Quanta ignominia superbos qualisque vel quanta gloria hic et in futuro principes orthodoxos comitatur.
A Letter's Loving Purpose
The author explains his loving purpose in compiling examples of good and evil rulers for the king's reflection and spiritual formation.
But in running through these few things drawn from many — both sacred and human stories — I have offered this little letter of reminder to your majesty, my lord king, urged to this small work by your love, knowing that I owe your highness my devoted service, and considering it would be useful if I briefly gathered into one little work the things that are read here and there in sacred and human writings about certain good and evil kings or rulers, so that your mind might find delight in it, and the loving devotion I feel toward the brilliance of your understanding might show itself openly. So too do bees gather liquid honey from many different flowers, meant for the service of their lords, and with skillful arrangement they form the most pleasing combs from it. So then, may your keen intelligence read through these little summaries, as in a handbook, time and again, so that it may more easily take to heart how great are the ills that the wicked rulers suffer and how great are the blessings that the heavenly and divine justice repays to the righteous.
The Contrast of Wicked and Righteous Rulers
A vivid contrast is drawn between the temporal and eternal miseries of wicked rulers and the present and everlasting blessings of righteous rulers.
For in order that the reprobate might receive present afflictions, calamities, captivities, the loss of children, the slaughter of friends, the barrenness of crops, unbearable plagues, brief and unhappy days, long illnesses, the worst of deaths, and beyond that eternal punishments — so, on the contrary, does God grant to righteous and holy rulers many comforts in the present life: abundance of riches, the glory of triumphs, the tranquility of peace, the splendid promise of offspring, many happy years, and an everlasting kingdom in the age to come.
Creation Serves the Righteous
Scripture and spectacular examples show how all creation fights for righteous rulers because they remain obedient to the Creator.
For just as for the godless, whether things go well or badly, everything ends in destructive outcomes, so for God's chosen ones every outcome of adversity or prosperity works together for good — as the apostle testifies when he says, "All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose as saints" — trained indeed by adversity for a time, yet in times of prosperity richly comforted by the Lord, scorned by the arrogance of the proud, yet made victorious by heavenly aid. Through their merits and the intercession of holy prayers, enemies were defeated, rulers captured, and the most fortified cities were shattered like a spider's web; seas became passable, strongholds were made weak, and what was thought weak soon proved strong. The air itself often fought against the rebels with winds, clouds, and hail; the sky thundered against enemies with lightning and thunderbolts above them; the seas stirred up the most violent storms; angelic ministries stood at their service; the sun, the moon, and the rest of the stars marveled to steady their courses; the earth swallowed the living and vomited the dead back up from the underworld.✦ For all creation was subject to them, because they themselves remained obedient to the Creator in heart, in word, and in deed.
The Holy Arts of Godly Rule
Righteous rulers fear and love God, seek wisdom, judge justly, care for the poor, and fix their hope on heaven.
For it was their holy endeavor both to fear and to love God, to search deeply into sacred words, recognizing that the glory of kings is to search out the word and to know the wisdom of God — as it is written: "Possess wisdom, possess understanding: the beginning of wisdom is to seize hold of her, and she will exalt you; you will be glorified by her once you have embraced her; she will place abundance of graces on your head, and a glorious crown will protect you." Therefore they have diligently learned the arts well-pleasing to the Almighty: to judge justly, to be humble and kind toward the good, but stern and severe toward the proud and those set on evil; to feed the poor, to support the churches of God, and not to place their hope in a fleeting and passing kingdom, but to set their desire and longing on the blessedness of a heavenly and everlasting kingdom that endures forever.
Cherish Their Examples, Share Their Glory
The king is urged to love, ponder, and imitate the examples of holy rulers whose eternal glory he is called to share.
Lord king, it's altogether fitting that you should always love, ponder, and imitate the examples and distinguished deeds of those whose happy course through this fleeting life, and beyond that the glory of eternal reward, are yours to cherish.
God's Guardian Care and Lasting Crown
God himself will protect, exalt, and crown the faithful king with happiness and glory in the fellowship of holy rulers.
For this is how the Lord Almighty will be your guardian and defender against all your adversaries, crushing them under your feet with his mighty power, whether by war or by the law of peace he brings them under your rule, and he will crown you with the grace of his own hand, adorning your every day with happiness and glory in this age, stretching them out and establishing you in the fellowship of the holy kings who pleased God, in unending joy.
A Blessing for Children and Eternal Praise
The chapter closes with a blessing of flourishing descendants for the king and a doxology to Christ, ending in amen.
