Summus imperator christus dat hic decem consilia salubria regibus, quibus debeant regere se et regna.
The King's Heavenly Calling
The Son of God invites the king to adopt practices that lead to heavenly contemplation.
The Son of God speaks to his bride, saying: "I have already told the king about certain steps he can take to ascend to heavenly things." If he holds to them and keeps them, he'll ascend to heaven just as easily as someone living a contemplative life.
Counsels of Humility and Justice
The first five counsels focus on the king's daily conduct, social interactions, and the administration of impartial justice.
Now, I want to offer the king ten pieces of advice. The first is that he shouldn't sit alone at his table, but rather with some of his subjects, who will be comforted by his presence both physically and spiritually, because this keeps them from sin and dishonorable behavior. The second piece of advice is that after a meal, you should be able to stand and enjoy a little honest relaxation, because through humble conversation and informal talk with your subjects, you gain their grace and love, and then you'll hear the reasoning and opinions of many, which you can either follow or reject. The third piece of advice is that in all your judgments and actions, you should be both merciful and just, so that you don't let friendship, misplaced sympathy, your own private gain, or any temporal advantage or fear keep you from doing what is just. Don't let anger or impatience cause you to neglect or forget mercy, because it's unbecoming for a king to be overcome by anger, or for a judge to make snap judgments, or to let pleas sway you from the path of justice. The fourth piece of advice is that a king shouldn't entrust his administration or judicial duties to those he knows to be biased or greedy, or to those known for fraudulent extortion, because such people easily stray from justice. Instead, the king should seek out those who are naturally well-disposed, who follow the good example of their ancestors, and who love the work of justice more than getting rich. The fifth point is that a king should constantly check how law and justice are being upheld in his kingdom, and he shouldn't leave the guilty unpunished if he has the power to correct them. He should also be careful not to squeeze too much money or too many fines out of those who have done wrong, nor should he use any clever tricks to oppress the innocent; instead, he should deal more gently with the humble and punish the hardened more severely, while maintaining justice and mercy in all things. And wherever you see greater humility, let mercy triumph over justice.✦
Wisdom and Integrity in Governance
The next three counsels emphasize self-examination, prudent decision-making, and the avoidance of corrupting influences.
The sixth point is that a king should constantly examine his own judgments and actions, and if he sees that he has made a mistake out of a hasty or sudden impulse, he shouldn't be ashamed to correct or retract what was poorly done. After all, you aren't wiser than David, who still made mistakes, nor are you holier than the prophet who was killed by a lion because he believed a lie. The seventh point is that you shouldn't be too impulsive in your actions, but rather prudent and circumspect, always considering the outcome of your affairs. You should also rely on the counsel of those who are wise, experienced, and fear God. Obey them and don't hide from them, because it's a sign of a base and suspicious mind to distrust proven advisors and to reconsider decisions that were made maturely and soberly just because of flatterers and sycophants. The eighth piece of advice is that he should avoid any lightness in his words or behavior in all situations, even with his own family and household, and he should flee from flatterers and sycophants like a scorpion, because they encourage him in his sins and cause good people to stumble. It's fitting for a king to be someone who is feared by the young, honored by the old, praised by the wise, loved by the just, and deeply longed for by the oppressed.
The King's Devotion to God and People
The final counsels address the king's spiritual loyalty to the Church and his paternal love for his subjects.
The ninth point is that a king shouldn't associate with those excommunicated by the Church, nor should he support those who mock God and His commandments; instead, he should instruct them with words and loving warnings, and if they don't repent, he should show them his severity and withdraw his favors from them. A king's honor lies in loving divine things above all else and in using his own strength to increase the honor of God. The tenth piece of advice is that he should love the people and the community of his kingdom, treat his soldiers with kindness, and remember the good deeds of their parents when dealing with their children.
Read the original Latin
Filius dei loquitur ad sponsam dicens: Dixi regi prius quosdam gradus per quos ascendere potest ad celestia. Quos si tenuerit et seruauerit, tanta facilitate ascendet ad celum sicut ille qui vitam tenet contemplatiuam.
Nunc autem consulere regi volo decem consilia. Primum est quod in mensa sua non sit solus sed cum aliquibus subditis suis sedeat, qui ex eius presencia consolabuntur corporaliter et spiritualiter, quia ex hoc a peccatis et inhonestatibus abstrahuntur.
Secundum consilium est quod post mensam stare poterit et honeste modicum solaciari, quia ex humili collocucione et collacione domestica subditorum acquirit graciam et amorem, et tunc audiet multorum raciones et opiniones aut imitandas aut reprobandas.
Tercium consilium est, quod in omnibus iudiciis et operibus suis sit misericors et iustus, vt nec propter amiciciam vel falsam compassionem nec propter priuatum bonum suum aut propter temporalem vtilitatem seu timorem dimittat exercere iusticiam.
Nec propter iram seu impacienciam negligat aut obliuiscatur misericordiam, quia indecens est regi vinci ab ira et iudicem iudicare subito aut precibus a via iusticie deuiare.
Quartum consilium est, quod rex non committat regimina et iudicia sua facienda illis, quos sciuerit esse parciales et cupidos, aut illis, qui fraudulenter sciunt extorquere pecunias, quia tales faciliter deuiant a iusticia.
Sed inquirat rex illos, qui a natura bene ordinati progenitorum suorum imitantur bona vestigia et qui magis iusticie opera diligunt quam ditari.
Quintum est, quod continue inquirat rex, qualiter obseruatur lex et iusticia in regno suo, et illos, quos delinquentes corrigere poterit, non dimittat impunitos.
Et caueat, quod non nimis emungat pecunias et emendas a delinquentibus, nec aliqua calliditate opprimat innocentes sed cum humilibus agat micius et seuerius puniat induratos, seruata in omnibus iusticia et misericordia.
Et vbi humilitatem maiorem viderit, misericordiam superexaltet equitate.
Sextum est, quod continue rex discuciat iudicia et opera sua, et si ex facili et subito mentis impulsu errasse se viderit, non erubescat corrigere vel retractare que male acta sunt.
Non enim ipse est sapiencior Dauid, qui eciam errauit, nec sanccior propheta, qui credens mendacio occisus est a leone.
Septimum est, quod non sit nimis subitus in agendis sed prouidus et circumspectus, considerando finem negociorum.
Innitatur eciam consiliis sapientum et expertorum et timencium deum, quibus et obediat et se ipsum non abscondat ab eis, quia degeneris et suspectiosi est animi consiliarios probatos habere suspectos et consilia mature et sobrie tractata cum adulantibus et assentantibus retractare.
Octauum consilium est, quod caueat leuitatem verborum et morum in omnibus, eciam apud familiares et domesticos suos, fugiatque adulatores et assentatores quasi scorpionem, quia eum fouent in peccatis et scandalizant bonos.
Nam talem conuenit esse regem, quod timeatur a iuuenibus, honoretur a senibus, laudetur a sapientibus, diligatur a iustis et ab oppressis cordialiter desideretur.
Nonum est, quod rex non communicet hiis, qui ab ecclesia excommunicati sunt, nec foueat illos, qui deum et mandata eius derident, sed informet eos verbis et ammonicionibus caritatis, et nisi resipuerint, ostendat eis seueritatem suam et subtrahat eis beneficia sua.
Nam honor regis est diuina super omnia diligere et dei honorem suis viribus augmentare.
Decimum consilium est, quod populum et communitatem regni sui diligat, milites suos clementer pertractet et beneficia parentum in filiis recordetur.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Jas.2.13 — For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
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