De ratione instrumentorum
The Weight of Evidence
A judge must prioritize the sincerity and truthfulness of witnesses over their mere number or the presence of static documents.
When investigating counsel, whether in civil or criminal cases, you must consider the evidence provided by the instruments used to examine the proofs. Indeed, 'instruments' refers to everything that can be used to build a case, whether they are documents or witnesses; yet witnesses are more powerful than documents, for the reason that witnesses are preferred over documents. For while witnesses can be examined, documents are always and for everyone the same. In the actual examination of witnesses, however, it cannot be determined by any rule what a judge ought to follow more closely. For if all the witnesses are of the same honesty and reputation, and the nature of the business and the judge's own inclination align with them, then all their testimony should be followed. But if some of them say otherwise, even if they are fewer in number, one must believe what fits the nature of the case and is free from the suspicion of enmity or favoritism; the judge will confirm his own inner sense based on the arguments and testimony that he finds more appropriate to the matter and closer to the truth. For one should not look to the number of witnesses, but to their sincere trustworthiness and to the testimony that is more supported by the light of truth. One will also most frequently rely on presumptions themselves until the contrary is proven.
The Wisdom of Solomon
Solomon's judgment serves as a model for discerning truth through the nature of the case rather than relying solely on compelled testimony.
Even Solomon, when he ordered the infant to be divided during the dispute between the two women—and one of them would rather have yielded the child alive to the other, crying out, "Let it be neither mine nor yours"—didn't summon or compel unwilling people to give testimony; yet he made exceptions for those whom the law doesn't force to testify against certain individuals.
Read the original Latin
At in ipsa disquisitione consilii tam in ciuilibus quam in criminalibus causis ad examinandas probationes instrumentorum ratio habenda est. Et quidem instrumenta dicuntur omnia quibus causa instrui potest, siue sint testimonia siue testes; haec tamen illis potiora sunt, eo quod testes testimoniis praeferuntur. Nam, cum testes examinari possint, testimonia semper et apud omnes eadem sunt. In ipsa uero testium examinatione non potest ex regula aliqua diffiniri quid magis iudicem sequi oporteat. Si enim testes omnes eiusdem honestatis et estimationis sint et negotii qualitas ac iudicis motus cum his cona currerit, sequenda sunt omnia testimonia. Sin uero quidam eorum aliud dixerint, licet impari numero, credendum est quod naturae negotii conuenit, quod inimicitiae aut gratiae suspicione caret; confirmabitque iudex motum animi sui ex argumentis et testimoniis quae rei aptiora et uero proximiora esse compererit. Non enim ad multitudinem respici oportet, sed ad sinceram testium fidem et testimonia quibus potius lux ueritatis assistit. Ipsis quoque praesumptionibus frequentissime stabit donec probetur contrarium.
Nam et Salomon, cum in litigio meretricum infantem diuidi praecepisset, et altera eum mallet alteri uiuum cedere, ipsa tamen reclamante: Nec michi nec tibi euocabit et ad testimonium compellet inuitos; his tamen exceptis, quos aduersus certas personas testificari iura non cogunt.
Policraticus companion
Study the argument weekly; pray the tradition daily
Pair the outline with the Chosen Portion app, which serves short daily portions from the same royal devotional tradition — free on iOS.
John of Salisbury argued that rulers must keep the law of God before their eyes daily; Chosen Portion gives modern readers that same daily discipline in five minutes a morning.
- 8 weeks, one book per week, with the 3-4 key chapters flagged in each
- Discussion questions usable for a reading group from week one
- A daily 5-minute companion portion in the app alongside your weekly study