according as he thinks fit so in the Conduct of a State nothing is requir'd but the Operation of the Mind which sees and orders at once what it thinks fit to be done If it be true that the Sun which heats all things is not hot in it self it is evident that in order to make the World act corporeally the Action of the Body is not requir'd I own nevertheless that I have often wish'd my self rid of the Government of the State upon the account of my want of Health the Line of which has been so short that it has almost been impossible for me not to exceed the measure of it often Finally After having serv'd your Majesty many Years in the most difficult Affairs that can be met with in a State I may confirm by Experience what Reason teaches all the World That it is the Head and not the Arm which conducts States SECT VI. Which represents the Number of Counsellors of State that is requisite and that one among them ought to have the Superiour Authority AFter having examin'd and discover'd the Qualifications that are necessary in those who are to be employ'd in the Ministry of State I must also observe That as the Plurality of Physicians sometimes causes the Death of the Patient instead of contributing towards his Cure so the State will receive more prejudice than advantage if the Counsellors are in great Number I add That no benefit can be deriv'd by them if their Number exceeds Four and moreover That one of them must have the Superiour Authority to be as it were the Primum Mobile which moves all the other Heavens without being mov'd by any thing but its Intelligence I am loth to set down this Proposition because it will look as if I design'd to maintain my own Cause but considering that it would be easie for me to prove it by several Authorities of Scripture of the Fathers and of Politicians and that the Confidence your Majesty has always honour'd me with while you have been pleas'd to give me a share in the Administration of Publick Affairs wants no other Principle for the defence of it but that which was necessary for its Establishment I mean your Will whick will be look'd upon by Posterity as a just Reason of the Authority I have had all along in your Councils I find that I may speak upon this Subject without being suspected and that it is my Duty to do it to prove that by Reason which the Honour I have always receiv'd from your Goodness will authorise by Example The natural Envy which is commonly met with among equal Powers is too well known to every body to want a long Discourse to shew the Truth of this Proposition Divers Experiences have made me so knowing in this matter that I should think my self answerable before GOD if this present Testament did not declare in proper terms That nothing can be more dangerous in a State than divers equal Authorities in the Administration of Affairs What the one undertakes is cross'd by the other and if the worthiest Men is not the most capable though his Propositions should prove the best they would always be eluded by the most powerful in Sense Each will have their Sectators which will form divers Parties in the State and will divide the Forces of it instead of uniting them together As the Distempers and Death of Men only proceed from the Discord of the Elements they are compos'd of so it is certain that the Contrariety and the want of Union which constantly reigns among equal Powers will ever disturb the Peace of the States they have the Management of and will produce divers Accidents which finally may ruin them If it be true That Monarchical Government is more consonant to GOD's than any other if all Politicians both Sacred and Prophane teach us that that Form surpasses all those that were ever put in practice we may boldly affirm That if the Soveraign cannot or will not have a continual eye himself upon his Map and upon his Compass Reason requires that he should give the peculiar Charge thereof to one above all the rest As divers Pilots never put their Hands at once to the Helm so there must be but one at the Helm of the State He may receive the Advice of others moreover he ought sometimes to desire it but he is to examine the Goodness of it and to turn his Hand to the Right or Lest as he thinks it best to avoid the Storm and to steer his Course The main point consists in making a good Choice on that occasion and never to be deceiv'd in it Nothing can be more easie than to find a Primum Mobile to move all without being mov'd by any Superiour Authority but that of his Master but nothing is more difficult than to find one to move well without being able to be mov'd by any Consideration which might its Motion All Men will think themselves by their own Sence capable of that Function but as no Man can be a Judge in his own Cause the Judgment of a thing of this importance must be referr'd to those who have no interest to blind them Such a Man will not be capable of being wrought upon by the Practises and Presents of the Enemies of the State who may be mov'd by their Artifices Another may be capable of being wrought upon by Interests which though not criminal might nevertheless prove very prejudicial to the State There are many who would rather die than act against their Conscience who nevertheless would not be useful to the Publick because they are too apt to yield to the Importunities and to the Tenderness they have for those they love Some may be incapable of being mov'd by any Interest whatever who may be mov'd by Fear by Astonishment and by a panick Terrour I am sensible that the Capacity Integrity