Chapter IV. The Pope's colleagues and coadjutors at the Lateran

Let us come to your colleagues s and coadjutors at the Lateran. They are busy on your behalf: they are the inner circle of your friends. It follows that if they are good, you more than any one else reap the benefit ; if they are bad, you more than any one else bear the loss. Do not say you are well if you have a pain in your side ; what I mean is, do not say you are good if you rely on bad men. To put it differently, suppose you are good, what fruit (as I remember saying in a former book) can your goodness, the goodness of an individual man, bear ? What profit does your individual righteousness bring to the churches of God, when the prevalent whose behalf you are entreated : the man who asks for himself is already judged. It does not matter whether a man himself asks, or does so through another man. If a cleric who does not belong to the court is always about the court, you may be sure he is the sort of person who is on the look out for favours. A flatterer, and a man who smooths his tongue to suit everybody, regard as a petitioner, even if he asks for nothing. There is nothing in the scorpion's face to cause alarm; the sting is in the tail.

judgement, prudent in counsel, discreet in commanding, careful in planning, strenuous in action, modest in speech ; tranquil in adversity, devout in prosperity ; as regards zeal, sober-minded ; prone to pity ; in leisure time not idle ; given to hospitality, but not too convivial ; careful in business affairs, but not anxious ; not covetous of another man's goods, nor lavish of their own ; everywhere, and under all circumstances, circumspect ; men who when bidden, and necessity requires, would not decline to serve as ambassadors for Christ, nor unbidden would aspire to the office, nor make their modest excuses a plea for obstinate refusal ; who when sent do not go after gold, but follow Christ; who do not regard their commission as so much gain, nor look for reward, but seek fruit ; who in the eyes of kings are as John, to the Egyptians are as Moses, to fornicators as Phinees, to idolaters as Elijah, to the covetous as Elisha, to liars as Peter, to blasphemers as Paul, to traffickers as Christ ; who do not despise the common people, but teach them ; do not flatter the rich, but frighten them ; do not oppress the poor, but cherish them ; do not dread the threats of rulers, but despise them ; do not make a great to-do when they enter on their work, nor show signs of anger when they leave it; who do not rob the churches, but improve them ; do not empty men's pockets, but refresh their hearts, and correct their offences ; who take care of their own reputation, and do not envy another man his ; who zealously cultivate prayerful habits, and in everything rely more on prayer than on their own industry and labour ; whose coming bringeth peace, whose departure we regret ; whose speech is edifying, their life righteous, their presence a pleasure, their memory blessed ; who to the individual are amiable not in word, but in deed, while they command the respect of the world at large, not by their arrogance, but by the discharge of their duties ;

who are humble with the humble, and innocent with the in nocent ; who sternly rebuke the hardened, restrain the wicked, duly recompense the proud ; who are not swift to enrich themselves or their relations with the portion of the widow, and the patrimony of the Crucified ; who freely give what they have freely received, judgement to those who suffer wrong, vengeance on nations, rebuking peoples ; who, in short, like the seventy whom Moses chose, are perceived to have taken of your spirit, and by it, whether absent or present, strive to please you, and to please God ; who return to you, weary indeed, but not laden with gifts; while they even glory, not because they have brought with them all the curiosities and treasures of the lands, but because they have left behind them peace to kingdoms, the law for barbarians, quiet for monasteries, order for the churches, discipline for the clergy, a people acceptable to God, zealous of good works.