Quintum capitulum, quomodo princeps affectum cle mentiae custodit, et quomodo differenter injurias proprias et aliénas corrigit.
Mercy Tempered by Justice
The prince's mercy must never abandon the claims of justice, lest his subjects be left without protection.
When we urge the prince to show mercy, we don't want him to set aside the demands of justice and truth. Otherwise, where would protection for his subjects be?
Restraining the Fury of the Mind
Even when personally wronged, the prince must govern his spirit, blending punishment with sparing so that correction, not vengeance, is his aim.
But we want that even when wronged, he would keep his spirit in check, restrain its force, and not display the fury of his mind — even if someone offends him. By sparing, then, let him punish if he must; or by punishing, let him spare — so that he doesn't seem more bent on avenging his own wrongs than on correcting those who have truly done wrong.1
God's Pattern of Healing Punishment
The Lord punishes sinners in order to cleanse, not destroy, and is displeased with those who act hastily and unjustly in rage.
For thus the Lord punishes sinners, so that he may cleanse the errors of the one who heals by action, not by destroying passion.2 The Lord waits long for the wicked one, whom he also punishes — and rightly so.3 For he is glad, it seems, to punish those who act quickly and unjustly, who go too far in a spirit enraged.
Responding to Personal Injury with Generosity
When wronged personally, the prince should restrain or forgive the injury, being more approachable in his own matters than in public ones, and thereby prove generous rather than impulsive.
So a ruler either punishes an injury done to himself or avenges one done to another. If the injury is his own, he should either restrain it or forgive it. He should be more approachable in personal matters than when wrongs are done to others. He shouldn't lash out the moment he's provoked by his own impulses; rather, by taking something from himself and giving it to another, he'll be judged generous.
Why a Prince Need Not Seek Revenge
The usual motives for revenge—comfort and security—are beneath a ruler, whose prosperity and power are greater than to need such things.
For revenge is usually prompted by one of two reasons: either so that the injured party may have some comfort, or so that a sense of security may be provided going forward. But a ruler's prosperity is greater than to need that kind of comfort, and his power greater than to seek a reputation for strength at someone else's expense.
Punishing Wrongs Done to Others for the Common Good
When avenging wrongs done to others, the ruler's aim must be correction of the offender, edification of others, or the peace and security of the commonwealth.
If a ruler does avenge wrongs done to others, let his aim be this: either to correct the person he punishes, or to make others better through that person's punishment, or — once crimes are removed — to allow people to live more securely, and so for the commonwealth to stand firm in peace.4
Holy Forgiveness in the Imitation of Christ
Holy men forgave even their killers, and Stephen, serene in suffering, prayed for his murderers with an angelic countenance, laboring to pacify God on their behalf.
This is why holy men have been at peace with those who killed them and have forgiven the wrongs done to themselves. Stephen loved Christ in such a way that he bore witness to Him among the stones; he loved people in such a way that for those by whom he was being killed, in the very hour of death, he knelt and prayed on their behalf; he was so peaceful and serene in heart through his suffering that an abundance of serenity overflowed onto his face.✦5 He showed an angelic countenance, he displayed himself as peaceful, he sought peace for his enemies — he who labored to pacify the Lord and to make propitiation for sinners with such devout prayers.6
Read the original Latin
Cum principi suademus pietatis affectum, proscribendum nolumus justitiae et veritatis effectum. Alioquin ubi esset protectio subditorum ? Sed optamus ut etiam laesus animum in potestate habeat, vim contineat, furorem animi non ostendat, etiamsi quis eum offendat. Parcendo sic si necesse est puniat, vel puniendo parcat, ne videatur magis proprias injurias vindicare quam maie mer-itos emendare. Sic enim puniWDominus peccatores ut purget errores medicantis actu, non perimentis affectu. Praestolatur Dominus diu reprobum, quem etiam punit titra condignum. Libenter enim videtur punire qui cito et inique, qui nimis et animo efferato.
Princeps igitur aut propriam punit injuriam aut vindicat alienam. Si propriam, aut eam temperet, aut condonet. Exorabilior sit in propriis quam in injuriis alienis. Non statim prosiliat ubi suis exagitatur stimulis, sed de proprio sibi subtrahens et alteri tribuens judicabitur liberalis. Solet enim ultio ex duabus adhiberi causis, aut ut habeat laesus solatium, aut ut exhibeatur securitas in futurum. Sed principis amplior est prosperitas quam ut egeat isto solatio, ampliorque potestas quam ut opinionem sibi virium quaerat alieno malo. Si vero princeps aliénas ulciscatur injurias, hoc intendat ut vel eum quem punit corrigat, vel poena ipsius caeteros meliores reddat, vel sublatis criminibus vivatur x securius, et sic respublica in tranquillitate consistât.
Hinc est quod viri sancti pacem cum interfectoribus habuerunt, et suas injurias remiserunt. Sic Stephanus Christum dilexit ut Ei testimonium inter saxa praeberet ; sic dilexit homines ut pro eis a quibus occidebatur in ipsa mortis hora flexis genibus exoraret ; sic patiendo pacatus erat et serenus in corde ut abundantia serenitatis exuberaret in facie. Vultum angelicum exhibebat, se pacificum ostendebat, inimicisjpacem quaerebat, qui pacare Dominum et propitiare pro peccatoribus tam devotis precibus satagebat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Acts.7.59-Acts.7.60 — And they were stoning Stephen, who was calling upon the name of the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts.7.60 — Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And having said this, he fell asleep.
Notes
- 1 ↩The source text contains the uncertain form 'maie mer-itos,' which appears to be a corruption. The translation renders the most plausible intended sense: 'those who have truly done wrong' (i.e., condign offenders deserving correction). The clause contrasts avenging one's own injuries with correcting genuine offenders.
- 2 ↩The source form 'puniWDominus' is a scribal corruption, likely from 'punit Dominus' (the Lord punishes). The translation renders the corrected reading.
- 3 ↩The form 'titra' is uncertain and may be a corruption. The translation treats it as an adverbial intensifier meaning 'rightly' or 'in due measure,' paired with 'condignum' (deserved). The intended sense is that God's punishment of the reprobate is both patient and just.
- 4 ↩The source text reads 'vivatur x securius,' where 'x' appears to be a scribal placeholder or corruption for 'vivatur securius' ('to live more securely'). The translation follows the corrected normalized reading.
- 5 ↩Stephen's martyrdom and prayer for his killers echo Acts 7:59–60; final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses stage.
- 6 ↩The form inimicisjpacem is a scribal fusion of inimicis and pacem; translated as 'peace for his enemies.'
Eruditio regum et principum (Education of Kings and Princes) companion
Louis IX kept a daily rule of reading. Keep yours.
After day 21, Chosen Portion keeps the habit going with one historic devotional portion each morning, free on iOS.
Guibert formed Louis IX through short scheduled installments, and Chosen Portion delivers formation in the same daily-installment pattern.
- One reading and prayer per day, about 3 minutes
- Continue with 78 royal and monastic works after the plan ends
- Reflection questions suited to reading with a teen or small group