Clem. 1.19.1Excōgitāre nēmō quicquam poterit, quod magis decōrum regentī sit quam clēmentia, quōcumque- modō is et quōcumque iūre praepositus cēterīs erit erit.No one will be able to devise anything more becoming to a ruler than clemency, in whatever way and by whatever right he has been set over others. Clem. 1.19.1Eō scīlicet fōrmōsius id esse magnificentiusque fatēbimur, quō in maiōre praestābitur potestāte, quam nōn oportet noxiam esse, sī ad nātūrae lēgem compōnitur.We shall admit, of course, that it is the more beautiful and splendid the greater the power in which it is displayed, a power which ought not to be harmful if it is ordered according to the law of nature. Clem. 1.19.2Nātūra enim commenta est rēgem, quod et ex aliīs animālibus licet cognōscere et ex apibus ;For nature devised the king, as may be learned both from other animals and from bees; Clem. 1.19.2quārum rēgī amplissimum cubīle est mediōque ac tūtissimō locō ;their king has the most spacious chamber, in the middle and safest place; Clem. 1.19.2praetereā opere vacat exāctor aliēnōrum operum, et āmissō rēge tōtum dīlābitur, nec umquam plūs ūnum patiuntur meliōremque pugnā quaerunt ;besides, he is free from labour, the overseer of the labours of others, and when the king is lost the whole swarm falls apart; they never tolerate more than one, and seek out the better by fighting; Clem. 1.19.2praetereā īnsignis rēgī fōrma est dissimilisque cēterīs cum magnitūdine tum nitōre.besides, the king has a distinguished form, unlike the others both in size and in sheen.
Clem. 1.19.2Hoc tamen maximē distinguitur : īrācundissimae ac prō corporis captū pugnācissimae sunt apēs et aculeōs in volnere relinquunt, rēx ipse sine aculeō est ;But he is distinguished most of all by this: bees are very irritable and, for the size of their bodies, very pugnacious, and leave their stings in the wound, but the king himself is without a sting; Clem. 1.19.3nōluit illum nātūra nec saevum esse nec ultiōnem magnō cōnstātūram petere tēlumque dētrāxit et īram eius inermem relīquit.nature did not wish him to be savage or to seek a vengeance that would cost him dear, and so took away his weapon and left his anger unarmed. Clem. 1.19.3Exemplar hoc magnīs rēgibus ingēns ;This is a mighty model for great kings; Clem. 1.19.3est enim illī mōs exercēre sē in parvīs et ingentium rērum documenta minima largīrī.for it is nature's way to exercise herself in small things and to bestow the tiniest proofs of the greatest matters. Clem. 1.19.4Pudeat ab exiguīs animālibus nōn trahere mōrēs, cum tantō hominum moderātior esse animus dēbeat, quantō vehementius nocet.Let us be ashamed not to take our ways from tiny creatures, since the mind of men ought to be as much more restrained as it does more violent harm.
Clem. 1.19.4Utinam quidem eadem hominī lēx esset et īra cum tēlō suō frangerētur nec saepius licēret nocēre quam semel nec aliēnīs vīribus exercēre odia !Would that the same law held for man, and anger were broken along with its weapon, and it were not permitted to harm more than once, nor to work out hatreds with the strength of others! Clem. 1.19.4Facile enim lassārētur furor, sī per sē sibi satis faceret et sī mortis perīculō vim suam effunderet.For fury would easily tire if it satisfied itself by its own means and poured out its force at the risk of death. Clem. 1.19.5Sed nē nunc quidem illī cursus tūtus est;But even as things are its course is not safe; Clem. 1.19.5tantum enim necesse est timeat, quantum timērī voluit, et manūs omnium observet et eō quoque tempore, quō nōn captātur, petī sē iūdicet nūllumque mōmentum immūne ā metū habeat.for it must fear as much as it wished to be feared, and watch everyone's hands, and even at a time when it is not being attacked judge itself the target, and have no moment free from fear. Clem. 1.19.5Hanc aliquis agere vītam sustinet, cum liceat innoxium aliīs, ob hoc sēcūrum, salūtāre potentiae iūs laetīs omnibus trāctāre ?Does anyone endure to lead this life, when he might, harmless to others and therefore secure, wield the beneficent right of power to the joy of all?
Clem. 1.19.5Errat enim, sī quis exīstimat tūtum esse ibi rēgem, ubi nihil ā rēge tūtum est ;For a man is mistaken if he thinks a king is safe where nothing is safe from the king; Clem. 1.19.5sēcūritās sēcūritāte mūtuā pacīscenda est.security must be bargained for with security in return. Clem. 1.19.6Nōn opus est īnstruere in altum ēditās arcēs nec in adscēnsum arduōs collēs ēmūnīre nec latera montium abscīdere, multiplicibus sē mūrīs turribusque saepīre : salvum rēgem clēmentia in apertō praestābit.There is no need to build citadels raised on high, nor to fortify hills steep to climb, nor to cut away the sides of mountains, or to fence oneself in with manifold walls and towers: clemency will keep a king safe in the open. Clem. 1.19.6Ūnum est inexpugnābile mūnīmentum amor cīvium.The one impregnable fortification is the love of the citizens. Clem. 1.19.7Quid pulchrius est quam vīvere optantibus cūnctīs et vōta nōn sub custōde nūncupantibus ?What is more beautiful than to live while all pray for your life and offer their vows with no one watching over them? Clem. 1.19.7sī paulum valētūdō titubāvit, nōn spem hominum excitārī, sed metum ?than, if your health has faltered a little, to rouse not men's hope but their fear?
Clem. 1.19.7nihil esse cuiquam tam pretiōsum, quod nōn prō salūte praesidis suī commūtātum velit ?than that no one should hold anything so precious that he would not wish it exchanged for the safety of his protector? Clem. 1.19.8Ō nē ille, cui contingit, ut sibi quoque vīvere dēbeat ;O truly blessed is he whose lot it is that he must live for himself as well; Clem. 1.19.8in hoc adsiduīs bonitātis argūmentīs probāvit nōn rem pūblicam suam esse, sed sē reī pūblicae.in this he has proved by constant evidence of his goodness that the commonwealth is not his, but he is the commonwealth's. Clem. 1.19.8Quis huic audeat struere aliquod perīculum ?Who would dare to plot any danger against him? Clem. 1.19.8Quis ab hōc nōn, sī possit, fortūnam quoque āvertere velit, sub quō iūstitia, pāx, pudīcitia, sēcūritās, dignitās flōrent, sub quō opulenta cīvitās cōpia bonōrum omnium abundat ?Who would not wish, if he could, to turn even fortune away from him, under whom justice, peace, chastity, security and dignity flourish, under whom a wealthy state abounds in plenty of all good things? Clem. 1.19.8Nec aliō animō rēctōrem suum intuētur, quam, sī dī immortālēs potestātem vīsendī suī faciant, intueāmur venerantēs colentēsque.The state looks upon its ruler with no other feeling than that with which we would gaze upon the immortal gods, worshipping and revering them, if they granted us the power to see them.
Clem. 1.19.8Quid autem ?And what then? Clem. 1.19.9Nōn proximum illīs locum tenet is, quī sē ex deōrum nātūrā gerit, beneficus ac largus et in melius potēns ?Does he not hold the place next to them who conducts himself according to the nature of the gods, beneficent and generous and powerful for good? Clem. 1.19.9Hoc adfectāre, hoc imitārī decet, maximum ita habērī, ut optimus simul habeāre.This it is fitting to aim at, this to imitate: to be regarded as the greatest only in such a way that you are regarded at the same time as the best.