Como muytos erram na maneira de seu viver per aquella tiba voontade suso scripta.
The Five States of Life
The author outlines the five essential social and professional roles that sustain a well-ordered society.
Because of the temptation of this third carnal will, I see many err in their way of living, in this manner: the states are generally five. First, there are the orators, which include clerics, friars of all orders, and hermits, whose primary and principal duty is to pray to Our Lord for all other states, and through their offices to praise and honor Him with their good lives and devout ceremonies, and to teach others through word and good example, and to administer the sacraments. Second, there are the defenders, who must always be ready to protect the land against all enemies—both those from the outside who wish to do harm, and those proud, wicked people living within, from whom they often suffer just as much damage. And it is fitting in times of peace to live as Sam Joham advised, having consideration for three ways in which men should converse: namely, those of lower status whom he commanded not to harm any of their equals, and to bring good contentment to their lords from what they give them, knowing that in these three areas most fail, and guarding against failing in them, he approved the state of defenders without commanding it to be despised or neglected, knowing that it is so necessary for the public good that without it the lands and lordships cannot long endure and defend. And to these defenders are granted great freedoms and privileges because of the great need that arises from them for the entire community at times during great necessity. However, it is fitting for them in peace to learn and know such skills as they can fulfill in times when they can and know how to use well that for which they are among the others so favored, and to have arms and horses to be ready as is fitting to quickly assist where it is necessary for the service and command of their Lord, putting themselves at the risk of death and other great labors and expenses, maintaining people and such regulations according to what belongs to each one, that they honor the royal state, its court, and lordship. Third, there are the farmers and fishermen, who are like the feet upon which all public life is sustained and supported. It is their role to remain occupied in their work, and they should be favored as much as possible, allowing them the space and support to harvest the fruits of the land and sea that sustain us all. Fourth, there are the officials, including the chief advisors, judges, governors, overseers, scribes, and others in similar roles, who must be chosen for their goodness, loyalty, understanding, diligence, and fear of God. Fifth, those who practice certain approved arts and trades, such as physicians, surgeons, sailors, blacksmiths, armorers, and goldsmiths, as well as others who are involved in so many ways that they cannot be briefly recounted, should conduct themselves well, faithfully, and with due diligence in their good way of living.
The Error of Seeking Ease
Many fail in their duties by desiring the rewards of their state without accepting the necessary hardships.
Of all these, many fail because they follow this base will mentioned in the previous chapter, as they do not overcome that will but instead desire the state that each one has, to possess and achieve comfort and security, and do not endure the labors and dangers that are very fitting for each one. For example: if orators seek wealth, honors, reverence, freedoms, and security from general justice and the deeds of war, using little and weak prayer, not wanting to honor God or their churches through their duties and responsibilities, not teaching, governing, or administering sacraments to those who are obliged, and setting a bad example for all, living poorly, such as those who follow this wicked will, wanting to obtain honors, wealth, power, and the freedom of all pleasures, without enduring their dangers, labors, and expenses? Against these, Saint Augustine says that if they want to rejoice with the saints, they do not want to endure tribulations with them. And if they don't want to follow the blessed martyrs through labors and afflictions, they won't be able to see their blessedness, as the Apostle Paul says: If we are companions in suffering, we will also be in the glory of consolation.
Integrity in Vocation
True virtue requires fulfilling the specific obligations of one's state rather than abandoning them for personal comfort.
The defenders, who want to possess all the advantages already declared along with all privileges, seeking to wear the cloaks of beggars or some other unworthy manner of orators, while avoiding the expenses, dangers, and labors that such a lifestyle entails, how can they maintain such a desire? And so, when they abandon the honorable way of living and turn to farming or engaging in trade, everything that comes from that is not something that should ever be permitted for them, unless a defender has passed a certain age and has been well-governed in his life and has been brought to a weak disposition; to such a person, it should be granted that he may cease from some burdens of cavalry, if necessity does not demand it too much, and that in times of peace, living free from labors and cares, he may make some honorable change in his state, which should not be contradicted, for in this they follow the opinion of philosophers who say that the first years should be spent learning how they might serve in the republic, and the latter years for serving, and from there on until the end of life to rest and prepare to finish well in virtues, free from evils and sins. Although they have always been commanded to retire after sixty years, some may be allowed to continue for a short time due to good service and merit. However, young people or those of a similar age should not be allowed to engage in such unworthy behavior; instead, they should be compelled to adopt an approved lifestyle that meets the requirements of their station. If they want to be orators, let them be given to that while living in an approved manner, not using wealth, income, or freedom from cavalry, and if they act like farmers, or have such responsibilities to defend and honor their lord and the land as they can support through their estate, for where necessity does not allow them to encompass it, they cannot be blamed. I don't contradict or criticize those who pray, fast, or perform good works related to their way of life and church duties; instead, I praise and approve of them as each person is best able. However, those who defend these practices should do what is fitting, along with the other things mentioned above that apply to their specific states, without abandoning them. So, I say it's good to work and raise livestock and sheep, but not in a way that leads them to neglect being ready to serve well in the state for which they are privileged and honored. One could write about each of the other states in this way; but from these examples, it should be clear how they ought to behave. The harm that comes from this kind of self-will is that they follow the pleasant parts of their craft or office while leaving behind the bitter parts, without which they cannot truly enjoy the good.
