The Political Testament of Cardinal Richelieu by Paul Sonnino

Author:Paul Sonnino
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
Published: 2020-02-04T16:00:00+00:00

SECOND PART

Divided into ten chapters, the first nine of which are the nine general principles according to which a state cannot help but be well governed.

The tenth is the conclusion of this work.

Chapter I Which points out that the first foundation of the happiness of a state is the institution of the reign of God

The reign of God is the principle of all the governments of states, and, indeed, it is something so absolutely necessary that without this foundation no prince can reign well; nor can any state be happy and successful.

It would be easy to write entire volumes on such an important subject, on which the Scriptures, the fathers of the Church, and all sorts of histories furnish us with an infinite number of teachings, examples, and exhortations that add up to the same thing. But this is something so well known to everyone by his own reason, which tells him that he does not get his being from himself but that he is created by God and is consequently governed by Him, that there is no one who does not feel that nature has imprinted this truth in his heart in letters that cannot be erased.216

So many princes and so many states that have founded their conduct on the opposite principle have been lost, and so many have been showered with blessings for having submitted their authority to that from which it derived, for having sought their greatness only in that of their Creator, and for having cared more about His reign than about their own that I shall not elaborate on a truth so evident that it does not need any proof.

I shall only say, in a word, that just as it is impossible for the reign of a prince who allows the reign of disorder and vice in his state to be happy, God will not easily allow one who will take special care to establish His empire throughout his domains to be unfortunate.

Nothing is more useful for this holy institution than the good conduct of princes, which is a living law more compelling and effective than all those that they could enact in order to compel compliance with their good intentions.

If it is true that whatever crime a sovereign may commit, he sins more through his bad example than by the nature of his fault, it is no less indubitable that, whatever law he may enact, if he follows it himself, his example is not less useful to its observance than all the punishments of his ordinances as great as they may be.

The purity of a chaste prince will banish more impurity in his kingdom than all of the exertions he might make for this end.

The prudence and restraint of one who will not swear will do more to curtail the cursing and blasphemies that are too common in states than any strictness he might impose upon those who abandon themselves to such abominations.

This is not to say that it is not necessary to severely

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