De rege pacifico atque clementi vel quibus danda sunt beneficia.
The Seven Beauties of Peaceful Kingship
A just and peaceful king is praised as one of God's most beautiful creatures, bringing paradise-like flourishing, preparing a dwelling for Christ through inner peace, and observing a threefold peace with God, within himself, and with others.
There are, as the wise tell us, seven things more beautiful than all of God's other creatures: a cloudless sky, when it gleams with a wondrous likeness of silver; the sun in its power, as it makes its course and lights the world's inhabitants with the splendor of its glory; the moon in its fullness and bare face, when the clouds draw back and it follows the sun's path in its own orbit; a fruitful field, when it's painted with diverse flowers and curling clusters; the many moods of the sea, when the calm of the sky and the gentle swell of its waters resound most beautifully along the shores; a chorus of the righteous dwelling together in one faith; and a peaceful king in the glory of his kingdom, when in his royal court, having displayed his gifts and bestowed his presents, he confers many benefits. A just and peaceful king, then, with a cheerful face distributes what is good, carefully weighs each person's cause, and — not looking down on the weak and the poor of the people, relying on the counsel and judgment of elders and the prudent — speaks true judgments, humbling the wicked and lifting up the good. His days will be filled with glory, and his memory will endure forever. A peaceful ruler is like a flowering and fruitful paradise to those around him, and like a noble vine abounding in fruit, driving away all discord by the splendor of his presence. Whoever embraces peace in the court of his soul, without a doubt prepares a dwelling for Christ, because Christ is peace and longs to rest in peace. Moreover, where peace is, truth is found in deliberations and justice in deeds. So just as a skillful pilot on a stormy sea struggles to escape its dangers when the weather turns calm, so a peaceful ruler, by the serene calm of his soul and the harmony of peace, labors to restrain the assaults of discord with careful deliberation. He must observe this threefold rule of peace: peace above himself, peace within himself, and peace beside himself, because he must be at peace with God, at peace in his own heart, and at peace with those around him.
The Glory and Clemency of Devout Princes
The surpassing goodness of peace is shown through mercy and clemency, which commend rulers to their people and made famous emperors and kings both glorious on earth and blessed in heaven, yet a just king must give only true benefits.
So great is the good of peace that even in earthly and mortal matters nothing more pleasing is wont to be heard, nothing more desirable to be desired, and finally nothing better can be found. But the fruit of a peaceful mind is to show kindness toward subjects and friends, along with mercy and clemency — virtues by which so devout a ruler and his kingdom are gloriously preserved, as Solomon attests when he says, 'Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne will be strengthened by clemency.'✦1 For there is nothing that commends a good ruler to his people as more favorable and lovable than clemency and peaceful serenity. These qualities — to pass over others for the sake of brevity — made Augustus Caesar most famous; these made the Antonines, Constantine the great, Theodosius, and the other magnificent princes blessed with highest honor. These same qualities also dedicated the great Charles as most holy among the other signs of the virtues, raised above the princes of all lands, and adorned the most pious Emperor Louis. And what more should I recount? Surely, the most serene clemency of devotion made princes glorious both on earth and placed them as companions of the saints in heaven — for they gave not only their possessions but their whole selves entirely to the Almighty. But nothing must be given by a just and pious king unless it is a true benefit.
True Benefits and Right Intention in Giving
Benefits given for earthly repayment are mere transactions, so a ruler must give with moderation and upright intention, distributing generously for the commonwealth, the Church, and heavenly glory.
But if a benefit is aimed at some repayment of reward in this age, it disappears and comes to an end; for we can't hold on to something whose price has been paid in full to us, so that such lavish giving ought to be called not so much a benefit as a transaction. The benefits that should be given, then, are those which, once granted, don't harm the good ruler's reputation for devotion and justice — benefits suited to people's rank and to real need, not shaped by the greed of those receiving them, people who don't easily deny themselves anything, since they shamefully and savagely demand what's difficult or impossible to grant. Hence the emperor Nerva used to say: 'When friends think they deserve everything, if they haven't extorted something, they only become more shameless.' So in every act of giving, moderation must be kept and the donor's intention kept upright, so that all things may be distributed — to good, better, and best purposes — through the generous bounty of a calm ruler, for the welfare of the commonwealth, the holy good of the Church, and the glory of a heavenly undertaking.
The Peacemaker as God's Image
The Creator made all things beautiful, and among them the holy, generous, and calm ruler stands out, trembling the proud and becoming a blessed peacemaker, an image of the Trinity by heaven's gift.
The Maker of heaven above, the ruler of all things—he himself, the craftsman—made all that he created beautiful. Among these created things seven stand out as more beautiful: the painted sphere of heaven shining with the grace of light, the kindly sun gleaming white among the stars in its glory, and, after the horned moon, the crown of light overflowing, the fruitful and green garden blooming with the flower of buds, the Tethyan calm soothing every sight with its serenity, the holy choir of the devout worshipping you, God, and glorious and best ruler through all things. Endowed with holiness, generous and calm, he stands out by equity and purity of heart. The blindness of the proud and the wicked trembles at him. Whoever honors good men willingly with royal generosity becomes a blessed peacemaker, an honorable vineyard; he is a worthy image of the Trinity by the lot of heaven.