The Responsibility of Leadership
Rulers must reflect on whether they are truly bearing their burdens or merely enjoying the privileges of their status.
As for the lords, I don't write this to praise or commend myself, for the Lord defends that; rather, I declare to them that our position is one of rulers and defenders. When they see what is required of those who hold both roles, they will understand what we ought to do—whether we are properly carrying out the burden the Lord God has given us, or whether, through a misguided will, we are seeking the primary privileges granted to us without taking on the heavy burdens to which we are obligated. Considering this, we will know whether we are worthy of reproach or, by the grace and mercy of our Lord God, worthy of true praise. To demonstrate how we avoid the three disordered desires mentioned in the previous chapter, we govern ourselves by the fourth, which I wrote about in the following chapter, drawing from a large part of the book previously written.
Read the original Latin
Por tentaçom desta terceira tiba voontade vejo muytos errar em sua maneira de viver, per esta guisa: os estados geeralmente som cinquo. Primeiro, dos oradores, em que se entendem clerigos, frades de todas ordeens, e os ermitaães, porque seu proprio e principal oficio destes he per suas oraçoões rogar Nosso Senhor por todos outros stados, e per seus oficios louvalo e honrar per suas boas vidas e devotas cirimonias, e aos outros ensynar per palavra e boo exemplo, e ministrar os sacramentos. Segundo, dos defensores, os quaes sempre devem ser prestes para defender a terra de todos contrairos, assi dos aversairos que defora lhe querem empeecer, como dos soberbos e maleciosos que moram em ella, de que nom menos empeecimento muytas vezes recebem. E antes convem no tempo da paz viver como nos conselhou Sam Joham, avendo consiiraçom de tres maneiras dhomees com que ham de conversar, scilicet, os de baixo stado que lhes mandou que algũu delles nom trilhassem, aos seus semelhantes nom injuriassem, e de seus senhores trouxessem boo contentamento do que lhes dessem, sabendo que naquestas tres partes os mais falleciam, e guardandosse de fallecer em ellas, aprovou o stado dos defensores nom o mandando desprezar nem leixar, sabendo que he tam necessario para o bem publico que sem elle se nom podem as terras e senhorios longamente soportar e defender, que dos seus ou dos stranhos nom mandem buscar para os defenderem. E a estes defensores som dadas grandes liberdades e privillegios por a grande necessidade a que per elles toda comunydade som algũas vezes no tempo do grande mester acorridos. E porem lhes perteece na paz aprender e saber taaes manhas como no tempo que comprir possam e saibam bem husar daquello per que som antre os outros tam avantajados, e tenham armas e cavallos para estar prestes como convem para logo socorrer onde for necessario por serviço e mandado de seu Senhor, poendosse a perigos de morte, e outros grandes trabalhos e despezas, mantendo gente e taaes corregimentos segundo a cada hũu perteecer, que honrem o real stado, sua corte e senhorio. Terceiro, dos lavradores e pescadores, que assi como pees, em que toda a cousa publica se mantem e soporta, som chamados; aos quaaes perteece em esto sempre continuadamente se ocupar, seendo muyto relevados quanto se mais poder fazer de outro serviço, maao trilhamento, mas darlhes lugar, favor para tirarem per seu trabalho aquelles fruitos da terra e do mar em que todos nos governamos. Quarto, dos oficiaes, em que se entendem os mais principaaes, conselheiros, juizes, regedores, veedores, scrivaães, e semelhantes, os quaaes boos, leaaes, entendidos, sollicitos, tementes a Deos devem seer scolhidos.
Quinto, dos que husam dalgũas artes aprovadas e mesteres, como fisicos, celorgiaães, mareantes, tangedores, armeiros, ourivezes, e assy dos outros que som per tantas maneiras que nom se poderiam brevemente recontar, aos quaaes convem bem e lealmente e com devida deligencia husar de sua boa maneira de viver. De todos estes, por seguir esta voontade tiba, de que faz em o capitolo passado meençom, muytos fallecem, porque al nom he veencerse a aquella voontade senom querer daquel stado, que cada hũu tem, possuir e lograr o folgado e seguro, e nom soportar os trabalhos e perigoos que a cada hũu muyto convem.
