Chapter XIV. The Pontiff is warned against Respect of Persons in his Judgments

Now, as concerns the vice of avarice, there is no necessity to weary thee with many words, because thou art reputed to esteem money as no better than chaff. No, indeed. With respect to this matter, at all events, I have nothing to fear concerning thy judgments. But there is something which is wont to be a no less frequent and a no less dangerous stumbling-block in the path of all who administer justice. And I should be very sorry thou wert ignorant as to how thou standest with regard to it in the secret of thy conscience. Knowest thou what I speak of ? It is respect of persons. Consider thyself guilty of no small offence, whenever thou dost " accept the persons of the wicked " (Ps. lxxxi. 2), instead of giving judgment according to the merits of the case. But if thy conscience has nothing to accuse thee of in connection with another vice, let me assure thee that in my opinion thou " sittest solitary " amongst all the judges whom I know, because thou hast truly and singularly raised thyself above thyself, as the Prophet Jeremias speaks (Lament, iii. 28). The fault to which I refer is excessive credulity, a most crafty little fox, against whose cunning wiles I have never known any of those in authority to be sufficiently on their guard. Hence the indignation which they so often exhibit without any reasonable cause ; hence the frequent verdicts given against the innocent ; hence also the condemnations pronounced against the absent. Let me congratulate thee, however

— for I have no fear that thou wilt suspect me of flattery — let me congratulate thee, I say, for that thy administration hitherto has not called forth many complaints on this head : but whether it is because there has not been much to complain of, thou knowest best.

Let thy consideration apply itself now to the things beneath thee. But perhaps it will be wiser to reserve this subject for another book, as a short discourse will better fall in with the multiplicity of thy occupations.