The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countriesMonstrelet, Enguerrand de
History
The chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Vol. 01 [of 13] : $b containing an account of the cruel civil wars between the houses of Orleans and Burgundy, of the possession of Paris and Normandy by the English, their expulsion thence, and of other memorable events that happened in the kingdom of France, as well as in other countries
Monstrelet, Enguerrand de
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; France -- History -- House of Valois, 1328-1589; Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453
‘‘Justitia inquit regnantis utilior est subditis quam fertilitas
ipsius;’ which means, That the justice of the governing powers is more
advantageous to the subject than fertility or riches. The Psalmist, on
this matter, says, ‘Honor inquit regis judicium diligit;’ that is, The
honour of the king loves justice and judgment. The justice here spoken
of is nothing else than to preserve to every one his right, which is
also declared by the emperor Justinian, in the first book of his
Constitutions.
‘‘Justitia est constans voluntas unicuique jus suum tribuens,’ meaning,
That justice is firm and stable, giving to every one his due; and it
should be considered that justice is not to be administered according to
pleasure, but as the written laws prescribe. Weigh well, therefore, how
much you are bounden to do justice.
‘To you, then, my lady of Orleans and her children address themselves,
requiring from you justice, which is the brightest jewel in your crown.
Recollect the numerous examples of kings, your predecessors, who so much
loved justice, and particularly that bright instance of a king, who
seeing that his son had deserved, by the laws of that time, to lose both
his eyes, ordered one of his eyes to be put out, and had at the same
time one of his own destroyed, that the law might not be violated nor
infringed.
‘Valerius also mentions, in his 6th book, a king called Cambyses, who
commanded a false judge to be flayed, and his skin to be placed on the
judge’s seat, and then ordered the son of the late judge to sit on the
skin of his father, telling him, ‘When thou judgest any cause, let what
I have done to thy father be an example to thee; and let his skin,
forming thy seat, always keep thee in remembrance.’
‘O, king of France! thou rememberest what David said, when king Saul
unjustly persecuted him, ‘Dominus inquit retribuet unicuique secundum
justitiam tuam;’ that is to say, The Lord God will repay every one
according to his justice. These words are written in the second chapter
of the first book of Kings.
‘Thou oughtest, therefore, like a true follower of our lord, to do in
like manner according to thy power, and aid and support such as have
been unjustly wounded and persecuted. Thou canst not have forgotten, how
Andronicus, a cruel murderer, was condemned to death on the spot where
he had slain the high priest, as it is written in the book of Machabees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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