Advice on Good Government November 8, 2016

Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern

William Paget (1506-1563) was a quintessential Tudor politician. He worked for Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I: in short, he survived. He, also, like many of the best Tudor politicians, owed his office to his ability rather than his blood, which was not very blue. He had his share of peccadilloes, of course, but he also seems to have taken the government of the realm seriously. 2 Jan 1549 William Paget wrote out a list of guidelines on good government. These are fascinating because they are not a pious exercise with a Tudor politician praying publicly; ‘give charitably to the poor’ etc. They are honest nuggets of advice to his patron Somerset, then the head of the regency council. Paget needed Somerset to succeed because otherwise both would likely die and Paget had already understood that Somerset was not very good at his job. Somerset did not listen. In late 1549 Somerset began his descent from power: he would finally be decapitated in 1552. William Paget was lucky to spend just some months in the Tower. In any case, the advice: note that punctuation has been changed, in some cases to run clauses together. This is what Somerset should have stuck on his fridge but what he discarded.

Deliberate maturely in all things: execute quickly the deliberations.

These two remind Beach of the Medici’s festina lente (hasten slowly)

Do justice without respect.

i.e. mighty or small treat them the same.

Make assured and staid wise men ministers under you: maintain the ministers in their offices.

Punish the disobedient according to their deserts.

In the king’s causes give commission in the king’s name.

Reward the king’s worthy servants liberally and quickly.

Give your own to your own, and the king’s to the king’s frankly.

Dispatch suitors shortly: be affable to the good, and stern to the evil.

Follow advice in council.

Take fee or reward of the king only.

Keep your ministers about you uncorrupt.

Paget finishes: ‘Thus God will prosper you, the king favour you, and all men love you.’ Tudor historian Robertson adds: ‘It is good advice that some governments could do worse than follow closely today’. So cut this out and send it to your senator.

Other political advice from manuscripts, archives and baked clay tablets: drbeachcombing At yahoo DOT com

Stephen D with a cracker, 17 Nov 2016: I wish I could remember the source for this analysis, by some Stuart statesman, of the means of financing the Duke of Buckingham’s war with Spain, or possibly France: “The rich will not pay, the poor cannot pay. and therefore the burden must fall as always upon the middling sort”.