care that his personal and his household expenses were within due bounds.
(Here, I fancy, the monarchs looked at each other, thought of their own
frugal way of living, and Isabella smiled.)

That he should not make himself judge in a cause, but let culprits be
tried in the ordinary way. Thus he will avoid unpopularity, for "the
remembrance of the crime perishes: not so that of the punishment." (This
aphorism must, I think, have been composed by Ferdinand himself. His
writing is always exceedingly concise and to the purpose.)

That he should not listen to tale-bearers, (parleros) either of his own
household or to those out of it; nor take vengeance upon anybody who had
spoken ill of him, it being "an ugly thing to believe that anybody could
speak ill of one who did ill to no one, but good to all," That it is one
of the conditions of bad governors, "moved therein by their own
consciences" to give heed to what they hear is said of them, and to take
ill that, which if it had been said, they had better not have heard.
Rather let injurious sayings be overcome by magnanimity.

That it would be good for him to give free audience to all, and to hear
what they had to say; and if their counsel turned out ill, not to look
coldly upon them for that. The same in war, or in any other undertaking:
his agents must not have to fear punishment for failure, nor calumny for
success: "for there were many persons who, to avoid the envy of their
superiors, sought rather to lose a victory than to gain it," (Here
Ferdinand ought to have looked a little ashamed, being conscious that his
own practice by no means came up to what he perceives to be noble and wise
policy in the matter.)

That he (Ovando) should look to what example he gives both in word and