Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/343

Rh sensible, in fine, that his people have his refusals, while his courtiers enjoy his favours.

RINCES ought to be extremely circumspect in point of raillery. It pleases with moderation, because it opens the way to familiarity; but a biting raillery is less excusable in them than in the meanest of their subjects, for it is they alone that give a mortal wound.

Much less ought they to offer a notorious insult to any of their subjects; kings were instituted to pardon, and to punish, but never to insult.

When they insult their subjects, their treatment is more cruel than that of the Turk or the Muscovite. The insults of the latter are a humiliation, not a disgrace, but both must follow from the insults of the former.

Such is the prejudice of the eastern nations, that they look upon an affront coming from the prince, as the effect of paternal goodness; and such on the contrary is our way of thinking, that to the cruel vexation of being affronted, we join the despair of ever being able to wipe off the disgrace.

Princes ought to be overjoyed to have subjects to whom honor is dearer than life, an incitement to fidelity as well as to courage.

They should remember the misfortunes that have happened to princes for insulting their subjects, the revenge of Chærea, of the eunuch Narses, of count Julian, and in fine of the dutchess of Montpensier, who being enraged against Henry III. for having Rh