The six books of a common-weale
Jean Bodin
Bodin, Jean. The six books of a common-weale. Knolles, Richard, translator. London: G. Bishop, 1606.
A Tirannicall Monarchie is that where one man treading vndet[*](À tirannicall Monarchie.) foot the lawes of God and nature, abuseth his free borne subiects as his slaues: and other mens goods as his owne. This word Tyrant deriued from the Grekes was of the proprietie thereof honorable, and in auncient time signified no other thing then a Prince, which without the consent of the people, had by force or fraud possessed himselfe of the state; and of a companion made himselfe their master: whom they called a Tyrant, although he were[*](The name of a tirant in auntient time taken in good part: and how the same became odious.) a right wise and iust prince. So Plato writing to Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracusa by way of honour giueth him this title; Plato to Dionysius the Tyrant greeting, and the answere was; Dionysius the Tyrant to Plato health. And so the rest aswell philosophers as friends, honestly called them Tyrants which had by force or finenesse got the soueraigntie of their cities and states: in which name the Tyrants themselves also gloried. And to show that the name of a Tyrant was aswell giuen unto a good and iust prince, as to an euill and wicked, it appeareth euidently in that, that Pittacus and Periander reckened among the seauen Sages of Graece, were called Tyrants, hauing taken unto themselves the state and government of their countries. But for the mercie of their enemies, were constrained for the safetie of their lives and goods to have gardes of straungers about their persons, and great garisons in their fortresses and strong holds: and for the maintenance of their souldiours and retinue were enforced to lay upon their subiects great impositions and tributes: and seeing their lives not yet so assured, hauing but poore friends, and puisant enemies, put to death, or banished the one, to enrich the other; and hauing taken their goods, rauished also their wiues and children: they with these outragious enormities raised a wonderful hatred of themselves through out the whole world. For we read that Dionysius the elder which had oppressed Syracusa had alwaies about him for the garding of his person and the citie ten thousand footmen, and as many horsemen; beside a fleete of foure hundred gallies still readie furnished with all things necessarie: and yet thought it not a strength sufficient to keepe under those fewe citizens that were left, whom he had vtterly disarmed, and in most seruile manner oppressed: although hee had before taken away not onely their societies and companies; but forbidden also neighbours and friends to eate together, and oft times commaunded them returning home from supper or making merie, to be robbed and spoiled by his garde; to the intent there might bee the lesse friendship amongst them, and so they more hardly conspire against him. And yet for all that Plutarque hath giuen him the praise of a good prince, as one who in iustice and vertue exceeded many, who abusing the most honorable names of Kings, are themselves polluted and defiled with all maner of vices. For we are not much to rest upon the vaine show of
But it may be, that one and the same prince, whose dominion is large and wide, may beare himselfe as a king unto his naturall subiects: and as a lordly monarch towards them, whome he hath by iust warre subdued, and as a tyrant toward the rest: or that in the same citie he may tyrannise over the rich and better sort of the citisens; and yet show himselfe courteous and gentle vnto the poore and baser sort. And amongst tyrants there are diuers sorts and degrees of more or lesse: and as there is not so good a prince, which hath not some notable vice; so wee see that there is none so cruell a tyrant, which is not endued with some good vertue, or hath not in him some thing to be commended. Wherefore it is a thing of most euill example, and thereto daungerous[*](A soueraign princes actions are not by his subiects to be rashly censured▪) withall, rashly and foolishly to censure a prince, whose actions and comportments we throughly know not; whereas we ought first wisely to weigh his vertues and vices, his heroicall or base and euill disposition: after the manner of the Persians, who condemned no man to death (although conuicted of the crime whereof he was accused) except it first appeared by his former life, whether his vices exceeded his vertues or not. For so Liuie did well, who hauing diligently reckoned up Hannibal his vertues, and comming afterward unto his vices, saith, Has tot ac tantas virtutes ingentia vitia aequabant, These his so many and great vertues, were counteruailed with great vices. Wherefore least