![]() You came to war for a reason, see that reason through. That's absolutely true for a knight who goes to war. If you start something, you better finish it, even if finishing it is difficult, even severely so, hence the word "persevere." It's understood that things will be difficult. Notice that there are two words used here to show the scope of this rule: "begun" and "end." The scope is from beginning to end, all of it. And this leads nicely into the next section.Īn enterprise may be the enterprise of war, or some business venture, or any project really, where initiative, risk and boldness are required. That's why you despise pecuniary reward, because greed gets you killed, it gets your comrades killed, and it will cause the destruction of your nation. You're going to fight to your dying breath. But, if you're there to serve your country and king, to make good on the oaths of loyalty you've sworn as a man, and if you're there for your comrades, your brothers fighting with you, and if you're there as a matter of protecting your family, then there's no way on earth you're going to turn tail and run. If you're facing down an army, and you're greatly outnumbered, and you're really just there because you're going to get a hefty paycheck at the end of it, you're probably going to turn and run the other way, because at the end of the day, your life means more to you than money ever will. Either way, the motivating factor for the knight considering warfare is money, and that's the wrong reason to go to war. If you paid much, then very many people would go to war. But, if you were to put a dollar figure to this service, what would it be? If you paid little, the implication is that their lives are worth little, and nobody would go to war. Why?Ĭonsider: what is a knight's service in war worth? In fact, it was through this service that knights were initially raised to Nobility. ![]() In this endeavor, the knight should despise pecuniary reward. ![]() Secondly it is to his brothers-in-arms, and thirdly to his family, that they may be safe from invading armies. Let's face it, for all the responsibilities that come with nobility, the fundamental profession of the knight is warfare. In war, one's first earthly duty is to his sovereign for King and country. The good Knight should resist the pull of money, and remove such temptations make it clear to anyone who's looking that you're not the kind of man who can be bought off. The strong motivating reason you'd accept a bribe, and therefore violate your oath, is money. Bribery is typically a political action, and if you've sworn an oath of loyalty to your Liege Lord, your political situation is pretty well understood. The first is that of bribery, and this relates to avoiding greed. By reward, we may consider two likelihoods. The key to understanding this rule is in the word "reward." In trade, what you receive is typically not a "reward." Money is merely a medium of exchange. However, a certain disinterest in money has to be remembered, because the knight ought not to be greedy. So that can't be what we're talking about here. And it would be foolish to think that a knight would do everything for free, because doing so would put his family, and all those who worked on his estate, into a position of poverty. ![]() They were the lowest class of the Nobility, but they were still Nobility, and that meant that they had money. So, what's the big idea here? Are we talking about trade? Being paid for goods or services rendered? Well, let's get one thing straight, the knight was someone who could afford a horse, first of all, so they had to have money to do that, and secondly a Knight was a member of the Nobility, owning a Manor, with land and employees, and so on. It uses the word despise, which implies a disgust for, or a strong dislike. ![]() Perhaps, "don't do stuff just for money." But that's not what it says. Let's face it, we might be able to understand it, if it was stated less strongly. And in today's world, pretty much anyone who sees this rule will think it's a strange one. It actually means "relating to money." So, this rule is all about money: despise monetary reward. Now, you might be wondering: "what the heck does pecuniary mean?" It's a strange word, I know. I'm going to call these the working rules, though they don't pertain exclusively to work. Instead, I'm going to talk about rules seven and fourteen: to despise pecuniary reward and to persevere to the end in any enterprise begun. Today, I'm going to skip a rule, rule six, because I want to save that one for last. Good Sunday morning, to you! And what a beautiful day it is, too! I hope, dear reader, that you are doing well. ![]()
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