Chapter 1 — On the duties of a king

The next point to be considered is what the kingly office is and what qualities the king should have.

Since things which are in accordance with art are an imitation of the things which are in accordance with nature (from which we accept the rules to act according to reason), it seems best that we learn about the kingly office from the pattern of nature’s regime. In things of nature there is both a universal and a particular government. The former is God’s government, whose rule embraces all things and whose providence governs them all. The latter is found in man and it is much like the divine government. Hence man is called a ‘microcosm.’ Indeed, there is a similitude between both governments in regard to their form: for just as the universe of corporeal creatures and all spiritual powers come under the divine government, in like manner the members of the human body and all the powers of the soul are governed by reason. Thus, in a proportionate manner, reason is to man what God is to the world.

Since, however, man is by nature a social animal living in a multitude, as we have pointed out above, the analogy with the divine government is found in him not only in this way that one man governs himself by reason, but also in that the multitude of men is governed by the reason of one man. This is what first of all constitutes the office of a king. True, among certain animals that live socially there is a likeness to the king’s rulership; so we say that there are kings among bees. Yet animals exercise rulership not through reason, but through their natural instinct which is implanted in them by the Great Ruler, the Author of nature.

Therefore, let the king recognize that this is the office which he undertakes: namely, to be in the kingdom like the soul is in the body, and like God is in the world. If he reflect seriously upon this, a zeal for justice will be enkindled in him when he contemplates that he has been appointed to this position in place of God, to exercise judgment in his kingdom; further, he will acquire the gentleness of clemency and mildness when he considers as his own members those individuals who are subject to his rule.