De la clémence Chapitre 17

Nullum animal morosius est, nullum maiore arte tractandum quam homo, nulli magis parcendum. Quid enim est stultius quam in iumentis quidem et canibus erubescere iras exercere, pessima autem condicione sub homine hominem esse ? Morbis medemur nec irascimur ; atqui et hic morbus est animi; mollem medicinam desiderat ipsumque medentem minime infestum aegro. Mali medici est desperare, ne curet : idem in iis, quorum animus adfectus est, facere debebit is, cui tradita salus omnium est, non cito spem proicere nec mortifera signa pronuntiare ; luctetur cum vitiis, resistat, aliis morbum suum exprobret, quosdam molli curatione decipiat citius meliusque sanaturus re- mediis fallentibus ; agat princeps curam non tantum salutis, sed etiam honestae cicatricis. Nulla regi gloria est ex saeva animadversione (quis enim dubitat posse ?), at contra maxima, si vim suam continet, si multos irae alienae eripuit, neminem suae impendit.

No creature is more self-willed, requires more careful management, or ought to be treated with greater indulgence than man. What, indeed, can be more foolish than that we should blush to show anger against dogs or beasts of burden, and yet wish one man to be most abominably ill-treated by another? We are not angry with diseases, but apply remedies to them: but this also is a disease of the mind, and requires soothing medicine and a physician who is anything but angry with his patient. It is the part of a bad physician to despair of effecting a cure: he, to whom the care of all men’s well-being is entrusted, ought to act like a good physician, and not be in a hurry to give up hope or to declare that the symptoms are mortal: he should wrestle with vices, withstand them, reproach some with their distemper, and deceive others by a soothing mode of treatment, because he will cure his patient more quickly and more thoroughly if the medicines which he administers escape his notice: a prince should take care not only of the recovery of his people, but also that their scars should be honourable. Cruel punishments do a king no honour: for who doubts that he is able to inflict them? but, on the other hand, it does him great honour to restrain his powers, to save many from the wrath of others, and sacrifice no one to his own.

Il n’est point d’être moins facile, et qu’il faille gouverner avec plus d’art que l’homme, aucun qu’il faille plus ménager. Car quoi de moins raisonnable que ceci : on rougira de décharger sa colère sur des bêtes de somme ou des chiens, et la pire condition sera celle de l’homme soumis à l’homme ? On traite les maladies, on ne s’irrite pas contre elles : or il y a ici maladie morale, elle a besoin d’une cure indulgente ; que l’homme qui l’applique n’ait aucune aigreur contre nous. Mauvais médecin que celui qui désespère, pour n’avoir pas à guérir. Telle doit être, envers les âmes malades, la conduite du chef à qui le salut de tous est commis : ne pas dès l’abord repousser tout espoir, ne pas déclarer les symptômes mortels. Qu’il lutte contre les vices, qu’il tienne bon ; qu’il fasse honte aux uns de leur mal, qu’il amuse les autres par des lénitifs, et la cure ainsi déguisée réussira mieux et plus tôt. Le prince doit s’étudier non-seulement à guérir, mais à ne laisser que d’avouables cicatrices. Il ne tire nulle gloire d’un châtiment cruel : qui doute en effet de sa puissance ? La gloire est immense au contraire de suspendre ses coups, d’arracher de nombreuses victimes à la colère des autres et de n’en immoler aucune à la sienne.