Liber I, Pars I — Quantum sit praemium regis bene regentis populum sibi commissum. Cap. XIV.

Liber I, Pars I — Quantum sit praemium regis bene regentis populum sibi commissum. Cap. XIV.

The great reward of a king is to have a great happiness if he rightly governs the people entrusted to him through wisdom and law, as we can infer from five examples. Now, when we consider the royal reward, it seems to have a certain magnitude; for kings who are free to pursue the common good, if they do not transgress, appear to have greater merit. We say that they are free to pursue the common good because if they were not, they would not have greater merit simply because they could transgress; for if someone exposes themselves to danger, even if they do not transgress, they act indiscreetly, and their merit is not increased. Indeed, the great merit of a prince is considered through the act by which such merit exists. For an act is vicious insofar as it is against nature and the order of reason; but it is good and virtuous insofar as it is in accordance with nature and the order of reason: therefore, the more an act aligns with nature and the order of reason, the better and more meritorious it is. It seems very natural for a part to expose itself for the whole. We see that when the head is in danger, the whole body is also in danger; the arm, which is part of the body, immediately exposes itself entirely for the head, so that the whole body does not perish. For this reason, it is written that the principality reveals a man. Then it becomes clear what kind of person one is when, in a position of authority, one can do good or evil and considers how to conduct oneself. If, therefore, the royal reward is compared to the king himself, to whom it is to be given, it seems to have a certain magnitude; for kings, when they are devoted to the common good, appear to have greater merit if they do not transgress, since they could transgress. We say, however, that (being devoted to the common good) if they were not devoted to the common good, they should not be considered to have greater merit simply because they could transgress, since if one does not consider the common good, if someone puts themselves in danger, given that they do not transgress, they act indiscriminately, and their merit does not increase. Thirdly, the merit of a prince is great when considering the act through which such merit exists. For this reason, the act is considered vicious inasmuch as it is contrary to nature and against the order of reason. However, it is good and virtuous inasmuch as it is according to nature and the order of reason: the more an act aligns with nature and the order of reason, the better and more meritorious it is. It seems very much in accordance with nature that a part should expose itself for the whole. We see that when the head is endangered, the whole body is also endangered; the arm, which is a part of the body, immediately exposes itself entirely for the head, so that the whole body does not perish. Therefore, if kings rule well the people entrusted to them, they will earn a great reward from their works, because it is for the good of the people. And for the common good, they expose themselves entirely. Fourthly, there is a great reward for kings based on virtue, through which one deserves such merit: for less virtue is required to rule oneself than to rule a household or a city; therefore, a king's virtue must be great, as it pertains to ruling not only himself and his household but also the entire kingdom. Since a great reward is owed to great virtue, the merit of those who rule well will be great. Fifthly, there will be a great reward for those kings if the matter they work with is considered: someone is praised if he directs a singular person. Since the good of the people is more divine than any singular good, the very matter around which the king works, which is the people and the multitude, indicates that his reward is great. This is the end of the first part of the first book on the rule of princes. Where it has been discussed, kings and princes should place their happiness.