Chapter IV. On what manner of men the Cardinals ought to be

Let us come now to those who sit at thy side and share with thee the solicitudes of government. They are thy constant and trusted associates. Wherefore, if they be good, thou more than others shalt benefit by their goodness ; as on the contrary, if they be evil, they shall be evil especially for thee. Thou hast no right to consider thyself well when thy sides are ailing : in other words, thou oughtest not to think thyself good whilst they are evil on whom thou dependest for counsel. But even granting that thou art good, what profit can there be from the goodness of a single individual, as I remember to have said in the preceding book also ? Of what use, I ask, can the justice of thyself alone be to the Church of God, since the opinion of the unjust is sure to prevail ? But even for thine own justice there can be no security when thus en-V compassed by wickedness, any more than one's life would be safe in the vicinity of a serpent. There is no possibility of escape from a domestic evil. On the other hand, the assistance one derives from the virtue of those with whom one lives is all the more valuable because of its constancy. But whether thy associates prove a help or a hindrance, it is thou who art chiefly responsible, for it is thou who hast chosen or admitted them. I speak not of them all, because there are some who chose thee, instead of having been chosen by thee. Nevertheless, even these have no power except what thou hast been pleased to communicate or to permit to them. Hence their case does not really differ from that of the others. Now it is obvious that to thyself alone must be attributed whatever harm thou mayest suffer from them who, without thy consent, can do nothing. I pass over those who have been already appointed, but for the future, it will be necessary for thee, as thou mayest easily understand, to exercise the utmost caution in selecting or collecting persons " for the work of this ministry " (Ephes. iv. 12). It is thy duty to summon from all parts of the world and to associate to thyself, after the example of Moses (Numb. xi. 16), not youths, but men of mature age, such as thou knowest to be the ancients of the people, reckoning age more by virtues than by years. Is it not reasonable that they should be selected from every nation whose office it shall be to judge all nations ? * No one should ever obtain this dignity by his own solicitation. In making such appointments thou oughtest to be influenced not at all by entreaty, but solely by considerations of prudence. There are some things which the

Mabillon, commenting on this wise suggestion of our Saint, gives three reasons why every Christian nation should be represented in the Sacred College : first, that the Holy See may be kept informed of the peculiar needs of each country, secondly, to facilitate negotiations with the rulers of the various states, thirdly, to prevent national jealousies, and to secure that, in international quarrels, the Pope shall have an opportunity of hearing the two sides, and shall not be exposed to beled astray by political partisans — a thing which has occurred not infrequently both before and since Mabillon's time. — (Translator.)

importunity of petitioners extorts from us, as it were, by force, or their manifest necessity almost gives them a right to demand. But this is only true with regard to what belongs to ourselves. For where is the use of asking me for that which I am not allowed to dispose of at pleasure ? Although perhaps he who asks me for something such really desires that what he wills it may be lawful for me to will also, and not v that I should culpably assent to his request. There are some who ask for their friends, and there are others that ask even for themselves. Now he in whose behalf another solicits thee, ought to be looked upon with suspicion. But the man who asks for himself is already condemned. It matters little whether a person asks directly for himself or through another. A cleric who frequents the papal court, without being a member of the same, ought to be regarded as belonging to this class of place-hunters. Form a like estimate of him whom thou discoverest to be a flatterer, who always endeavours to say the thing that will gratify the person he is speaking to, even though he should solicit nothing for himself. There is nothing to inspire fear in the face of a scorpion : it is in its tail that it carries its sting.

But if thou perceivest that the adulation of such people is beginning to make an impression on thy heart, as happens commonly enough, remember what is written, " Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse '" (John ii. 10). Set the same value on the humility of him who is afraid of punishment as on his who hopes for favours. It is a habit with the cunning and deceitful to assume an air of humility whenever they desire to obtain anything. Of such it is written, " There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit" (Eccles. xix. 23). Thine own experience will furnish thee with numberless clear examples illustrative of this truth. How many there are who, before they were admitted to thy court, had all the appearance of being profoundly humble, and whom, nevertheless, thou hast afterwards discovered to be disagreeable, insolent, contumacious, and insubordinate ! In the beginning they were careful to conceal their evil disposition, but later on they stood revealed in their true character. When thou meetest with a young man who is inclined to loquacity and, although void of wisdom, making pretension to eloquence, regard him as nothing better than an enemy to justice. It is with respect to such false brethren in particular that the Apostle tells thee, " Impose not hands lightly upon any man " (1 Tim. v. 22).

