Gjergj Kastriot's rare talk on deathbed, published in Germany 238 years ago

549 years ago, Albanian National hero Gjergj Kastriot Skenderbeu died.

He was born in 1405 and was the last child in the family of many children of John and Vojsawa. These had four sons (Stanisha, Repos, Constantine and George) and five girls (Marina, Jela, Angjelina, Mother's Vlaja).

When George was born, his father, John Kastriot, was ruler of an important state, which stretched at least from the outskirts of Prizren and Tetovo in the east to the Adriatic Sea in the west. Its administrative centre must have been Prizren. For the day of Gjerg Kastriot's death, there are many legends and few serious historical sources.

However, researcher of this period especially of Skenderbe, Aurenc Bebya, who has been living and working for years in France, has been able to discover last year a text published 238 years ago in Germany that describes the last words of Gjergj Kastriot on his deathbed.

The lowest speech is from Stephan Zanowich's book entitled “Le Grand Castriotto d'Albanie, Histoire” The 131 - page text was published in 1779 by the publishing house J. J. Kessler, Frankfurt.

Gjergj Kastriot, a sick man, couldn't avoid dying and therefore invites to his hearth princes, ambassadors, generals, and leading leaders of the country to leave their last trust as a great warrior does. Before our hero began his speech, he ordered that his only son, John, at the time of ten years, be among the guests.

The speech of the Prince of Matt and the King of Albanians is found on pages 70 - 89 of the book, written in French. According to the author of the work, this is how George Kastriot is expressed:

I'm on the verge of the grave. I leave you a kingdom of strength capable of protecting it, but with an ageless offspring unable to direct it. However, if you become brave and virtuous in the future, you can face all the attacks of your enemies.

It is not the surface of the land that makes the throne honorable, but the ability of the one seated upon it. If you are evil, servant of your ministers, and naive of the flattery of your courtiers, then nothing will be easier than turning down from the highest peak where you are.

Must be the basic virtue of the throne. Virtue is not fantasy. Maybe they'll tell you one day, but don't forget that whoever tells you is a traitor, a cunning one, to reign in your country, will suggest fake maximas, which will sooner or later cause your downfall.

With virtue as a guide, the flatterers and the wicked will depart from you... virtuous, you can easily maintain the empire that leaves you shocked by the constant struggle; strengthen it, restore it through rest and tranquillity...

Create unscheduled signatures across the surface of the kingdom, where all the injustice and violence that can be published by the rulers of your districts can be published. Do so even for friends or family members living in your backyard who hide such transgressions or use them under the pretext of justice and necessity.

Consider all of you yourself, and if the magistrate, the soldier, or the clergyman are deceitful and unjust, then kindly hang them on the stake at the crime scene: you will notice that his successor will become righteous and kind ...when you have taken the lead in power, you will take care of justice, which is the foundation of all virtues.

You will protect artisans, like the most useful people in your areas of power, and prevent their being oppressed by the rich. Pride and luxury make the rich unfeeling of the poor, who have neither honor nor support.

You should be gentle and kind to your people; appear among them often, talk to them, ask them whether your wishes for justice are executed by your ministers.

The prince who stays close to his courtiers is viewed by his people as enemy and tyrant... listen to the complaints and pleas of your people calmly, so that you inspire his faith to help you correct the abuses and calamities of the state.

Make sure your nation grows through Catholic religion, but do not persecute anyone to follow it under compulsion. The sun, God's image, shines indiscriminately for the Turk as it does for the Christian.

Anyone who counsels to fight for God's sake is a deceiver who wants to sacrifice the truth for his own interests. God is powerful, he can do everything himself, without anyone's help... if fate makes you homeless, poor, or needy, never change religion for interest... close the differences of theologians and hypocrites, which are most dangerous for the happiness of a state. We've seen the more prosperous empires divide and be shaken by these fanatics...

See Constantine's empire devastated by Muhammad, and Prince Jean Palélogian (John Paleologist) trampled on by Arabian horses. He was superstitious, his ambitious and ignorant priests, his false and luxurious courtiers, and now the prince, priests, and courtiers are dead and dying in slavery.

If you have enough luck to have philosophers in your lands, who are enlightened by light of reason and not by false systems, let them write in peace and react to the prejudices and machines of everyone speaking in God's name in order to silence the king and justice. You will protect them against the excessive zeal of hypocritical leaders by reward them with jobs in your courts and courts.

When you're spoken of badly, you'll hear it with half an ear... You'll be nice to all the folk sheets. As the reason for your soon - to - date distinction in society, you must be distinguished from others through generosity, which is the distinctive character of princes. A monarch, even a poor man, must be generous...

Protect the credit and reward her wherever she is. Goodness should be accompanied by a generous heart. Man builds temples, he raises altars to Yahweh through his goodness. Save forever the century, your circle and your race the shame of having people desperate with your cruelty, pride, or ignorance. Remember that man is born for each other's happiness...

