their court, would
find out some pretence or other to give the king a fair colour to carry
the point: for if the judges but differ in opinion, the clearest thing
in the world is made by that means disputable, and truth being once
brought in question, the king may then take advantage to expound the law
for his own profit; while the judges that stand out will be brought
over, either out of fear or modesty; and they being thus gained, all of
them may be sent to the bench to give sentence boldly, as the king would
have it: for fair pretences will never be wanting when sentence is to be
given in the prince's favour. It will either be said that equity lies of
his side, or some words in the law will be found sounding that way, or
some forced sense will be put on them; and when all other things fail,
the king's undoubted prerogative will be pretended, as that which is
above all law; and to which a religious judge ought to have a special
regard. Thus all consent to that maxim of Crassus, that a prince cannot
have treasure enough, since he must maintain his armies out of it: that
a king, even though he would, can do nothing unjustly; that all property
is in him, not excepting the very persons of his subjects: and that no
man has any other property, but that which the king out of his goodness
thinks fit to leave him. And they think it is the prince's interest,
that there be as little of this left as may be, as if it were his
advantage that his people should have neither riches nor liberty; since
these things make them less easy and less willing to submit to a cruel
and unjust government; whereas necessity and poverty blunts them, makes
them patient, beats them down, and breaks that height of spirit, that
might otherwise dispose them to rebel. Now what if after all these
propositions were made, I should rise up and assert, that such councils
were both unbecoming a king, and mischievous to him: and that not only
his honour but his safety consisted more in his people's wealth, than in
his own; if I should show that they choose a king for their own sake,
and not for his; that by his care and endeavours they may be both easy
and safe; and that therefore a prince ought to take more care of his
people's happiness than of his own, as a shepherd is to take more care
of his flock than of himself. It is also certain, that they are much
mistaken that think the poverty of a nation is a means of the public
safety. Who quarrel more than beggars?