Exemplo desto: se os oradores querem as riquezas, honras, reverenças, liberdades, segurança de sa geral justiça, e dos feitos da guerra, husando de pouca e fraca oraçom, nom querendo per oficios e corregimentos honrar Deos nem suas igrejas, nom ensynando, regendo, ministrando sacramentos aos que som obrigados, e a todos dam exemplo descandallo e de pouca devaçom e mal viver, taaes como esses que al seguem senom esta tiba voontade, querendo aver as honras, riquezas, poderios, soltura de todas folganças, aos defensores e casados outorgados, nom soportando seus perigos, trabalhos e despezas? Contra os quaes diz Sancto Agostinho, que se querem alegrar com os Sanctos, e as tribullações nom querem soportar com elles. E se nom quiserem seguir os bemaventurados martires per trabalhos e afliçoões, aa sua bemaventurança nom poderom viir, como diz o Apostolo Paullo: Se formos companheiros das paixoões assy o seremos na gloria das consollacoões.
Os defensores, que todallas avantageens ja declaradas com todos privilegios querem possuir, querendo trazer capas de beguinos ou algũus avitos e maneira de oradores, tirandosse das despezas, perigos e trabalhos, que al lhe faz teer tal geito se nom esta tiba voontade? E assi quando desemparom a honrada maneira de seu viver e se lançom a lavrar, ou trautar de mercadaria, todo dalli vem, o que a huus e a outros nunca deve seer consentido, salvo se algũu defensor passasse de lx annos, e ja bem se ouvesse governado em sa mancebia e fosse trazido a fraca disposicom; a tal bem lhe deve seer outorgado que cesse dalguus carregos de cavallaria, se a necessidade muyto nom o demandar, e que no tempo da paz por viver fora de trabalhos e cuidados faça algũa honesta mudança em seu stado, nom lhe deve seer contradicto, ca em esto seguem a openiom dos filosofos que os primeiros xx annos apropriavam pera aprender como em a republica podiam servir, e os xxxx para servirem, e dalli avante ataa fim da vida pera se repousarem, e ordenarem pera bem acabar em virtudes, fora de malles e pecados. E posto que de lxx annos sempre se mandarom apousentar, que algũus por seu boo serviço e merecimento se adiantem algũu pouco tempo nom som de prasmar; mas a gente manceba, ou que a tal hidade nom som viindos e assi o mereçom, nunca deve ser consentido husar de tal tibeza, mas constrangelos que tomem estado aprovado, no qual vivam segundo aquel requere. Se querem seer oradores, a esso sejam dados vivendo em aprovada regia, nom husando de riqueza, renda, nem liberdade de cavallaria, e se como lavradores semelhante façom, ou tenham taaes corregimentos para defender e honrar seu senhor e a terra como por sua fazenda poderem soportar, ca onde per necessidade abranger nom podem nem som de culpar.
Eu nom contradigo nem prasmo os que rezam, jejũam ou bem fazendo todas boas obras perteecentes a sua maneira de viver, oficios digreja, antes os louvo e aprovo como cada hũu melhor poder, mas tenham os defensores que esto convem fazer, e outras cousas suso scriptas a elles perteencentes, segundo seus estados, nom desemparar. E assi digo que he bem de lavrar e criarem bestas e gaados, mas nom de tal guisa que se desemparem de serem prestes para bem servirem naquel stado por que som priviligiados e mais honrados. E desta guisa em cada hũu dos outros estados se poderia screver; mas per o exemplo destes se entendera delles como devem husar, e o mal que vem desta tiba voontade he que seguir as partes doces do mester ou oficio em que vivem, e leixar o amargoso, sem o qual del bem nom podem husar.
Do que perteece aos senhores, mais nom screvo por me nom louvar ou doestar porque o Gatom o defende, senom que lhes declaro tanto que nosso estado he de regedores e defensores; e veendo o que perteece aos que destes ambos devem husar, veram o que nos convem de fazer, se bem husarmos do carrego que per o Senhor Deos nos he dado, ou se per esta tiba voontade queremos lograr as principaaes prerrogativas que nos som outorgadas, nom husando dos muy grandes carregos a que somos obrigados; e consiirando esto conheceremos quanto somos dignos de reprehensom, ou por graça e mercee do Nosso Senhor Deos de verdadeiro lovor. E para demostrar per quaaes virtudes desemparamos as tres voõtades, no capitolo ante deste declaradas, e nos regemos per a quarta, screvi o capitolo seguinte, filhando grande parte do livro suso scripto.
The Loyal Counselor — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit