Liber II, Pars I — Quomodo reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives decet uxores accipere ornatas exterioribus bonis. Cap. XII.

Liber II, Pars I — Quomodo reges et principes, et universaliter omnes cives decet uxores accipere ornatas exterioribus bonis. Cap. XII.

Some goods are related to the soul, like virtues and good morals; others pertain to the body, such as beauty, gentleness, agility, and similar traits; and some are considered external goods. These goods can be categorized in three ways. For marriage is intended for a proper partnership, to be peaceful, and to provide for life's needs. Therefore, when kings and princes wish to marry someone, they should pay attention to ensure that the person they choose as a spouse possesses all these good qualities. However, they shouldn't focus equally on all three aforementioned goods. Instead, they should primarily and fundamentally focus on the nobility of the lineage and the multitude of friends, while the abundance of wealth should be considered only as a secondary matter. Indeed, it is fitting for them to accept a wife who is of noble lineage, through whom they can acquire many noble and powerful friends; but the fact that wealth may be acquired through that wife should be regarded as a secondary consideration. Moreover, it is more important to consider the nobility of lineage and the number of friends in a spouse than the abundance of wealth. All three of these should be considered in some way. Marriage is arranged, as is evident from what has been said, for a proper partnership, for peaceful living, and for the sufficiency of life. Therefore, as marriage is arranged for a proper partnership, among kings and princes, nobility of lineage should be sought in their spouses; but as it is arranged for peaceful living, the multitude of friends should be sought; and as it is arranged for the sufficiency of life, the abundance of wealth should be sought. It has been shown above that marriage is according to nature, since man is naturally a social animal; the first natural society is that of man and woman, husband and wife. This is the case for man and woman, husband and wife. However, this would not be the case unless marriage were arranged for a certain proper and natural partnership. Therefore, since it is fitting and appropriate to be united with nobility, kings and princes, who are known to be noble by birth, should seek wives for themselves who come from noble lineage. Secondly, for the sake of peaceful living, the multitude of friends should be sought. Peace among people is like health in the body. For just as we see in one and the same body that illness and conflict arise from an imbalance of humors, so too among people, injuries and inequalities lead to dissension and war. Therefore, just as health requires a strong constitution to expel harmful elements, peace requires an abundance of civil power and a multitude of friends. According to the Philosopher in the Rhetorics, people readily commit injustices when they can. Thus, whoever lacks civil power and is not fortified by friends suffers minor injustices and is not allowed to live in peace. Therefore, in marriage, as it pertains to peace, one must seek a multitude of friends. This is especially true for kings and princes, who need noble spouses to support their status, as the higher their rank, the more they require sustenance and are susceptible to misfortunes. It is clear, then, how in the spouse of kings and nobles, one must seek nobility of lineage, and how from such a marriage, a multitude of friends must also be sought. It remains to show how the abundance of wealth should be sought. For from a spouse, one seeks gifts and wealth to support the burdens of marriage or union and for the sufficiency of life. Indeed, since kings and princes always aim to abound in wealth and possessions that serve the sufficiency of life, it is fitting for them to seek in their principal spouses those who are noble by birth, and that through them they may abound in civil power and acquire a multitude of friends, as well as a multitude of wealth from such a union. Having seen how kings and princes should seek external goods in their spouses, it is evident what kind of spouses each citizen should take. For if it is fitting for kings and princes to take noble spouses, so that there may be peace and a worthy society among them, in every marriage, excessive disparity should be avoided. For disparity in excess, whether according to nobility or age, is often a cause of litigation, or a reason for spouses not to keep faith with each other. So if a noble woman marries a commoner, there will not be a worthy society between them, but one will try to dominate the other beyond what the laws of marriage require. Likewise, if an old man marries a young woman, because young men do not rejoice in the company of old men, the disparity of age will be a certain incitement for them not to keep faith with their spouse. Therefore, three external goods should be sought in a spouse. These are, namely, the honor of lineage, a multitude of friends, and an abundance of wealth. But this should be according to the manner and proportion of the one marrying, so that there is some proportion preserved between the spouses, both in soul and in body.