Read the original Latin
Septem speciosiora sunt aliis creaturis Dei, ut sapientes ferunt, caelum innubiale, quando argenteo colori mirabili similitudine comparatur; sol in virtute sua, quando reciprocis cursibus in splendore gloriae suae habitatores mundi inluminat; luna in integritate nudataque facie nubibus recedentibus, quando proprio cursu solis vestigia investigat; ager fructuosus, quando diversis floribus nodisque crispantibus depingitur; varietas maris, quando serenitas caeli nubiumque placidis fluctibus in litoribus personans pulcherrime ostenditur; chorus iustorum in una fide habitantium; rex pacificus in gloria regni sui, quando in aula regia ostensis muneribus donisque traditis multa beneficia praestat. Rex etenim iustus et pacificus laeta facie bona dividit, et uniuscuiusque causam diligenter meditatur, et infirmos et pauperes populi non despiciens, cum seniorum et prudentium consilio et iudicio verax iudicia loquitur, malos humilians bonosque exaltans. Dies eius cum gloria extendentur, et eius memoria in aeternum manebit. Princeps pacificus tamquam floridus et fertilis est in proximo paradisus, et quasi vinea honesta copiosum abundans fructum, omnem a splendore conspectus sui conturbans discordiam. Qui dum pacem in aula suae mentis amplectitur, procul dubio mansionem praeparat Christo, quia Christus pax est et in pace requiescere cupit. Porro ubi pax est, in disputationibus veritas et in operibus iustitia invenitur. Sicut ergo providus gubernator procellosi maris pericula arridente temporis serenitate evadere nititur, sic rector pacificus serena mentis tranquillitate ac pacis concordia impetus discordiarum sedula deliberatione compescere meditatur. Quem trinam pacis regulam conservare oportet, hoc est supra se, in se, iuxta se, quia erga Deum et in se ipso et circa proximos debet esse pacificus.
Tantum est enim pacis bonum, ut etiam in rebus terrenis atque mortalibus nihil gratius soleat audiri, nihil desiderabilius concupisci, nihil postremo possit melius inveniri. Fructus autem pacificae mentis est, erga subiectos et amicos benignam ostendere misericordiam simul et clementiam, quibus virtutibus tam pius regnator quam eius regnum gloriose conservatur, testante Salemone, qui ait: "misericordia et veritas custodiunt regem, et roborabitur clementia thronus eius". Non enim quicquam est, quod bonum rectorem melius populo favorabilem atque amabilem commendet, quam clementia et pacifica serenitas. Haec, ut alios causa brevitatis omittam, Augustum Caesarem fecit celeberrimum; haec Antonios, magnum quoque Constantinum, Theodosios ceterosque magnificos principes sublimiter beatificavit. Eadem quoque magnum Karolum inter cetera virtutum insignia in sacratissimum prae ceteris terrarum principibus Augustum dedicavit, haec Hluduwicum piissimum adornavit imperatorem. Et quid plura referam? Certe serenissima pietatis clementia gloriosos principes et glorificavit in terra et consortes sanctorum collocavit in caelo, quippe qui non solum sua, sed et totos semet ipsos Omnipotenti dederunt. Nihil autem ab iusto et pio rege donandum est, nisi quod sit beneficium.
Beneficium autem si ad aliquam mercedis remunerationem in hoc saeculo refertur, interit atque finitur; nec enim possumus id habere integrum, cuius pretium nobis persolutum est, unde non tam beneficium, sed potius commercium dicenda est talis largitio. Danda sunt vero beneficia, quae data boni principis famam pietatemque et iustitiam non laedunt, iuxta dignitates personarum et utilitates rerum, non secundum cupiditates accipientium, qui non facile sibimet denegant, quia, quod difficile aut impossibile est, improbe atque atrociter exposcunt. Unde Nerva imperator dicebat: "amici cum se mereri omnia praesumunt, si quicquam non extorserint, atrociores fiunt". In omnibus itaque largitionibus temperabilis servanda est mensura rectaque in donatore intentio, ut pro salute rei publicae et sanctae utilitate ecclesiae proque caelestis indeptione gloriae bonis, melioribus, optimis cuncta per sereni principis munificentiam distribuantur.
Conditor supernus orbis, imperator omnium Ipse cuncta, quae creavit, pulchra fecit artifex. Inter haec creata Septem pulchriora praeminent: Picta caeli spera lucis emicante gratia, Alma solis inter astra candidansque gloria, Ac referta post bicorne luna stemma lumine, Fructuosus et virescens hortus flore germinum, Tethios serenitasque visa mulcens omnium, Sanctus ac chorus piorum te Deum colentium, Gloriosus atque rector optimus per omnia. Liberalis et serenus sanctitate praeditus, Aequitate, puritate cordis ille praeminet. Quem tremit superborumque reprobumque caecitas. Qui bonos honorat sponte largitate regia, Pacifer beatus ille fit honesta vinea; Trinitatis est imago digna sorte caelitum.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Prov.20.28;Prov.20.28 — Steadfast love and faithfulness guard the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld. Prov.20.28 — Steadfast love and faithfulness guard the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
Notes
- 1 ↩Quoted scriptural span: 'Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne will be strengthened by clemency.' Cf. Prov 20:28 (Vulgate): 'Misericordia et veritas custodiunt regem, et roborabitur clementia thronus eius.'
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