Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Note on the text
- Introduction
- Principal events in Sidney's life
- Bibliographical note
- Biographical notes
- Court Maxims
- First Dialogue
- Second Dialogue
- Third Dialogue
- Fourth Dialogue
- Fifth Dialogue
- Sixth Dialogue
- Seventh Dialogue
- Eighth Dialogue
- Ninth Dialogue
- Tenth Dialogue
- Eleventh Dialogue
- Twelfth Dialogue
- Thirteenth Dialogue
- Fourteenth Dialogue
- Fifteenth Dialogue
- Index of biblical quotations
- Index of proper names
- Index of subjects
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Fourteenth Dialogue
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Note on the text
- Introduction
- Principal events in Sidney's life
- Bibliographical note
- Biographical notes
- Court Maxims
- First Dialogue
- Second Dialogue
- Third Dialogue
- Fourth Dialogue
- Fifth Dialogue
- Sixth Dialogue
- Seventh Dialogue
- Eighth Dialogue
- Ninth Dialogue
- Tenth Dialogue
- Eleventh Dialogue
- Twelfth Dialogue
- Thirteenth Dialogue
- Fourteenth Dialogue
- Fifteenth Dialogue
- Index of biblical quotations
- Index of proper names
- Index of subjects
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Summary
Thirteenth Court Maxim: The king's designs are at home. He has reason to suspect men of virtue, valour, and reputation, and he is obliged to destroy them he suspects
Philalethes: our king leaves great designs abroad to such hardy, boisterous princes as the Swedes, who can go into no place not better than the cold rocks where they are born. Our king is well at home, and is to secure himself from enemies there. If he seek his people's good, he must put himself and ministers on troublesome and dangerous enterprises for the good of the nation, live frugally, have beggarly officers and attendants. And our king knows the art of government better than so, and lives in pomp and pleasure, and his favourites and ministers also with him. He loves his people as men their farms for the rent got by them, or as a butcher his ox, in hopes of what he shall make of his carcass. His business is so to tie his ox, that he may not kick or push him, that is, to kill him. So our business is not to gain the love of the people, but to take from them the power of hurting us, though they hate us and then let their hatred be as great as they please. No man's hatred hurts if there be no power to execute it.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Sidney: Court Maxims , pp. 183 - 191Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1996