The Political Testament of Cardinal Richelieu: The Significant Chapters and Supporting Selections

VIII. The Evils of Flattery, Slander, and Scheming (Complete)

CHAPTER VIII THE EVILS OF FLATTERY SLANDER AND SCHEMING m There is no plague more capable of ruining astate than the host of flatterers, slanderers, and people preoccupied with forming cabals and intrigues at court. They are so industrious at spreading their venom in various insidious ways that it is difficult to avoid it unless one takes the greatest of care. Since they have neither the social qualifications nor the merit to entitle them to a role in government, nor are serious enough to be concerned with the public interest, their only aim is to cause trouble. Thinking thus to gain much from creating confusion, they leave no stone unturned in spreading their flatteries, schemes, and slanders, thereby upsetting law and order. This, to be sure, deprives them of all hope of advancementonabasisofmeritsuch as one might expectinawellrun state, but for them no such hope ever contained the likelihood of fulfilment anyway. In addition, it is a common thing for those not concerned with something to try I I I I I 1 EVILS OF to ruin it. There are no evil deeds that such men who are capable of doing no good, are not above trying, and there are not enough precautions that princes can take against their malice, which disguises itself in so many ways that it is often most difficult to protect oneself. It often happens that there are those who though destitute of real feeling and intelligence, can create a semblance of them and feign a natural-appearing firmness together with a serious and profound wisdom, making themselves look good by criticizing what everyone else does even when most worthy of praise and it is impossible to do better in the matter criticized. There is nothing easier than to find obvious reasons for condemning something which no one could do better and which has been undertaken on such a solid basis that to have not so done would have been to make a gross mistake. Others, having neither mouths nor spurs, disapprove by gesture, headwagging , or glowering grimace of what they dare not condemn with words or dispose of with solid argument. To avoid flattery, when it is a question of dealing with such men, it is not enough for princes to deny them their ears. It is necessary to banish them from both the cabinet and the court, because sometimes so great is their facility that for them to speak to princes is to persuade them. Even when they cannot be persuaded they can leave an impression which in time has its effect, particularly if the same artifice is employed again. In addition, they take such little interest in the business of state that their judg- FLATTERY I I 3 ment in such cases is more often based upon the number of witnesses than upon the weight of the accusations. It would be difficult for me to recall all the misfortunes of which such evil characters have been the authors during Your Majesty's reign. I have had so firm a resentment against such attacks upon the public interest that I am constrained to say that it is necessary to be without pity toward such men and to get rid of them promptly to prevent such misdeeds as some of those which have occurred in my time. No matter how firm and constant a prince may be, he cannot without great imprudence and without exposing himself to his own ruin keep evil men near him. They can surprise him at an unguarded moment, as during the plague amalignant vapor seizes in an instant the heart and the brain of the most robust men when they think themselves to be in full health. It is necessary to drive out these public plagues and never allow them to return, unless they have disposed of all of their venom. This is so infrequently the case that the care we ought to have for peace more obliges us to continue their banishment than charity can urge their recall. I firmly advocate this view because I have never seen any of those lovers of factions and brewers of intrigues at court lose their evil ways or change their nature except when they have completely lost the power to do evil. To speak accurately, this is no change at all, since the desire to do evil still remains in them, while the means are gone. I 14 EVILS OF I...