the good should be confused and so confounded with the bad; o--- that we should under the name of a tyrant comprehend them also which were right worthy and famous men: let vs compare the worst tyrant with the best king; that by such comparison of the two extreames, those may bee the better perceiued which are in the middest betwixt both. Now when I say the best king, my meaning is after the[*](The best king.) common manner: neither doe I seeke after such an one as is accomplished with all heroicall vertues; or the rare paragon of iustice, wisedome, and religion, a man without all imputation: which in the fables of auntient worthies, were propounded with more magnificence than truth, for princes to looke upon and to imitat; such as neuer was, nor euer shall be: but rather such an example of a good and iust king, as is indeed in the ranke of princes to be found; and such an one as is alwayes readie to bestow his goods, his blood, and life, for the good of his people: What manner of prince is of Homer in two words called ---, whose whole endeuour is to bee indeed such an one as Codrus and Decius are reported to have bene, who aduertised by the Oracle, that the victorie over their enemies depended of their death, without farther delay sodenly sacrificed their lives: and Moyses aboue all, whome Philo calleth the most wise law giuer; a most iust prince, who besought God, That he might rather die the euerlasting death of the wicked, and have his name blotted out of the booke of life, than that the people committed to his charge, should endure so great and grieuous punishment as it
Now the greatest difference betwixt a king and a tyrant is, for that a king conformeth[*](The greatest difference betwixt a king and a tyrant.) himselfe unto the lawes of nature, which the tyrant at his pleasure treadeth under foot: the one of them respecteth religion, iustice, and faith; whereas the other regardeth neither God, faith, nor law: the one of them referreth all his actions to the good of the Commonweale, and safetie of his subiects; whereas the other respecteth nothing more than his owne particular profit, revenge, or pleasure: the one doth all his endeuour for the enriching of his subiects; whereas the other seeketh after nothing more, than by the impouerishment of them, to encrease his owne wealth: the one of them accounteth his owne goods to be the goods of his people; the other reckoneth not onely the goods, but euen the bodies of his subiects also to be his owne: the one of them seuerely revengeth the publique iniuries done against the state, and easily pardoneth the wrongs done unto himselfe; the other most cruelly revengeth his owne, and pardoneth that which is done against others: the one easily forgiueth the offences of other men, but is of his owne misdeeds a seuere judge; whereas the other most sharply revengeth euen the least offences of others, but is unto himselfe most favourable: the one of them favoureth the honour of modest matrons, and other mens wiues; the other triumpheth in their shame and dishonour: the one refuseth not to bee freely and discreetly reproued for that he hath done amisse; the other hateth nothing more than the graue free spoken man: the one enforceth himselfe to maintaine and keepe his subiects in peace and unitie; whereas the other seeketh still to set them at ods, so to ruinat them one by another; and with the confiscation of their lands and goods to enrich himselfe: the one taketh pleasure to see his subiects, and to be of them oftentimes seene and heard; whereas the other feareth their presence, and hideth himselfe from them, as from his enemies: the one reposeth his estate and fealtie in their loue towards him; the other in their feare: the one taketh no care but for his subiects; the other feareth nothing more than them: the one chargeth his subiects as little as he can, neither exacteth any thing of them, but when the publike necessitie so requireth; whereas the other drinketh his subiects blood, gnaweth their bones, and out of them also sucketh euen the marrow, so by all meanes seeking to weaken them: the one aduanceth unto the highest degrees of honour the best and most vertuous men; whereas the other stil promoteth the greatest theeves and villaines, whome he may vse as spunges, to sucke up the wealth of his subiects: the one frankly bestoweth the greatest and most gainful offices of the state upon men of best deserts, who free from briberie & corruption, may defend the people from all iniurie and oppression; whereas the other setteth the same to sale to such as will giue most for them, so by their robberies and vnreasonable exactions, to keepe the people vnder, and then afterward when they are well fatted, to cut such caterpillers throates also, so to be accounted great iusticiars: the one measureth his manners, according unto his lawes; the other measureth his lawes, according to his owne disposition and pleasure: the one is readie to expose his life for the good of his countrey and people; the other wisheth it and them all to perish for himselfe: the one is beloued and honoured of his subiects; the other hateth them all, and is likewise of them hated: the one in time of warre hath no recourse but unto his owne subiects; whereas the other hath no greater warre than against them: the one hath neither