Courage and in a word all the Qualities which we have attributed to Counsellors of State may remedy such Inconveniences but to speak the truth as the Minister we are speaking of must be above all the rest so he must have all those Qualities in an eminent degree and consequently he must be carefully examin'd before he is chosen The Prince must have a personal Knowledge of the Person he intrusts with so great an Employment and though the said Person must be elected by himself yet the Choice he makes of him must if possible be accompanied with Publick Approbation for if he has the liking of every body he will be the more capable to do good As those who are the best skill'd in Astronomical Supputations can never be deceiv'd of one Minute but the Judgments they make afterwards must be liable to all manner of Falsities so it is certain that if the Qualifications of the Person who is to govern others are only good in appearance his Conduct will prove very bad and that if they are but mean his Government will not prove excellent It is is
stifled in its Birth has already made a great Progress The more considerable a Place is the more the Enemy endeavours to seduce the Governour of it the more a Woman is beautiful the more Men endeavour to engage her Affections So likewise the more a Minister is useful to his Master powerful in his Mind and Favour the more Men envy him and are desirous of his Place and endeavour to supplant him to come in his room Among faithful Governours those are most esteem'd who do not only resist the Propositions which are made to them against their Duty but also refuse to hear them and who immediately stop the mouths of those who will tempt them by such means Among chast Women those who have no Ears to hearken to the ill Discourses which Men would make to them to seduce their Purity are by the Judgment of the Wisest preferr'd to those who open them even when they shut their Hearts So among Masters who have Servants whose Fidelity has been tried on so many occasions that they cannot question it with Reason those are the Wisest who stop the Mouths of those would speak ill of them Whatever Virtue there may be in resisting Temptation Princes and Husbands are esteem'd too Indulgent when they allow their Governors and their Wives to give Ear to those things which they would not have them adhere to and to which they cannot consent without a Crime and Maâ—â—ers must condemn themselves when they give Ear to what Men would tell them against those whose Fidelity is unreproachable The Primitive Reason of this decision consists in that as to expose ones self boldly to danger in a just and useful occasion is an Act of Valour so to do the same without Cause or Reason is an Act of Temerity and it is in that Sence it has been said with great Reason that whoever gives Ear to Calumnies deserves to be deceiv'd Perhaps some will say that there is a great deal of difference between the Duty of the Governor of the Woman and of the Prince in the case which is represented That it is true that the Governor and the Woman do a great deal better not to hearken because they can in no wise consent to what is to be propos'd to them but that the case is different in relation to the Prince who must keep his Ears open since he may be told Truths of that consequence that he will be oblig'd to provide against them To that I answer in the first place That in speaking only of such Servants whose Fidelity is unreproachable and whose Conduct has heen try'd on many occasions of that importance that it is impossible to meet with greater the difference will be so inconsiderable in the Comparison aforesaid that in Reason it must be look'd upon as none the Rule of Moral Things obliges to look upon those things as nothing which are of slight consequence I add in the second place That the some inconvenience might attend the closing of ones Ears against what any body would say against a Servant of approv'd Fidelity It is so inconsiderable in respect to those which are inevitable in opening them to the prejudice of Persons thus qualifi'd that I may say absolutely that the Governor the Woman and the Prince must equally shut them in the occasions above-mention'd There is no ground to presume that he who has been faithful all his Life would become unfaithful in a moment without Cause or Reason principally when the Interest of his Fortune is joyn'd to his Master's An Evil which can happen but seldom must be presum'd not to happen at all particularly when to avoid it we must expose our selves to others which are inevitable and of greater Consequence which is the Case in question It being certain that it is almost impossible for a Prince to preserve his most faithful and most assured Servants if under pretence of not shutting his Ears against Truth he opens them to the Malice of Men besides that it is certain that he will lose more in losing one thus Qualify'd than if for want of giving Ear he should tolerate in any one Faults which cannot be of great consequence if he finds him faithful in the most important Occasions If he who gives a free entrance to the Murtherers who kill a Man is guilty of his Death he who receives all sorts of Suspicions and of Calumnies against the Fidelity of one of his Servants without examining the Case to the bottom is answerable before GOD for such a proceeding The best of Actions are deem'd ill by two sorts of Men by the Malicious who impute every thing to Ill by the excess of their Malice and by those who are naturally suspicious who