Liber III, Pars II — Quot oportet scire consiliarios, et circa quot sunt consilia adhibenda. Cap. XIX.
Liber III, Pars II — Quot oportet scire consiliarios, et circa quot sunt consilia adhibenda. Cap. XIX.
If one considers the sayings of the philosophers, Rhetoric. There are five matters that people deliberate about: namely, about resources, about food, about the security of the city, about peace and war, and about the lawmaker; therefore, concerning these five, counselors must be well-informed. First, it is necessary for the king to deliberate about resources. In this, two things must be considered. First, the royal majesty must not unjustly usurp resources from its own citizens; for it was previously established that a king should be such that he is good, virtuous, and loves the community, promoting and honoring those who exist in the kingdom. This cannot be the case if he unjustly usurps the goods of those who are in the kingdom. Furthermore, it must be attended to that he is not defrauded of his resources; for it is expedient for the royal council to safeguard the king's rights, since such goods must be arranged for the common good, for the defense of the kingdom, and for its good state; therefore, counselors should know the entrances and resources of the kingdom, which must reach the king, and how many there are, so that if any are superfluous and unjustly accepted, they may be removed; but if any are lacking or diminished, they should be added to and increased. Secondly, there should be counsel regarding food, to determine whether a city or kingdom under a ruler has enough food and servants to sustain life. It is necessary to consider the measures and weights of those selling food, for it is important to establish the price of sales if sellers wish to sell their goods for more than they should. Thirdly, there should be counsel regarding the protection of the city and kingdom, which must be done in two ways: first, there should be measures taken to prevent uprisings and wrongdoing among the citizens. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider who among the citizens is regarded as good and who is infamous, and greater protection should be given to the infamous; if they are caught doing wrong, they should be punished or even completely eradicated, for kings and rulers should not allow evildoers to live. Moreover, it is important to consider the places where crimes are more likely to occur; for just as some people justify wrongdoing more than others, there are certain places more conducive to justifying such acts than others. Again, regarding the protection of the city and kingdom, counsel should not only be given for the citizens or those within the kingdom to prevent one from unjustly harming another, but also for outsiders; it must be considered whether the kingdom can be invaded from any side and whether any city of the kingdom can suffer harm from outsiders. Therefore, passages, ports, entrances, and other such places from which outsiders can come should not be entrusted to them or given over, but should be diligently guarded and fortified. Regarding the opposite of this, everyone knows that it should be avoided. Therefore, the peace of the citizens must be pursued to the best of our ability, and their disputes and wars must be avoided as much as possible; in this, there is no question or counsel. But whether we should have peace with outsiders or engage in war is a matter of doubt, and counsel can be sought on this. Regarding this, two considerations must be taken into account. First, we must ensure that no unjust war is ever waged, as unjustly oppressing others is inherently evil and must be avoided. Next, if it seems that a war is just, we must consider the strength of the kingdom or city that is to engage in battle, how strong it is, and what external threats it may face. We must also consider the strength of our adversaries, for as the philosopher says. The philosopher. We should seek peace with those who are better, but with those who are worse, we must either conquer them or refrain from fighting against them. If we assume that those who are stronger, against whom we cannot resist, are acting against us, it is wise not to rise up against them unless an opportunity arises when we can justly take revenge. The fifth consideration for which counsel should be sought is the Lawgiver: for as it is said in the first book of Rhetoric, in laws lies the safety of the city; for cities and kingdoms are preserved through just laws, because without justice kingdoms cannot endure. Moreover, the king should know how many types of lords there are, or how many kinds of rulers exist, and which form of rule is more enduring, and how a principality can be preserved or corrupted; so that, choosing the best way to govern, he may enact the most just laws according to which that principality may be preserved. What the best way to govern is, what the king's duty should be, and how the king should preserve himself in his domain has already been revealed in previous discussions. Therefore, with the experience of particular events that continually occur in the courts of kings and princes assisting what has been previously stated, the ruler of a city or kingdom will be able to be instructed on how to deliberate regarding the enactment of laws. As for which laws should be enacted to preserve his principality, we intend to inquire in the following chapters about many aspects of the laws, so that the truth may emerge more clearly from both what has been said and what will be said.
Read the original Latin
Si consideretur dicta Philosophi I. Rhet. quinque sunt de quibus consiliantur homines: videlicet, de proventibus, de alimento, de custodia civitatis, et de pace et bello: et de legislatore: circa haec ergo quinque oportet consiliatores esse instructos. Primo enim contingit esse regis consilium circa proventus. in quo duo sunt attendenda. Primo, ne maiestas regia aliquos proventus iniuste usurpet a suis concivibus: probabatur enim supra, regem debere esse talem, quod esset bonus virtuosus et politiam diligeret, existentes in regno promoveret et honoraret. quod esse non posset, si bona eorum quae sunt in regno usurparet iniuste. Rursus est attendendum, ne in suis proventibus defraudetur: expedit enim regium consilium pro viribus salvare iura regis, eo quod huiusmodi bona ordinanda sunt ad bonum commune, ut ad defensionem regni, et ad bonum statum eius: decet ergo consiliarios scire introitus et proventus regni, quos oportet pervenire ad regem, qui et quanti sunt: quatenus si quis est superfluus et iniuste acceptus, auferatur: si quis vero deficit vel est diminutus, apponatur et augeatur.