But what need we to vse many examples to proue this to be true, being of it selfe so[*](Tirants slaine by effeminate and weake persons.) manifest in euerie mans eye. And seeing that we find in histories tyrannie to have bene of all men so much feared, hated and detested, that euen schollers and weake women have not doubted to aduenture with daunger of their lives, to gaine unto themselves the honour of the killing of tyrants. As did Aristotle (not hee of Stagira, but hee that was surnamed the Logitian) who slew a tyrant of Sicione. And Thebe, who slew her[*](Tirants neuer in safetie.) husband Alexander, tyrant of the Pheraeans. And to thinke that tyrants might by force warrant themselves, is but meere and vaine errour. For who were of greater force than were the Roman emperors, who ordinarily had fortie legions at their command in their prouinces, and three moe in Italie, beside their Praetorian bands, for the defence of their persons: and yet in no place in the world were there so many princes slaine; yea sometimes the captaines of their guards slew them euen in their pallaces, whome they guarded. As Cherea the tyrant, and the Mamalukes eight Sultans of Aegypt.
But he that would see the miserable ends of tyrants, let him but read the lives of [*](Plutar in Arat et Timoleone) Timoleon, and of Aratus, where hee shall see the tyrants drawne out of the nest of their tyranny, stripped starke naked, theeves beaten to death with clubbes in the presence of Children, and the rest of the common people: and after that their wines and children, their kinsfolkes and familiar friendes most cruelly murthered and slaine: and that more is the verie image & statues of them that were dead in their tyranny, accused, and publikely condemned, delivered unto the common hangman to bee as it were executed; their bones also taken out of their graues, and cast into most lothsom iakesses, and the raking officers of these tyrants dismembred, and most miserably tormented with al the cruelty that a people enraged could deuise: their edicts & laws torn, their castles and proud houses rased and laid euen with the ground, and the verie memorie of their name, by publike iudgements and written bookes, condemned to perpetuall infamie, as an example to all future princes, to the end they might have in detestation such plagues, so pernitious and dangerous unto mankind.
And albeit that tyrants whilest they lived, have not wanted their flattering clawbacks,[*](Tyrants alwayes infamous and detested.) whome they with rewards enduced to write their vnworthie prayses; yet wee
Now the state of a royall Monarchie is quite contrarie unto a tyrannie: for the king[*](The happie estate of a good Royal prince, in comparison of a Tyrant.) is so vnited with his subiects, that they are still willing to spend their goods, their blood, and lives, for the defence of his estate, honour, and life; and cease not after his death to write, sing, and publish his prayses, amplifying them also in what they can. As we see in Xenophon the lively purtract of a great and vertuous prince, drawne under the person of Cyrus, whose praises he hath with wonderfull eloquence set forth, to giue eaxmple to other princes for to imitat and conforme themselves vnto; as did Scipio Africanus, [*](The worthie praise of Scipio Africanus.) who hauing alwaies before his eyes and in his hands Xenophon his Cyropoediae, and framing himselfe to the imitation thereof, profited so much, as that he in vertue, honor, and prowesse, surmounted all the kings and princes, not of his owne age onely, but of former times also; in such sort, that certaine pirats enflamed with the report of his fame, and knowing that he was in his house in the countrey farre from any towne, came and beset the same: against whom as he was about to put himselfe with his people in readinesse, and so to have stood upon his guard: they perceiuing the same, forthwith threw downe their armes, assuring him that they were not come thither, but onely to see him, and to do him honour, which they most humbly requested, that they might be admitted to do him. Now if the lustre and brightnesse of vertue in such a prince, hath drawne euen theeves and pirats into the admiration thereof; than of how much greater force ought