Liber II, Pars III — Quomodo a regibus et principibus providenda sunt indumenta ministris. Cap. XVII.

Liber II, Pars III — Quomodo a regibus et principibus providenda sunt indumenta ministris. Cap. XVII.

For the king's wisdom is most evident when he governs his household properly and provides for it in an orderly manner; and because proper provision is crucial for maintaining honor, it is important for kings and princes to know how to conduct themselves honorably and wisely in this regard. To clarify this, it should be noted that there are five considerations regarding this matter. These are: the magnificence of the king, the uniformity of the ministers, the condition of the persons involved, the customs of the country, and the appropriateness of the times. Since it is fitting for a king to be magnificent, as was discussed more extensively in the first book, it is appropriate for him to conduct himself decently toward his ministers in terms of proper attire and necessary garments. For while it is not necessary to do these things for vain glory or ostentation, it is nonetheless fitting for kings and princes to maintain their dignified status and not be condemned by the people; thus, they should act magnificently, as the philosopher demonstrates. Philosopher. Secondly, regarding clothing, the uniformity of the ministers should be considered. For in order for the ministers to appear as belonging to one prince or one ruler, while respecting the condition of the persons involved, it is crucial that they are dressed uniformly; in the households of kings and princes, there are various ranks of persons, so all those who are seen to belong to the same rank, or who do not differ much from one another, should be dressed in the same way, so that the uniformity of their clothing indicates they are ministers of one prince. Third, the condition of the persons must be considered regarding the provision of clothing. For not everyone should have equal clothing. In great households, there are not only laypeople but also clergy, and among both groups, some are higher and some are lower; therefore, they should be dressed differently according to their status. Thus, we see in the order of the universe that since the whole universe is like one house of the supreme prince, namely God, as the philosopher clearly indicates. Meta. In such households, not everything enjoys equal preparation or beauty; rather, considering the condition of things, some have greater beauty and some lesser, as required by the order and justice of the universe, in which the marvelous wisdom of the Creator is revealed. Therefore, in the houses of kings and princes, each of which can be considered a kind of universe due to the variety of ministers and offices, not all ministers should rejoice in equal beautiful attire or equally beautiful clothing; rather, considering the condition of persons, such things should be assigned to each according to their status, so that in this, the providence and diligence of the ruler may be evident. Fourth, the customs of the country must be considered. For everything unusual seems shameful and disordered; we are greatly affected by those things we have been accustomed to seeing since childhood. Therefore, it is said regarding the end. It is said. For we always love the first more. For we commonly see that people are so affected by their native customs and the conversations of their own region that even if they are worse and more shameful, they judge them to be more beautiful and better. In clothing, therefore, and in all conversations, something must be given to the customs of the regions, unless those customs are completely corrupt. Fifth, it is necessary to consider the congruence of the times. For as these lower bodies are governed by the heavenly ones, as the times vary, and as the heavenly condition diversifies, the food, drink, clothing, and other such things that serve life's needs must be varied.