explain every thing ill by their Weakness There is no Man on Earth though never so vertuous that can pass for innocent in a Master's Mind who not examining things himself gives ear to Calumny As there are but two ways to resist Vice either by Flight or by Combat so there are also but two to resist the Impressions which are made by Calumnies the one consists in rejecting them absolutely without hearkning to them the other in being so careful in the Examination of what is told that the Truth or Falshood thereof may be averr'd To avoid all Inconveniences to secure one's self against the Artifices and Snares that are laid by the Wicked to ruin honest Men and not to be depriv'd of the means to discover the ill Behaviour of those who serve ill the Prince must look upon all those things as Calumnies which are only whisper'd to him and upon that account refuse to hear them And if any Man will maintain what he has to say in the presence of those he accuses then he may give ear to them thus on condition of a good Recompence if he says any thing material to the Publick which proves to be true and of a great Punishment if his Accusation prove false or not considerable and important though it should prove true I have always begg'd of your Majesty to follow this Method in relation to my self in order to give those who would censure my Actions an opportunity to do it and me means to defend my self I may say with truth That your Majesty never had the least Disgust against my Conduct but when you have not practis'd this Council which is the more to be receiv'd in that it is altogether innocent The End of the First Part. THE Political Testament Of the Famous CARDINAL Duke de RICHELIEV The Second PART THE Rules I have set down in the first Part of this Book being well establish'd it is the Duty of Counsellors to use their best Endeavours like Men of Honour according to certain general Principles onwhich the good Administration of States depends It would be easie to propose many which would seem very useful but as the Excellency of Sciences consists in a small number of Principles by reason that they are the sooner and better
Kingdom in that that tho the Levity of our Nation should make it incapable of making great Conquests their Valour would render them Invincible in their defence having considerable Places so well fortify'd and so well provided with all things that they may be able to show their Courage without being exposed to suffer great hard-ships which are the only Enemies they have to overcome A Frontier well fortify'd is capable either to discourage Enemies from the designs they might have against a State or at least to stop the Course of the same and their Impetuosity if they dare venture to do it by open force The subtil motions of our Nation stand in need of being secured against the Terrour they might receive in an unexpected attack if they did not know that the entrance into the Kingdom has such strong Ramparts that no foreign Impetuosity can be capable to take them by Storm and that it is impossible to overcome them without a considerable Time The new method of some of the Enemies of this State being more to starve the Places they besiege than to take them by force of Arms and to ruin the Country they invade by a great number of horse than to advance by degrees into it with a considerable body of Foot as was done antiently it is clear that Frontier Places are not only useful to resist such Efforts but also to secure States in the Bowels of which it is impossible for Enemies to make any great Progress if they leave Places behind them to cut off the communication of their Countrys and their Convoys together These considerations oblige me to represent that it is not sufficient to fortify Places and to put such Provisions and Ammunitions into them as may serve to resist brisk attacks but also to furnish them with all things necessary for a year at least which is a sufficient time to relieve them conveniently I am sensible that it is almost impossible for great Kings to provide many Citadels thus but it is not so with great Towns in which the Society of Men produces a great store of many things which a particular Governor cannot make a sufficient provision of and it is easie to oblige the Inhabitants to provide Provisions for a Year which will always suffice for six Months and more if they turn out useless Mouths as reason requires I am so far from pretending that this Order should exempt Princes from having publick Magazins that on the contrary I am of opinion that they can never have too many and that after having provided them they must establish such good Orders to preserve them that the Governors to whom the disposition of the same belongs may not have the Liberty to dissipate them in vain either out of negligence or a desire to convert them to their own Uses I do not particularly specify the Number of Cannons* of Powder and of Bullets and of all other Warlike Ammunitions which are to be put in every place because it is to be different according to their different Largeness But I will say that Provisions for the Mouth are not more necessary than those of War and that it would be to no purpose for a Town to be well stor'd with Victuals if they wanted what is absolutely necessary both to defend themselves and to annoy their Enemies seeing particularly that Experience showeth us that those whoshoot most commonly kill most when a Place is besieg'd one might better spare Bread than Powder The Antients having observ'd very well that the real