You must love the subjects entrusted to you by God as a proper father of the country, without regard for their religion. You must always reasonably seek to promote their interest and their best, to promote commerce, and to think of increasing the population, especially in Brandenburg. Let the prelates, lords, and nobles come to you often, and speak with them. Show yourself to be gracious and animated towards each of them, because such befits a great lord, and contributes to his special renown among various others. In this way, you will awaken the love and affection of the subjects more and more. However, exercise moderation in all things so that your status is not diminished and you maintain respect. Regarding your peers, however, you are not to yield the very least thing regarding precedence and rank. Give up nothing that is owed to you, but rather hold fast to the electoral preeminence, because too much courtesy and vivacity can cause one to lose the rights one has, and there are plenty of such examples at hand.
Let the dear justice be highly ordered [hochlichen befallen] in all of your lands, and see to it that the poor as well as the rich are given their right without regard to their person, and that trials go quickly, and are not held up, because that secures the throne of the ruler. And because you will seldom be able to hear matters of justice because of all the other business of governing, give diligent attention to the councilors who are appointed. When you learn that they let themselves be corrupted and do not deal with justice correctly, then punish them to such an extent that all the others will reflect on it. However, if someone wants to complain about the councilors out of malice, then he is also to be punished reasonably, so that justice retains the appropriate respect. Most of all, make sure that in matters of justice you issue no verdict until the other side has first been informed of the charges.
Now, regarding the councilors and officials that you will need in the future and how they should be qualified, because a lord's reputation is dependent on the kind of councilors he selects, so you need to consider such choices well and not be hurried. I know of none better to suggest than those whom Jethrow described to Moses,* namely, they should be people who are first pious, inimical to greed, and discrete; they should live a respectable life, have an honest disposition, know something about the state, and be of the Reformed (Calvinist) religion. Look for such people with great diligence inside and outside the territory. When you select such and they accept, then it will go well for you, you will sense God's blessing in the government, and then your burden will not seem so heavy. However, you must maintain and compensate them so that they can live to honor you and have no cause to think of other means and let themselves be corrupted, so that they simply and totally depend on you, and serve (have their eye on) no one else in the world. Only make sure that you do not make one official alone too great and give him all the authority. Instead, show the same trust to all who serve you in good faith, and treat them the same. Have no favorite at your court, because such people take the glory from the lord, to whom it alone belongs, and make him contemptible, and ultimately they rise above the lord himself. I hope that you will not tolerate or put up with such people around you, because it will only bring you contempt, diminution, trouble and great disadvantage. However, because you will not be able to live without such people, despite all hopes, you had better keep many of them, and allow them no great authority. [ . . . ] Also do not permit your officials to form factions or their own followings. Keep all of your councilors and officials dependent on you and none other, and you will be good and happy in your reign. [ . . . ]
* Moses 18:21.
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