Arm yourselves by courage and determination in misery, with discretion and prosperity. Don't dive into the sloth, she's the mother of all vices... don't close your eyes to their neighbors and their treaties: they'll wait for the moment when you'll be vulnerable to prosecution and claim false claims on the legacy I'm leaving you. Don't use spies to know what people say about your administration. Do your job properly, let people speak and write whatever they want...

Give each of your circle an opportunity to write you; You will hire your secretaries to answer for various or public matters, but state secrets must remain among you...

Don't despise anyone; the youngest and the poorest can tear you down, as well as help you with his counsel and courage.

You are patient in matters of war, fearless in dangers, gentle and human, never cruel and hot - tempered. Hide the pain your calamities can cause you. Your enemies will always be willing to insult you in distress, and the ministers will betray you. Invite educated foreigners to join you in giving them a role, even if they are not noble and rich. The competencies that are accorded nobility are the product of politics. You can use nobles as you wish. The ignorant shall be generous, and ye shall spare your wealth for the maintenance of the army, and ye shall have a fine court for the proud, and for fools, that have no virtue but gold.

Do not be shy about your feelings. Declare openly to your courtiers that he who lies to you and leads you astray to administration will be hanged on the stake without forgiveness.

The poets who would draw you verses, to convince you that you are the greatest, the most generous, the greatest warrior of all kings, to send in a piece of paper, ink, and a feather from an unknown court, by order to testify to the truth of what they write, and if they cannot do such a thing, to limit themselves to giving counsel, making it clear that if they continue to write such dangerous nonsense, they will be choked by you as a person of holy truth.

See that you always have good soldiers and disciplined; that your soldiers don't become lazy, you train and treat them not as slaves but as your companions. When you are at war, you will lead the army as general and in battle you will fight as soldiers. The king's name is a very honorable title, but it has great weight and hard work to carry out. The main thing is to accept and respect your circle. God has not given the supreme power to plunge us into sorority, so that we can be defenders of the public matter. For a mild heart and a virtuous soul, the general welfare of your people is the greatest pleasure that can be experienced. The negligence and kind of kindness that we call «the folly of a prince» do harm to people; and you know that the king's role is to protect

Send away from you the astrologers, the judges and the diamond-making chemists. A prince is always rich when he is wise and exalted in spirit.

Your name will be written on a white marble plaque with black letters on the doors of your castles destined for the prisoners. Woe for the governor who hid the king's innocence, which deteriorated by his greed and zeal to punish the guilty...

Protect the good and loving, punish the bad spirits. You're sensitive to injury, but even more to the service of your people and the friendship of people like you.

The zenith of a war is confusing, uncertainty (dangerous) must be felt. Then care and courage will serve you better than riches. You need to know how to win, but don't forget that you can also be defeated. Challenge yourself, do not lose your temper, for then the humble one becomes evil and the king becomes a monster...

Remember, Turkish politics is to sow divisions among Christian princes; all their greatness lies in this brilliant policy, which makes with more conquests than their weapons. Finally, if you're jealous that I'm leaving you a heir who prevents you from taking the throne, remember that I was your father, and you'll only use the sword to bring down the enemy.

You will have numerous ties with the court of Rome, that I have been so far supportive and protective. My interests have forced me to adjust my policy to hers. The circumstances in which I found myself have not allowed me to fight Turkish usurpations and the pope's claims.

For the good of my districts, I have always been happy with my actions. Rome is haughty only with failed princes. Rome, fearing me, has always flattering me.

It changes the climates and positions, but the fear that it loses its land to Muhammad's attacks has forced him to remain modest with me, recognizing me all the rights, titles, and possessions carried out during my battles. The popes have never managed to manipulate an old soldier like me, but will not hesitate to do such a thing to you as the reason for their youth and lack of experience to govern, to serve.

Remember, with the many practices they use to achieve their goals, the strongest is confession. But it is easy to know, when the priest will want to know more than your sins, send him back as a deceiver in his own land, and punish him as such, to be an example to his successor.

...However, it is very dangerous to openly oppose the Pope, this great idol of our religion. He is a man like others, with his passions and weaknesses... If the Pope sends you forgiveness, relics, blessings, take them with respect, and honor them with your people by setting your prime example... But if the Pope tries to increase the number of priests and monks to bring money out of your provinces... or he urges you to open up wars in the name of God, let vengeance strike upon you and your offspring in the event of acceptance.

The Lord avenges his reproachers, so there is no need for man's help. Do not threaten Rome when it does not threaten you. But proclaim war against everyone who seeks to corrupt the joy of the people, and the legitimacy of the throne.

And ye shall forbid every inhabitant that is under your dominion, that he should not become a priest nor a monk, until he is forty years old. To be fed by the work of others, it takes first for a man (male) to have contributed to community support, from which he wants to separate to enjoy his life...

These priests and monks should help you to protect the nation in times of war, for in times of peace this same nation feeds them without using them.

If the Pope opposes, obey him gently, and only if necessary, use your sword... Such a policy will reconcile you with the fatherly love of his descendants, and you will become examples and leaders for all kings, who cowards, weak, ignorant, fools, were usurped by the Pope and their ministers, the power that God has given them to spread the happiness of the nations, where they must be lords and fathers. /Onecomb