Secundo debet esse consilium de alimento, ut sciatur utrum civitas vel regnum cui principatur aliquis rector sufficiat sibi in alimento et in deservientibus ad sufficientiam vitae: considerandum est enim quantum alimentum est in regno vel in civitate qualibet ipsius regni, et quantum est ibi adductibile, et quorum inductione adduci valeat, ut circa haec debita consilia et debitae ordinationes fieri possint: non enim modicum consiliandum est circa alimentum, ut quaelibet civitas habeat sufficientia ad vitam, quia aliter iam non esset civitas: ut in huiusmodi sufficientibus ad vitam fieri debent debitae commutationes, ut debitae emptiones, et venditiones. Considerandae enim sunt mensurae et pondera vendentium: ex cum expedit texandum est pretium venditionis, si (ultra quam debent) venditores res suas vendere vellent. Tertio, est consilium adhibendum circa custodiam civitatis et regni, quod dupliciter fieri habet: nam primo est custodia adhibenda ne insurgant seditiones et malitia inter cives. Ideo attendendum est diligenter qui civium reputantur boni, et qui infames, et circa infames maior custodia adhibeatur: et si deprehendantur male egisse, puniantur, vel etiam totaliter extirpentur, quia reges et principes non debent pati maleficos vivere. Sunt etiam consideranda loca in quibus consueverunt magis maleficia perpetrati: nam sicut quidam hominum magis maleficia iniustificant quam alii sic sunt quaedam loca magis apta ad iniustificandum quam alia: ut in civitate contingit esse vicos aliquos magis esse suspectos quam alios: quia iniustificantes ibidem possunt magis latere, et effugere punientes: sic etiam extra civitatem loca aliqua sunt nemorosa et umbrosa magis apta ad iniustificandum, quam alia: debet ergo adhiberi consilium, ut circa talia maior custodia praebeatur. Rursus circa custodiam civitatis et regni non solum sunt adhibenda consilia propter ipsos cives vel propter eos qui sunt in regno, ne unus iniustificet in alium: sed etiam propter ipsos extraneos: considerandum enim est utrum regnum ex aliqua parte possit invadi, et utrum aliqua civitas regni ab extraneis possit suscipere detrimentum: ideo passagia, portus, introitus et caetera talia unde possunt extrinseci ad venire, non sunt extraneis committenda vel tribuenda, sed sunt diligenter custodienda et munienda. Quarto habet esse consilium circa pacem et bellum, quod non est intelligendum circa pacem civium vel circa eorum bellum: non pax civium est aliquid finaliter intentum, bellum autem est eius oppositum: de fine autem et de eius opposito nullus sanae mentis consiliatur: nam non est consilium nisi de his de quibus est dubium, eo quod consilium sit quaedam quaestio, et quaestio sit dubitabilis propositio: de fine autem, et de hoc quod prncipaliter intenditur, nullus dubitat ipsum esse prosequendum. De eius autem opposito quilibet cognoscit ipsum esse fugiendum.
Ideo pax civium pro viribus est prosequenda, et eorum dissensiones et bella pro viribus fugienda: et inhoc non est quaestio nec consilium. Sed utrum cum extraneis debeamus habere pacem vel bella dubitabile esse potest, et possunt ad hoc adhiberi consilia. circa quod sunt duo consideranda. Primo, ut nunquam capiatur iniustum bellum quia iniustificari in alios, et eos indebite opprimere, per se est malum, et fugiendum. Deinde, si visum sit bellum esse iustum, consideranda est potentia regni, vel civitatis, quae bellare debet, quanta sit, et quanta ei potest advenire extrinsecus. Consideranda est etiam potentia adversariorum: nam secundum Philosophum I. Rhetor. ad meliores pacem debemus habere, ad deteriores autem nobis est expugnare vel non pugnare contra eos.
Posito enim quod potentiores, ad quos resistere non valemus, in nos forefaciant, prudentiae est, non insurgere in ipsos, nisi occurrat opportunitas temporis, in quo ex eis congrue possimus vindictas assumere. Quintum circa quod sunt consilia adhibenda, est Lator legum: nam ut dicitur primo Rhetoricorum in legibus est salus civitatis: conservantur enim civitates et regna per leges iustas, quia absque iustitia nequeunt regna subsistere. Decet autem scire regem quot sunt genera dominorum, sive quot sunt species principantium, et qui principatus est durabilior, et qualiter principatus secundum quem dominatur habet salvari et corrumpi: ut eligens optimum modum principandi, ferat leges iustissimas, secundum quas salvari habet principatus ille. Quis si autem optimus modus principandi, et quale debeat esse regis officium, et quomodo rex se debeat in suo dominio praeservare, fuit in superioribus patefactum. Quare per superius iam dicta coadiuvante experientia gestorum particularum quae continue occurrunt in curiis regum, et principum, instrui poterit Rector civitatis aut regni, qualiter circa lationem legum sit consiliandum. Quae autem leges sunt ferendae, ut salvetur principatus eius, intendimus in capitulis sequentibus de legibus multa inquirere, ut simul ex dictis et dicendis melius veritas patere possit.
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