Imperator christus docet reges diligere populos subditos tenendo rectos modos regiminis, precipiens eis quod amoueant consuetudines iniustas et prauas.
The King's Duty of Care
A king demonstrates true love for his people by governing through approved laws rather than through oppressive burdens or novel taxes.
The Son of God says to his bride, "I said before that a king should love the people and the community of his kingdom." But he shows that he truly loves them when he allows them to live by approved laws. This is evident if cruel tax collectors and enforcers don't rule over the community and the people, if the people aren't burdened by new inventions and tax levies, and if they aren't weighed down by burdensome and unusual demands for hospitality. A king may humbly ask for help from the people and the community of the realm to defend against the attacks of unbelievers if he is in need, but he must be careful that such a necessity doesn't become a custom or a law.
Removing Cruel Customs
The king is commanded to abolish unjust practices, such as plundering shipwrecked victims, to find favor in the eyes of God.
A king should also strive to remove customs that are contrary to the salvation of souls, especially that long-standing, ancient practice where, when ships are wrecked by a storm on his shores, the owners of the ships and their cargo are stripped of the goods that wash up. It’s incredibly cruel to add affliction to someone who is already suffering. For it’s enough for the person who is suffering to lose their ship, adding to the weight of their grief, without having their other goods plundered as well. Therefore, let the king root out this custom, along with other corrupt and unjust practices, from his kingdom, and he will find greater grace and progress in my eyes.
Read the original Latin
Filius dei loquitur ad sponsam: Dixi prius, quod rex diligeret populum et communitatem regni sui. Tunc autem ostendit se diligere eam, quando eam permittit vti legbis approbatis,
si super communitatem et populum crudeles non dominantur exactores et collectores, si nouis adinuencionibus et imposicionibus tributorum non oneratur populus, si hospitalitate onerosa et insolita non aggrauatur.
Poterit tamen rex ad impugnacionem infidelium humiliter petere auxilium a populo et communitate regni, si necessitatur, sed caueat, quod necessitas illa non veniat in consuetudinem et legem.
Studeat eciam rex ammouere consuetudines contrarias saluti animarum et maxime illam diutine antiquatam, que continet quod quando naues in littore potestatis sue periclitantur tempestate, domini nauium et mercimoniorum priuantur bonis, que littori aduehuntur.
O quam impiissima crudelitas est afflicto affliccionem addere! Sufficit enim afflicto ad cumulum doloris sui perdere nauem, vt bona alia non distrahantur.
Ergo rex istam consuetudinem et alias prauas et iniustas auellat a regno suo et inueniet maiorem graciam et profectum in oculis meis.
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