it to be in good and loyall subiects? And what prince is there so foolish or void of sence, which would not wonderfully reioyce to heare it reported, how that Menander king of the Bactrians, was for his vertue & iustice so well beloued of his subiects, as that after his death the cities were at great strife & debate amongst themselves, which of them shuld have the honor of his sepulchre: neither could the matter be appeased, vntill that at length it was agreed, that euerie one of them should in the honour and memoriall of him build a seuerall tombe or sepulchre. What tyrants malice also or dissimulation is so great, whome Plinie his Panegyricall oration would not driue into a phrensie? who when he had therein with all worthie prayses so adorned Traian the emperour, as that it seemed nothing more could thereunto be added: he so concludeth the period, That nothing greater or better could bee wished for vnto the Commonweale, but that the immortall gods would imitat the life of Traian. Which excessiue amplification, although it sauour of impietie, yet who doubteth but that it proceeded from the zeale of a most famous man, towards his most excellent prince? for whose daunger at his going out, and welfare at his comming home, all the temples were filled; and who himselfe in his solemne prayers, was thus woont to couenant with the gods, That they should keep and preserue him, if they saw it to be for the good of the Commonweale. What tyrant is so cruell, what show soeuer he make, which most hartily wisheth not for the honour which king Agesilaus receiued, at such time as he was fined by the Ephori, for hauing alone robbed the hearts and gained the loue of all the citisens unto him? What king is there, which wisheth not to have the surname of Aristides the Iust? a title more diuine and royall than euer prince yet knew how to get: albeit that in stead thereof many haue caused themselves to be called Conquerors, Besiegers, Lightnings. Now on the contrarie part, when as we read of the most horrible cruelties of Phalaris, Busiris, Nero, and Caligula, who is he which is not moued to a iust indignation against them? or hearing of their miserable
Thus have we seene the most remarquable differences betwixt a king and a Tyrant, which are not hard to be perceiued betwixt the two extremes of a most good king, and a most detestable Tyrant: but is not so easilie to be deemed, when the prince taketh part of a good king, and some other part of a tyrant: so as it were tempering the good with the bad. For so things oft times fall out, that for the varietie of times, places, persons,[*](Necessarie seueritie not to be accounted tirannie but to be in a soueraigne prince much commended.) and other occasions presenting themselves, princes are constrained to doe such things, as may seeme unto them tyrannicall, and vnto others commendable. Wherefore let no man measure Tyrannie by Seueritie, which is oft times in a prince most necessarie: neither for his castles, gardes, and garisons: neither by the soueraigntie of his commaunds, which are in deed more to be wished for, then the sweet requests of tyrants: which draw after them an ineuitable violence. And that is it for which in law, he which hath bound himselfe at the request of a Tirant, is alwaies againe to be restored into his former estate, wherein he was: whereas if he that shall so doe at the commaundement of a good prince shall not by the law be relieued: neither are those murthers, proscriptions, banishments, incests, rauishments, and other such villanies which happen in civill warres, in the chaunging or destruction of the states of commonweales, or the establishment of the same, to be called tyranies: for that in such violent conuersion and chaunge of state, it cannot otherwise be. As it fell out in the Roman Triumuirat, in the election of diuers Emperours, and in our time Cosmus de Medices, first taking upon him the dukedome of Florence. For he after the death of his kinsman Alexander Medices, slaine by the conspiracie of his enemies, tooke unto himselfe a strong garde of straungers for the defence and safetie of his owne person: built castles and strong holds: fortified the citie with strong garrisons: imposed new tributes and customes upon the subiects; which unto the common people, and men abusing the popular libertie, seemed violent oppressions and tiranies: but unto the wise men necessarie and wholsome remedies: especially in such a sicke citie and Commonweal, as with most desperate diseases and incurable vlcers was like otherwise to have perished: as also against such vnruly citizens, and inured to all licentious libertie; who had a thousand times conspired against this new Duke, reputed for one of the most wise and vertuous princes of his time: but of them accounted a tyrant.
