The Secret of Secrets and Other Philosophical Treatises

The ancients praised such a king. Such a king is called virtuous, generous original: "largus," implying a liberal and bountiful nature., and moderate. But he who pours out the goods of the kingdom immoderately to the unworthy and to those not in need: such a man is a waster of the commonwealth original: "rei publice." In this medieval context, it refers to the state or the collective resources of the people.; that is, he is a plunderer of the kingdom and is called uselessly prodigal original: "pdigus," meaning one who wastes resources through lack of foresight., because through his lack of foresight his kingdom gradually fails.

Truly, the name of greed clings heavily to a king and is ill-suited to royal majesty. If, therefore, any king possesses either of these vices—either greed or prodigality—if you wish to take counsel, he must with the highest diligence provide a faithful man, discreet and chosen from many, to whom he should commit the management of public affairs and the governing of the kingdom’s riches.

O Alexander, I say to you firmly: whichever king continues giving gifts beyond what his kingdom can sustain, such a king will undoubtedly destroy and be destroyed. Therefore, I say again what I have never ceased to say to your folly original: "demencie uestre." This may be a sharp rhetorical warning against the "madness" of youthful excess, or a scribal error for "excellencie" (excellency).: that abstinence from prodigality and greed, and the attainment of generosity, is the glory of kings and the longevity of kingdoms. This happens when a king restrains himself and draws back his hand from the things and possessions of his subjects. Wherefore I found written in the teaching of the great teacher Hermogenes A legendary figure in medieval literature associated with wisdom, alchemy, and the "Hermetic" tradition.: that the highest and true goodness, clarity of intellect, and fullness of the law—and the sign of perfection in a king—is abstinence from the property and possessions of his subjects.

...which was the cause of the destruction of the kingdom of the Chaldeans An ancient people of Mesopotamia (Babylonians).. The reason was that the excess of expenses surpassed the income of the cities; and thus, as income failed and expenses grew, the kings extended their hands to the property and income of others. The subjects, indeed, because of these injuries, cried out to the high and glorious God, who, sending a strong neighbor, afflicted them vehemently; the people rose up against them and wiped their names entirely from the earth. And unless the glorious God had come to their aid and diminished what He diminished, that kingdom would have been utterly destroyed.

Know for certain that wealth is the cause of the duration of physical life original: "uite aiālis," literally "animal life," referring to the biological existence sustained by the soul.; it is a part of life itself, and a living being cannot endure if such life is destroyed. One must therefore beware of excess and an overabundance of expenses. So that temperance and generosity may be acquired, foolish and superfluous giving must be avoided. It is of the substance of virtue and generosity to possess wealth, yet not to pry into the hidden secrets of others, nor to hold a grudge over gifts already given. Know that it is the nature of honor and the substance of virtues to reward everyone, to forgive injury, to honor those deserving of honor, to venerate the venerable, to help the simple, to supply what is lacking for the innocent, to respond to those who greet you, to restrain the tongue, to overlook injuries from all, and to feign ignorance original: "fingere ignorare." A piece of political advice suggesting a king should sometimes pretend not to notice a fool's mistakes to maintain dignity. of a fool's folly. I teach you the things that they always used to teach and sow in your heart; I carry...