in antiquis est sapientia et in multo tempore prudentia; me vero in hac parte infantulum fateor, ut etiam, utrum huius instantis simplex aliqua processerit portiuncula, prorsus non noverim. Quod tamen perveridica maiorum narratione condidici, non silebo.
Narrabat itaque grandis natu quidam, infinitissimae numerositatis manum quondam hic viguisse, apud quos tanti regni immensitas vix unius iugeris meruit aestimatione censeri.
Adeo illos non dominandi ambitus, non habendi urgebat libido, sed adultae robur animositatis exercebat, ut praeter magnanimitatem nihil magni aestimarent, ut suarum accessiones virtutum nullis usque terminis limitarent. Nec enim essent virtutes, si ullis dignarentur limitum ergastulis includi. Hi enim transfinitimorum fines suae titulis victoriae asculpserunt. Non solum enim cismarinas undique nationes, sed etiam Danomarchicas insulas suae coniecerant dicioni. Quarum non invalidas legiones prius navalibus fudere proeliis, deinde intimis insularum praecordiis infusi omnem clientulorum subiciunt nationem, rege quoque ipsorum Canuto in vincula coniecto. Quibus duorum data est optio: vel vectigales perpetuo recognoscant sponsiones, vel cum mulieribus indifferentes habitu comas muliebriter enutriant – argumentum scilicet imbecillitatis femineae. Illi dum altercantur de altero, utrumque suscipere coguntur.»
Iohannes: «Minor tamen erat obsequelae recognitio quam ignominiae cauterium. Prudentius enim famae consulitur quam parcitur divitiis. Divitiae siquidem infamia possessae nomen divitiarum demerentur.»
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