My dear successor must visit his Lands and Provinces each year, as I have done, then he will learn to know his regiments and army, his lands and peoples, and will see for himself that good improvements can be made in the domains of all Provinces and at least 600,000 to 800,000 thalers a year more revenue got out of them without oppressing the subjects. The revenue from domains can certainly be increased by good application and economy if my dear successor puts his mind to it and prays diligently to God and himself works diligently, then it will certainly succeed, may Almighty God help him to it, Amen!
[ . . . ]
As to finances: when I am dead, my dear successor must not go back into past history, to see whether this or that person has robbed me, for while you are distracting yourself with old matters, the new will fall into the greatest confusion, and while you are occupying yourself with old history your servants will rob you. This is how I acted, and got on very comfortably, but your servants will tell you that so and so has robbed the late King of 1,000 or 20,000 thalers. They will try to divert your attention to old history, so as to keep it from their own doings, and the reason why they want to let everything fall into disorder is that troubled waters are good to fish in.
[ . . . ]
It is true that I am leaving you a treasury in which there is quite a pretty sum of money, but it is indispensable for a Prince to have ready money; for – while may God preserve you from war and plague – if some Provinces fail, war costs a terrible lot of money, but if you have a good, well-larded treasury, you can support this misfortune, so you must add at least 500,000 a year to the present treasure for a formidable army, and a big treasure to mobilize the army in case of need can give you a big standing in the world and you will be able to make your voice heard, like other Powers. [ . . . ]
As to religion, I am a Calvinist, and with God’s help I shall die one, but I am assured that a Lutheran who lives a godly life will achieve blessedness as well as a Calvinist, and the difference has been created only by quarrels between the preachers; so hold Calvinists and Lutherans in equal honor, do good to both religions and make no difference between them – God will bless you for it, and you will be beloved on all sides. [ . . . ] Do good to the poor and let no poor man in your land suffer want and help as much you can, God will requite you ten thousand fold.
[ . . . ]
My dear Successor must not let the preachers of either religion meddle in worldly affairs, for they like meddling in worldly affairs and have to be kept on a tight rein, for the clergy would like to be the Popes in our faith, for with the Papacy the priests decide everything.
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