13 Is There Some Way to Assist the Prince in His Need?(A Treatise on the Alteration of Money) (Excerpt‪)‬

The popular proverb is quite true: "Necessity knows no law." But another one says: "The stomach has no ears," which is to say that it is a harsh demander: It does not give way to arguments. But that problem is easily handled: The stomach settles down after eating. Certainly, such needs and wants arise in the State that it is not surprising that those in charge of administration dream up some uncommon and inept remedies. One such remedy is clearly the recently adopted debasement of money. We have explained this point in the arguments of this dissertation, but if this remedy is not satisfactory, we will have to find another more suitable way to fill up the treasury. I do not intend to treat so great an issue. My purpose has been to condemn the alteration of money as a base crime that is full of great disadvantages. It would be pleasant to address some other ways and means--perhaps more suitable and ultimately more fruitful--of enriching the prince. One might add that there are ways and means that involve no injury to, or groaning of the nation; they will, rather, meet with the greatest approval. First of all, somehow, court expenditures could be lessened, for reasonable and prudent moderation is more splendid and manifests more majesty than unnecessary and unseasonable consumption. In an account of royal taxes and expenses, receipts, and outlays of John II, king of Castille, for the year 1429, we find that the annual expenses of the court, including the ministers' salaries, gifts, and the royal table, amounted to hardly thirty thousand gold pieces. Someone might say that these accounts are very old; everything has changed; prices are much more expensive; kings are more powerful, and, therefore, greater pomp and majesty are found at court. I do not deny these facts, but, really, all of these do not adequately explain the difference between the thirty thousand of those days and the twelve hundred thousand that are spent at this time for the support of the court. Moreover, a more recent account of royal taxes, with the expenses for 1564 for the court of Philip II, king of Spain, for the support of prince Charles, his son, and John of Austria, reports that annually they amounted to no more than forty thousand gold pieces.