Having, therefore, excluded from thy court, as if they were so many plagues, these various classes of intriguers, take the utmost possible care to introduce thither only such as thou shalt not afterwards be sorry to have introduced. It does not look well in the Sovereign Pontiff to have frequently to retrace his steps, nor is it fitting that he should often be betrayed into errors of judgment. Therefore, consider diligently with thyself and with them that love thee everything that has to be done. Before acting examine the matter well, because it will be too late to find flaws when the action is done and over. Remember the words of the Wise Man, " My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done " (Eccles. xxxii. 24). And be assured of this : it will be almost impossible to put men to the test once they have been admitted to the court. Consequently, so far as may be practicable, thou oughtest to select, not such as require to be proved, but rather such as have already proved themselves. We, religious superiors, receive into our monasteries all who present themselves, even the imperfect, in the hope of reforming them. But it is more easy, and certainly more usual, for the papal court to admit the good than to reform the wicked. We know from experience that it is more the custom for the just to fall away there than for the unjust to be converted. Hence it is a duty to seek for those who are so perfect already that, with regard to them, thou shalt have no occasion either to fear relaxation or to look for amendment.

Therefore it is neither he that willeth nor he that runneth (Rom. ix. 16) whom thou oughtest to select, but rather he that hesitates and he that refuses. These thou must even constrain and oblige to enter. It is on such, it seems to me, that thy spirit shall rest ; on such, namely, as are not of a hardened forehead, but modest and diffident ; who will fear nothing except to offend God, and hope for nothing except from God ; who will look not to the hands but to the necessities of those that claim their assistance ; who will manfully take the side of the persecuted, and " reprove with equity for the meek of the earth " (Is. xi. 4) ; whom thou shalt find to be men of irreproachable character and of true sanctity, prompt in obedience, exercised in • patience, submissive to rule, rigorously just in their censures, orthodox in faith, conscientious in their administration, devoted to peace, lovers of unity and concord, righteous in their judgments, provident in their counsels, prudent in their commands, diligent in preparing, strenuous in acting, modest in speech, confident in adversity, faithful in prosperity, sober in their zeal ; whose mercy will not degenerate into softness ; whose leisure will not be a time of sloth ; who will show hospitality without going to excess, and who will know how to restrain themselves at the banquet ; who will not be over solicitous concerning temporalities, neither covetous of their neighbour's goods nor prodigal of their own, but always and in everything circumspect ; who will not refuse to act as " ambassadors for Christ " (2 Cor. iv. 20) whenever necessity *or obedience requires it, yet may be equally trusted not to undertake anything such on their own responsibility ; who will not obstinately reject what modesty may lead them to avoid ; who, when des-patched on any embassy, will not seek their own profit, but will walk in the Saviour's footsteps — will not look upon their mission as an opportunity for gain, but will be more concerned for the success of that mission than for any advantage to themselves ; who will act the part of John Baptist in the presence of kings (Matt, xiv.), of Moses before tyrants (Exod. v.-xii.), of Phinees towards libertines (Numb, xxv.), of Elias towards idola-tors (3 Kings xviii.), of Eliseus towards the avaricious (4 Kings v.), of Peter towards liars (Acts v.), of Paul towards blasphemers (Acts xiii.), of Christ towards sacrilegious traffickers (Matt. xxi. 12) ; who, instead of contemning will instruct the people, instead of flattering will terrify the rich, instead of oppressing will relieve the poor, instead of fearing will despise the threats of princes ; who will not enter with uproar nor depart in wrath ; who will not despoil but reform the churches ; who will not empty the purses of the faithful, but will rather study how they may strengthen their hearts and purify them from their stains ; who will be jealous of their own good name, without envying the reputation of others ; whom thou shalt find possessed of both the love and the habit of prayer, and relying upon it for success more than upon their own labour and industry ; whose coming shall bring peace, and whose going shall leave sorrow ; whose speech shall be edifying, whose life shall be a pattern j of all justice, whose presence shall give gladness, and, whose memory shall be in benediction ; who will make themselves amiable, not so much by words as by deeds, and excite men's wonder more by great actions than by magnificent displays ; who will be humble with the humble, and innocent with the innocent (Ps. xvii. 26), yet will sternly reprove the obdurate, will curb the malignant, and will " render a reward to the proud " (Ps. xciii. 2) ; who will not make haste to enrich themselves and their dependents from the dowry of the widow * and the patrimony of the Crucified, but will freely give what they have freely received (Matt.v x. 8), will freely " execute judgment for them that / suffer wrong " (Ps. cxlv. 7), " vengeance upon the/ nations, chastisement among the people" (Ps. cxlix. 7), J who shall seem to have received of thy spirit, as the seventy ancients received of the spirit of Moses (Numb. xi. 17), by which, whether absent or present, they will labour to please God (2 Cor. v. 9) and thee ; who will always come back from their legatine missions, weary i3o ON CONSIDERATION indeed with labour, but not burdened with spoil ; glorying not in that they have brought home with them whatever they found most curious and precious in the countries they visited, but because they have .- given peace to nations, laws to barbarians, tranquillity -/ to monasteries, order to the churches, discipline to the clergy, and to God an acceptable people, zealous in the practice of good works.