Now to the contrarie it hapneth often that the state of a citie or Commonweal ruinated[*](Seueritie in a prince more wholsome for the Commonweale thn letie.) by the too much lenitie and facilitie of one prince, is againe relieued and upholden by the austeare seueritie of an other. It is sufficiently knowne how terrible the tyranie of Domitian was unto the Senat, the nobilitie, and other the great lords and gouernours of the Roman Empire; in somuch that all his lawes and edicts were by their procurement after his death repealed: and yet for all that was he euen after his death also most highly by the generall consent of all the prouinces commended: for that the Proconsuls with the other magistrats and officers of the Commonweal, were neuer before more upright or freer from corruption then they were in his time, for feare they had of his seueritie, & him. But when Nerua who succeeeded him in the Empire, abhorring seuerity, enclined altogether to lenitie, & things began to fall into a most miserable estate; the lawes being prostituted, iustice peruerted, and the poore by the mightie oppressed: then Fronto the Consul with many moe with most earnest desire, wished for that crueltie and tyranie which they before had condemned in Domitian. Also when a prince with most sharpe seueritie as with a bridle, keepeth in the mindes and licentious desires of a furious and headstrong people, as if it were an vntamed beast: such wholsom seueritie ought in no wise to be accounted or called tiranie; but to the contrarie Cicero calleth such licentious libertie of the vnrulie people meere tiranie.
It may be also that a prince may exercise tiranie against the great ones in the state, as
But within twelue yeares after that Henry the second his sonne raigned (whose bountie[*](The lenitie and immoderat boūtie of king Henry the second, most hurtfull unto the kingdome of Fraunce.) was so great, as that the like was neuer in any prince of his time,) we saw the state almost quite chaunged: for as he was sweet, gratious, and courteous, so could he not denie any thing to any person; so that his fathers treasures were in few moneths scattered, the great offices and places of commaund were set to sale more than euer, the greatest spirituall preferments without respect bestowed upon vnworthy men, magistracies
But to hold this golden meane (some man will say) as it is hard for euerie man to do: so for princes whom diuers strong perturbations call out of the middle course unto the one or other of the the extreames, it is of all others most hard. True it is, that vertue consisting in the meane, is enuironed with many vices, much like unto a straight line, which is hard to be found among a million of crooked: which graunted, yet so it is neuerthelesse, that it is better and more expedient for the people and the preseruation of an estate to have a rigorous and seuere prince, than too gentle and courteous. The bountie of the emperour Pertinax, and the enraged youthfulnesse of Heliogabalus had brought the Roman empire euen unto the verie point of vtter ruine: when as the emperours Seuerus of Afrike, and Alexander Seuerus of Syria, by a rude kind of seueritie and imperiall austeritie reestablished the same, in the former brightnes and maiestie, to the great and wonderfull contentment of all good men. Thus therefore is the prouerbe that we receiued from our auncestors (That of an euill and subtill man is made [*](How the paradoxe, That of an euill and craftie man is made a good king, is to be vnderstood.) a good king) to be vnderstood: for otherwise the word euill, of the proprietie of it selfe signifieth not so much seueritie, as the vttermost point, or the extremitie of impietie, which our auncestors called euill: so Charles king of Nauarre was called an euil king, than whom none was more wicked of his time. Wee must not therefore iudge a prince to be a tyrant for his seueritie and rigour, so that he do nothing contrarie to the lawes of God and nature. But forasmuch as this discourse hath brought vs on so far, let vs see also whether it be lawfull for a good man to lay violent hand upon the person of a tyrant.