Strength of Towns consists in the number of Men I cannot forbear adding that all Fortifications are useless unless the Governor and the Officers who command in a place have a Courage equal to the Strength of the Walls and Ramparts and unless the Number of Men is proportion'd to the Largeness of the place and the quantity of the Posts that are to be defended Experience has show'd us in divers occasions that the least Holds are impregnable by the steadiness of the courage of those who defend them and that the best Citadels make no great resistance when those that are in them have not a Courage suitable to their Force Therefore Princes can never be too careful in choosing those to whom they intrust Frontiers since the Welfare and repose of the State depends chiefly on their Fedelity and Vigilancy their Courage and Experience and that often the lack of one of these Qualifications costs millions to States if it does not prove the absolute cause of their Ruin SECTION IV. Of the Power a State ought to have by its Land-Forces This Section has several Subdivisions upon the account of the abundance of matter it contains which will be specify'd in the Margin THE most potent State in the World cannot boast of injoying a certain Peace unless it be in a condition to secure it self at all times against an unexpected Invasion or Surprise In order thereunto it is necessary that so great a Kingdom as this is should always keep a sufficient Army on Foot to prevent the designs which hatred and envy might form against its Prosperity and Grandeur when 't is look'd upon to be in a secure Repose or at least to stifle them in their Birth Who has Force has commonly Reason on his side and he that is Weak is commonly thought in the wrong in the Judgment of most Men. As a Souldier who do's not always wear his Sword is lyable to many inconveniences that Kingdom which do's not always stand on its Guard and keep it self in a condtion to prevent a sudden surprise is in great danger Public Interest obliges those who have the management of States to Govern them so as not only to secure them against all the Evil which may be avoided but also from all apprehensions of it As Reason requires a Geometrical Proportion between that which sustains and that which is sustained it is certain that there must be considerable Forces to sustain so great a Body as this Kingdom Those that are necessary to so great an End may and ought to be of a different Nature that is that among the Men design'd for the preservation of this State some must be listed to be ready on all occasins and others actually in Arms in order always to be in readiness to make a good defence In order to provide for the Frontier Towns and to keep a Body on foot to oppose all unexpected Designs it is necessary to keep at least four thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot actually in Arms at all times and it is easie without burthening the State to keep ten thousand Gentlemen and fifty thousand Foot listed ready to be rais'd on all Emergencies It may perhaps be urg'd that the Defence of the State does not require such great Preparations but whereas the said Establishment is so far from being a Burthen to France that on the contrary the Nobility and the People will receive a Benefit by it I say that
their Price being as extraordinary as their salarys are Inconsiderable it would be an ill piece of husbandry to meddle with them upon the account of the present necessity When it will be thought fit to lessen the Number of them the best way in order thereunto will be to make so good a Regulation of the Paullette that the said Offices being reduc'd to a moderate Price the King may be able when they become vacant to Reimburse them to the owners and suppress them at once Neither do I as yet include in the number of the suppressions the Colleges of the King's Secretarys the Offices of the Treasurers of France and the Receivers General not upon the account of the smalness of their Profit which is pretty considerable but upon the account of the summs they have paid for the same which are not small Neither do I put in the old Rents which have been created in the time of your Majesty's Predecessors which are paid in the Office of the City of Paris both by reason that the actual summs disburs'd by the Purchacers are greater than that of all the rest and because it is fit that the interest of Subjects should in some manner be mix'd with those of their Soveraigns as also because they are devolv'd to several Religious Houses Hospitals and Communitys towards the maintenance of which they are necessary and that having been often divided in Familys they seem to be settled there in such a manner that it would be difficult to remove them without disturbing their settlements Nevertheless in order not to omitt any husbandry that may be made with reason to the advantage of the State I must observe two things in this place The first is that the Office of the Treasurers of France remaining a third part of their Salarys may be retrench'd since they will think themselves very favourably used in the general Reformation of the Kingdom if in securing them against all new Taxes their Salary is redu'd to two thirds of what they have injoy'd hitherto and had by their first Creation The second is that in not suppressing the Rents establish'd upon the Town House in the late King's time which are all Created at the rate of eight per Cent which will be the more reasonable in that as no private Persons do allow above six the owners of