And your children will be like young olive shoots around your table, and they will sit behind you on the throne of your kingdom, with the Lord granting them long life in this world along with happiness, if they walk in the ways of the Lord and keep his commandments; and beyond that, the kingdom of heaven, through the grace of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is everlasting glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever.✦ Amen.
Read the original Latin
Has autem paucas de multis, divinas et humanas historias percurrens, vestrae, domine rex, excellentiae commonitorias obtuli litteras, vestro amore ad hoc opusculum instigatus, sciens me debitorem esse vestrae celsitudinis obsequio, utile fore perpendens, si, quae sparsim in divinis et humanis eloquiis de quibusdam bonis et malis regibus sive principibus leguntur, in unum breviter deflorarem opusculum, unde possit vestrum delectari ingenium, et nostrae devotionis erga vestrae claritudinem intelligentiae manifestari benivolum queat obsequium. Sic et apes ex diversis floribus liquida mella in utilitatem dominorum transitura colligunt, quibus gratissimos favos artificiosa dispositione componunt. Hos itaque apices velut enchiridion vestri sagacitas ingenii saepius transcurrendo perlegat, quatinus facilius animadvertere possit, quanta mala malis et quanta bona bonis rectoribus superna et divina iustitia rependit. Ut enim reprobis praesentes offensiones, calamitates, captivitates, filiorum orbitates, amicorum strages, frugum sterilitates, pestilentias intolerabiles, breves et infelices dies, diuturnas aegrotationes, mortes pessimas et insuper aeterna supplicia retribuit, ita e contrario iustis et sanctis rectoribus multa in praesenti solatia, divitiarum abundantiam, triumphorum gloriam, pacis tranquillitatem, praeclaram sobolis indolem, multos et felices annos ac perpetuum regnum in futuro donat. Nam sicut impiis, sive prospera sive adversa, cuncta in exitiosos fines accidunt, sic electis Dei omnes adversitatis seu felicitatis eventus in bonum concurrunt, testante apostolo qui ait: "omnia autem concurrunt in bonum his, qui secundum propositum vocati sunt sancti", in adversis quidem pro tempore exercitati, sed in prosperis abundanter a Domino consolati, fastu superborum despecti, sed caelesti iuvamine victoriosi, quorum meritis et sanctarum precum intercessionibus hostes superati, principes capti, urbes munitissimae fractae sunt tamquam tela araneae, maria fuerunt pervia, fortia quaeque facta sunt infirma et, quae infirma existimabantur, mox extiterunt fortia, aer quoque saepe ventis, nubibus et grandine contra rebelles decertavit, ultoribus aether ignibus atque tonitruis super hostes intonuit, aequora violentissimas exercuerunt tempestates, angelica deservierunt ministeria, sol, luna ceteraque sidera cursum stabilire stupuerunt, terra vivos deglutivit ac mortuos ab inferis eadem evomuit. Omnes enim creaturae eis erant subiectae, quoniam ipsi creatori corde, verbo et opere subditi permanserunt. Quippe quorum erat sanctum studium Deum timere simul et amare, sacra perscrutari eloquia, noscentes gloriam regum esse investigare sermonem et Dei scire sapientiam, sicut scriptum est: "posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam principium sapientiae; arripe illam et exaltabit te, glorificaberis ab ea, cum eam fueris amplexatus; dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclita proteget te". Has igitur artes Omnipotenti beneplacitas studiose didicerunt, iuste iudicare, humiles ac benivolos esse erga bonos, superbos vero et invectos in malos, pauperes alere, ecclesias Dei adiuvare, nec spem in transitorio et caduco regno ponere, sed in caelesti et permanentis semper regni beatitudine votum ac desiderium collocare.
Quorum exempla et insignia gesta atque felicem transitoriae vitae cursum, insuper aeternae retributionis gloriam vos semper amare, cogitare atque imitari, domine rex, summopere decet. Sic enim Dominus Omnipotens erit custos et defensor vester contra omnes adversarios vestros, quos magnifica potentia sua conteret sub pedibus vestris vel bellico seu pacis iure subiciet, et corona gratiae suae vos in omnibus adornabit, dies vestros cum felicitate et gloria in hoc saeculo extendens atque in sanctorum consortio regum, qui Deo placuerunt, in perpetua felicitate constituens. Et erunt filii tui sicut novellatio olivarum in circuitu mensae tuae, sedebunt post vos in solio regni vestri, dans eis Dominus longaevam in hoc mundo aetatem simul ac felicitatem, si in viis Domini ambulaverint atque mandata ipsius custodierint, insuper vero regnum caelorum, praestante gratia salvatoris et domini nostri Iesu Christi, cui est perpes gloria et potestas cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Scripture echoes
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