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Of the maner of kynges as touchyng largesse.

There be .iiij. maner of kynges. There is a kynge that is lyberall to hym selfe, & lyberall to his subgectes. There is a kynge that is lyberall to hym selfe & havyng to his subgectes. The Ytalyens say that it is no vyce to a kynge that is havynge to hymselfe, & lyberal to his subgectes. The Indyens say that the kyng is good that is hauyng to hymself, & to his subgectes. The Percyens say the contrary, & ben of opynyion that the kyng is not worthy that is not large to hymselfe & havyng to his subgectes. But among all the kynges above sayd it is the worst, & ought in no thynge to be praysed that is not liberall to hym selfe & to his subgectis. For he that is havynge to hym selfe & to his subgectis, his realme shall be clene destroyed. That it behoveth us to enquere of the vertues & vyces abovesayd, & to shew what thyng largesse is, & wherin the errour of largesse lyeth, & what harmes come for lacke of largesse. It is evydent that the qualytees ben to be reproved whan they go fro the meane, & be avarycyous or folysshe lyberall. But yf thou wyll enquere or seke largesse, regarde & consyder thy power, and the tyme of the necessyte, & the merytes of men. And than thou aught to gyve as thy power wyll (by measure) to them that have nede, & be worthy of it. For he that gyveth other wyse he breketh the rule of largesse & synneth. And he that gyveth his goodes to hym that hath no nede, he getteth no thankes. And al that he gyveth to them that be not worthy, is lost. And he that spendeth his goodes outragyously, shall soone come to the wylde brymmes of poverte, & is lyke hym that gyveth victory to his enemyes over hym. But a kynge that gyveth his goodes mesurably to them that have nede, is lyberall to himselfe and his subgectes. And his realme shal come to grete prosperyte, & his commaundement shalbe fulfylled. And he that spendeth the goodes of his realme without ordre, & gyueth to them that be not worthy, & to them that have no nede, such a kynge destroyeth his people, & the comyn welthe, & is not worthy to reygne as a kyng. And the name of avaryce is an over foule name to a kyng, & to moche harme cometh to his regall mageste. Therfore yf a kyng wyl reygne honourably, hym behoveth not to have the one nor the other of these vyces, that is to wyte, that he be not to lyberall, nor to coveytous. And yf the kyng wyl be counceyled, he ought with grete dylygence to pourvey him of a wyse man, whiche shall be chosen amonge all other, to whome he shall commyt his doynges of the realme, & the gouernaunce of the rychesses of the same as they ought to be spent.
next up previous contents
Next: Of largesse and avaryce, Up: The maner of kynges Previous: The maner of kynges   Contents
tashid 2001-09-09