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

IV. Foresight Necessary to Good Government (Complete)

CHAPTER IV FORESIGHT NECESSARY TO GOOD GOVERNMENT m Nothing is more necessary in governing a state than foresight, since by its use one can easily prevent many evils which can be corrected only with great difficulty if allowed to transpire. Just as a doctor who knows how to prevent illness is more esteemed than the one who works cures, so too should ministers of state always remind both themselves and their masters that it is more important to anticipate the future than to dwell upon the present, since with enemies of the state, as with diseases, it is better to advance to the attack than to wait and drive them out after they have invaded. Those who follow any other procedure will encounter great difficulties, for which it will be unusually hard to find subsequent remedies. However, it is quite usual for ordinary men to content themselves with little effort, preferring to enjoy the pleasures of a month rather than demand of themselves a few days of effort which could 80 FORESIGHT NECESSARY 81 guarantee many trouble-free years, a matter they ignore, for they see only the present and cannot mold the future by a wise foresight. Those who live only from day to day live happily for themselves; but those who are subject to their rule live unhappily. On the other hand, men who see far ahead do nothing precipitously, since they consider things well in advance and it is more difficult to make a mistake when something has been thought through. There are occasions, to be sure, when it is not possible to deliberate at length because the nature of the matter does not permit it. But in affairs not of this kind it is best to sleep on them, making up with the speed of final execution for any delay created during their thorough consideration. There was a time when no orders were given in this realm with a view to anticipating problems, and when even after the evil results occurred only palliative remedies were applied, because it was impossible to be thorough without injuring many close at hand. Private interest was then preferred to public interest, and because of this one had to reconcile oneself to the open wounds instead of healing them, which only multiplied the evils in the realm. For some years now, thanks be to God, there has been a change in this way of doing things, with a success so happy that beyond convincing us by its reasonableness we are obliged by the great results achieved to adhere to it even more firmly. It is necessary to sleep like the lion, without closing 8% FORESIGHT NECESSARY one's eyes, so that one may instantly ward off the slightest misfortune which may arise, and remembering that justas consumption does not affect the pulse even though it is fatal, so it is often the case with states that the evils which are imperceptible at the time of their origin and of which we are little aware are the most dangerous and nnally become of greatest consequence. The extraordinary care it is necessary to take in order not to be surprised on such occasions goes far to explain why those states governed by wise men are generally happy. In like fashion it is easy to foresee that those which are governed less wisely are bound to be far less happy. The abler aman is the more aware he is of the governmental responsibilities with which he is charged. Public administration so completely occupies the b~st minds in its service that the uninterrupted attention they are obligated togive government mattersin order to foresee evils which might arise deprives them of all repose and relaxation . Their principal compensation can come from seeing many other men sleep without fear in the shadow of their protection and thus live happily as a result of their misery.19 It is necessary to see as far in advance as possible what will be the outcome of one's acts in order to avoid selfdeception , but the wisdom and vision of men have dennite limits beyond which they can see nothing, God alone being able to see the 1inaI objective of things. It 19 Richelieu is obviously thinking of himself here. TO GOOD GOVERNMENT suffices often to know that projects which one undertakes are just and possible in order to embark upon them with good reason. God concurs...