the said Rents settled upon the Town-House will by your Majesty's favour get two per Cent more in the injoyment of those of this Nature And as they will find an advantage by this the King will do the same by reason that the Rents charg'd upon the State will be more coveted than those of private Persons supposing they be paid exactly without any deduction as in reason they ought to be In order to pay the said Rents as well as the Salary of divers Officers either absolutely necessary or at least which cannot be suppressed in these Times I am of opinion that it will be fit to suppress thirty Millions out of the fourty five this Kingdom is at present charged with leaving the rest to acquit the remaining charges Out of the thirty Millions which are to be suppress'd there are near seven the Reimburstment of which being only to be made at the rate of five years Purchace the suppression of the same will be perform'd in seven years and a half 's time by the bare Injoyment of the same As many will be found out of the remaining twenty four which being to be reimburs'd at the rate of six years Purchace which is the Currant price of them will be suppress'd in eight years and a half 's time by the bare injoyment But whereas as abovesaid long Winded designs are not the safest in this Kingdom and that upon that account it is necessary to reduce all the suppressions which are fit to be made to a number of years not exceeding the compass of our Patience in order to accomplish the Reimbursments which will be undertaken at the same time in which the Rents which are sold at five years purchace will be suppress'd by the very income of the same an extraordinary Fund must be rais'd to the Value of a sixth part of the currant price of the Rents which amounts exactly to seven Millions once paid for the suppression of as much revenue To accomplish the suppression of the thirty Millions propos'd there still remains 16 to be reimburs'd which must be done at the rate of eight years purchace because it is the common price of them And whereas the reimbursement of those sixteen Millions cannot be perform'd under twelve years time by the bare enjoyment of the same and that it is necessary to shorten that time to reduce the said suppression to the term of seven years as well as that of the fourteen preceeding Millions out of eight parts three must be supply'd by extraordinary Funds amounting to 48 Millions Tho' the greatness of the said summ may surprize at first those who are acquainted with the facility of Affairs of that nature in this Kingdom will not question the feasibleness of the same considering that it is only to be paid in seven years time And Peace will be no sooner settled but the practice of Parties which is usual at this time to find out Money being abolish'd those who are bred in those sort of Affairs not being able to alter their former way of living all of a sudden will willingly convert all their Industry to destroy what they have rais'd by the same means they did use to establish it at first That is to extinguish and suppress by virtue of the Bargains they will make to that effect the Rents Rights and Offices the creation of which they have promoted by virtue of other Bargains Thus the Kingdom may be eas'd in seven years time of thirty Millions of common Charges which it bears at present The People being actually discharg'd of the 22 Millions of Taille which is one half of what they bear at present The Revenue of the Kingdom will be found to amount to 57 Millions as the following Settlement will justifie RECEIPT Of the Tailles 22 Millions Of the Aids 4 Millions Of all the Gabelles 19 Millions Of all the other Farms 12 Millions Total 57 Millions Out of which deducting 17 Millions which will be yearly put into the Exchequer the said summ must be look'd upon to be so considerable that there is no State in Christendom which lays up half so much all the Charges of it being deducted before If next to these suppressions which will make many persons liable to the Tailles without their having any reason to complain of it all Offices are suppressed which are officiated by Inrollment or by bare Commissions if the number of Notaries be regulated not only such as are Royal but those of common Jurisdictions it will ease the People considerably both in that they will thereby be deliver'd of so many leeches and that as there are upwards of 100000
honour of the success should be imputed to La Vallette From the very beginning he had not answer'd either in relation to the Father or to the Son the Affection they both expected to find in him and which they had had proofs of on other occasions he perhaps being instructed in this by the Court and being desirous to oblige the Minister But after all as far as ever I could hear the true or principal Reason of the raising of that Siege with so little honour reflected upon the Cardinal himself more than upon any other in his Quality of Admiral without laying any stress upon his having joyn'd Commanders whom he knew could never agree The Naval Army which should have appeared at the same time with the Land Forces was not ready and whether the Prince had orders to begin the Siege before hand or that the said precipitation proceeded from his own impatience and the fear of losing the fair season for it was in the Month of July the Spaniards who were Masters of the Sea took their time to succour the Town twice within sight of him and to put a Governor into it who contributed considerably towards its Vigorous defence The Spanish