St. Louis' letter of advice to advice his eldest son, the
later PhilipIII provides us with some insight into the attitudes of one of the
most important French kings of the period. There has been some questions about
its authorship. Even if not by the hand of Louis IX, it does reflect a mindset
which, despite the pieties of the language, puts forth some real concept of
kingship - with regard to justice, administration, the various classes, towns
and the Church.
1.
To his dear first-born son, Philip, greeting,
and his father's love.
3.
Therefore, dear son, the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love Him with all
your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any worth.
8.
Dear son, I advise you that you listen willingly and devoutly the services of Holy Church, and, when you are in
church, avoid to frivolity and trifling, and do not look here and there; but
pray to God with lips and heart alike, while entertaining sweet thoughts about
Him, and especially at the mass, when the body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ are consecrated, and for a little time before.
9.
Dear son, have a tender pitiful heart for the poor,
and for all those whom you believe to be in misery of heart or body, and,
according to your ability, comfort and aid them with some alms.
10.
Maintain the good customs of your realm, and put
down the bad ones. Do not oppress your people and do not burden them with tolls
or tailles, except under very great necessity.
18.
Dear son, if you come to the throne, strive to have that which befits a king,
that is to say, that in justice and rectitude you hold yourself steadfast and loyal toward
your subjects and your vassals, without turning either to the right or to the
left, but always straight, whatever may happen. And if a poor man have a
quarrel with a rich man, sustain the poor rather than the rich, until the truth
is made clear, and when you know the truth, do justice to them.
21.
You should seek earnestly how your vassals and your
subjects may live in peace and rectitude beneath your sway; likewise,
the good towns and the good cities of your kingdom. And preserve them in the
estate and the liberty in which your predecessors kept them, redress it, and if
there be anything to amend, amend and preserve their favor and their love. For
it is by the strength and the riches of your good cities and your good towns
that the native and the foreigner, especially your peers and your barons, are
deterred from doing ill to you. I will remember that Paris and the good towns of
my kingdom aided me against the barons, when I was newly crowned.
27.
Dear son, I advise you that you try with all your strength to avoid warring against any Christian man, unless he
have done you too much ill. And if wrong be done you, try several ways to see
if you can find how you can secure your rights, before you make war; and act
thus in order to avoid the sins which are committed in warfare.
29.
Dear son, I advise you to appease wars and
contentions, whether they be yours or those of your subjects, just as quickly
as may be, for it is a thing most pleasing to our Lord. And Monsignore Martin
gave us a very great example of this. For, one time, when our Lord made it
known to him that he was about to die, he set out to make peace between certain
clerks of his archbishopric, and he was of the opinion that in so doing he was
giving a good end to life.
30.
Seek diligently, most sweet son, to have good baillis and good prevots in your
land, and inquire frequently concerning their doings, and how they conduct
themselves, and if they administer justice well,
and do no wrong to any one, nor anything which they ought not do. Inquire more
often concerning those of your household if they be too covetous or too
arrogant; for it is natural that the members should seek to imitate their
chief; that is, when the master is wise and well-behaved, all those of his
household follow his example and prefer it. For however much you ought to hate
evil in others, you shoud have more hatred for the evil which comes from those
who derive their power from you, than you bear to the evil of others; and the
more ought you to be on your guard and prevent this from happening.
34.
Dear son, take care that the expenses of your household are reasonable and
moderate, and that its moneys are justly obtained.
And there is one opinion that I deeply wish you to entertain, that is to say,
that you keep yourself free from foolish expenses and evil exactions, and that
your money should be well expended and well acquired. And this opinion,
together with other opinions which are suitable and profitable, I pray that our
Lord may teach you.
From
Saint
Louis' Advice to His Son, in Medieval Civilization, trans. and eds. Dana Munro and George
Clarke Sellery (New York: The Century Company, 1910), pp. 366 -75.
(c)Paul Halsall Jan 1996 halsall@murray.fordham.edu