Army appear'd to relieve it by Land The Duke de la Vallette's advice tho' often reiterated to march against and to Fight them was not hearken'd unto and the event justify'd on that occasion as in so many others that commonly to be attack'd is to be half Vanquishâ— All things pass'd among ours with great surprise Tumult and Disorder without any of the Quarters being inform'd what pass'd in the other The Prince of Conde's was forc'd and taken The French never made so little resistance which gave way to the Vain reports of the People which they are still possessed with in those parts to this very day as if the Prince had consented to it himself being bribed with Spanish Doubloons which were sent to him they say in great quantity in large Bottles in the guise of Wine for the Provision of his Table The Duke de la Vallette had only notice of the Rout and Combat by run-aways and soon after it by the Prince himself who retiring to Bayonne left him to perform what could be done in that misfortune The Duke approv'd what it would have been useless to Condemn and moreover he exhorted the Prince to secure his Person But as soon as his back was turn'd he could not forbear smiling and that prov'd since the main head of the accufation against him After which giving his Orders with great Tranquility and unconcernedness he not only put all his Men in Battalia but rallying the remainder of the others and opposing the pursuit of the Enemys he sav'd the Major part of the French Army and such Guns and Equipages as were not taken yet The Victorious Souldiers in Fontarabie boasted that they had plundered the Prince's Camp and that they had spar'd La Vallette who was their Friend Another great Crime which was to be plac'd with the Bottles of Doubloons and which nevertheless was afterwards laid to his Charge It is impossible to express the Minister's anger against the Duke de la Vallette whether it were that he only hearken'd to the interrested relations of the Prince of Conde and the Arch-bishop or that such an occasion kindled anew all his Resentment against the Duke d' Espernon's Family or that he dreaded lest the King and the Public should impute that misfortune to his Conduct in case the Prince or the Arch-bishop or the delay of our Naval Army should seem to be the chief cause of it He declar'd â—â— Altorney he would 〈…〉 General against his Kinsman than to leave his fault unpunish'd The Dutchess de la Vallette had the Generosity on ths occasion as in many others not to waver one moment between her Uncle Regnant and her Husband out of favour but the Cardinal when she spoke to him upon that account fell into such a passion that those who were not to be acquainted with the secret and who were order'd to withdraw on purpose overheard it The Dutchess d' Eguillon who was the Duke's faithful Friend after having used all her Credit Art and Addresse with her Uncle could obtain nothing but bitter Complaints and open menaces after which she xpress'd sufficiently that it would not be safe for the Duke to come tho' on the one side he was passionately desirous to justify himself in Person and on the other he had been sent for to give an account of his Conduct It is very probable that the Minister designed not to spare him At least what he said and declar'd publicly was not a great inducement to Invite him to Court A Little Council was held hercupon at Paris by the Duke's Order of Persons he thought wholly devoted to his Interest in which was called among a few others one of the most Zealous and most grateful Creatures of his Family It was Philip de Cospean then Bishop of Nantes formerly Bishop of Aire and since Bishop of Lisieux for whom the old Duke during his favour our of respect to his Merit being delighted with his Sermons had not only obtain'd the Bishoprick of Aire without his knowledge but â—caused the Bulls of the same to be expedited at his own Charge and so sent them to him This Gentlemen who was a Man of Sence and Wit after having heard many arguments upon the circumstances of the Affair of Fontarabie upon the facility the Duke would have to destroy such frivolous accusations and not only to justify his Innocence but also his Services All this said he is good and I believe it but who has told us that they will not speak of the Man and the Mill. This prov'd sufficient to persuade the little Assembly and that indeed was a thing to be dreaded in the hands of an incens'd Minister For tho the Duke had clear'd himself before him and before the King about it and that instead of being punish'd he was soon after honor'd with a considerable Command it was no abolition in forms and the Laws of the State oblige all Subjects and particularly all the Officers of the Crown to reveal what ever they know against the King's Service without examining whether they have opposed it in secret whether they could not prevent it whether they thought the advice would be useless finaly without distinguishing Prince Friend Master or Benefactor Wo to those whose Fate and that diversity of Dutys put to such a terrible Tryal However the Duke contrary to his own inclination follow'd the advice of his Friends and retir'd into England His process was made The Cardinal would needs have the information against him brought in before the King The President de Bellievre since first President and some others had the Courage to say they saw no proofs The greater Number follow'd the false and pernicious Maxim that one may always Condemn an absent Person because his Life is in no danger and that it