demanded, and proclamation of it made publicly beforehand.

One part of justice ought by no means to be forgotten. I mean that towards the lowest and meanest sort of people: and these are more especially those we call our slaves; in relation to whom, it is a very good rule that is given by some men, that we should use them no otherwise than we do our day-laborers; make them first do their work, and then pay them honestly what they have earned. There are two ways whereby one man may injure or oppress another; the one is fraud or subtlety, the other open force or violence; the former of which is held the part of a fox, and the latter of a lion; both of them certainly very unworthy of a reasonable creature, though fraud, I think, is the more odious of the two. But of all injustice, theirs is certainly of the deepest dye, who make it their business to appear honest men, even whilst they are practising the greatest villanies.

In bounty and liberality, than which there is nothing more nearly allied to the nature of man, we must observe these cautions; First, that we take care in all acts of bounty, that they be not prejudicial to those we would oblige by them, nor to any other person. Secondly, That we do not in our bounty and liberality go beyond our estates. And, Thirdly, That we duly proportion our kindness according to every man's merit or deserts.

He who pretending to do one a kindness, does that which is really a prejudice to him, is indeed so far from being kind and obliging, that he ought to be counted a most pernicious flatterer; and to do any manner of injury to one, that you may show your generosity and bounty to another, is the same sort of roguery and injustice, as to enrich yourself by the spoils of your neighbor. Yet this is the fault of a great many people, especially those who are desirous of glory, to take away from some, that which justly belongs to them, that thus they may have to bestow upon others; and they are apt to think themselves extremely bountiful, if they enrich their adherents by any means.

Our bounty should not exced our abilities; for they who give more than their estates will allow of, are injurious

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to their own relations, by spending that wealth upon other people, which should rather have been given or left to them.

Many people take a sort of pride in being counted magnificent, and give very plentifully, not from any generous principle in their natures, but only to appear great in the eyes of the world; so that all their bounty is resolved into nothing but mere outside and pretence, and is nearer ofkin to vanity and folly, than to either liberality or honesty. Our bounty should be proportioned to the merits of the receiver: in judging of which, we are to consider the man's honesty or manners; the good-will he bears towards us; the nearness of relation, or society that is between us; and the benefits we have formerly received from him.

Of all the societies and unions amongst men, there is none more excellent or more closely knit, than when such as are men of real virtue and honesty, from a certain agreement and likeness of their manners, contract a familiarity and friendship one with another. For virtue or goodness of necessity moves us wherever we see it, and makes us all have a love and respect for that person in whom we discover it. And as every virtue thus wins upon our hearts, and even forces us to love those we take to possess it, so more especially do justice and beneficence. But when several persons are all like one another in honesty and good manners, then no society can ever be more loving, or more closely united.

That sort of courage exhibited in the dangers and fatigues of war, unless a man be governed by the rules of justice, and fight for the safety and good of the public, and not for particular ends of his own, is altogether blameable, and so far from being a part of true virtue, it is indeed a piece of the most barbarous inhumanity. Fortitude is therefore, very well defined by the stoic philosophers, when they call it, a virtue contending for justice and honesty.

PLATO admirably said, "That sort of knowledge, which is not directed by the rules of justice, ought rather to have the name of design and subtilty, than wisdom and prudence; just as that rash and adventurous mind, which is

hurried by the stream of its own passions, and not for the good and advantage of the public, should rather have the name of fool-hardy and reckless, than brave and courageous." The first thing requisite of a truly courageous man is, that he be a fol'ower of goodness and fair dealing, of truth and sincerity; which are the principal and constituent parts of justice.

Ambitious demagogues will not yield in any debates, or be overruled by the laws and constitutions of the public; but make it their business by factions and bribery to get a strong party and interest in the republic, and rather choose to be uppermost by force and injustice, than equal to others by fair and upright dealing. But no sort of case or circumstance whatever, can excuse any man for being guilty of injustice. Those are therefore your truly brave and courageous men, not who rob, plunder, and injure others, but those who secure and protect them from injuries. But that greatness of mind which is truly such, and under the direction of wisdom and prudence, makes that honor and credit, which we naturally desire, not consist in the outward imaginary applause, but in the real intrinsic goodness of its actions; and is not so eager of appearing to be greater and better than others, as of really being so. For he that is so mean as to depend upon the giddy and ignorant multitude, ought never to be accounted of a truly great and exalted spirit, and there is nothing that so easily draws men to acts of injustice, as haughtiness, when joined with this foolish desire of applause.

For what can more discover a man of a brave and heroic spirit, than to make no account in the world, of those things which seem so glorious and dazzling to the generality of mankind; but wholly to despise them, not from any vain and fantastic humor, but from solid and firm principles of reason and judgment? Or what can show more a robust mind, and unshaken constancy, than to bear those heavy and numerous calamities, which are incident to mankind in this life, with such a firm temper and fixedness of soul, as never to offend against nature and right reason, or do any thing that is unworthy the dignity and character of a wise man? Now it would not at al

be consistent or agreeable, that he who bore up so courageously against fear, should be afterwards unable to resist desire; or that he who could never be conquered by pain, should suffer himself to be captivated by pleasure. These things therefore, should well be considered, and of all desires, that of money should be avoided; for nothing is a greater sign of a narrow, mean, and sordid spirit, than to dote upon riches; nor is any thing on the contrary more creditable and magnificent than to contemn wealth, if you have it not; and if you have it, to lay it out freely in acts of bounty and liberality. The desire of glory ought also to be avoided: for it robs a man wholly of his freedom and independence, which generous spirits ought of all things in the world to maintain and contend for. Neither ought places of power to be sought after; but at some times rather to be refused when offered; at others, be laid down if they can conveniently. We should free ourselves, in short, from all vehement passions and disorders of mind, not only those of desire and fear, but also of sorrow, of joy, and anger; that so the state of the mind may be calm and undisturbed, which will make the whole life become graceful and uniform. Now there both are and have been many, who, to gain this repose of which I am speaking, have betaken themselves to a life of retirement, and wholly withdrawn from all business of the public. Among these are the noblest and most eminent of the philosophers.

Reproof and chastisement, should be always free from contumelious language, and not inflicted for the sake of the person chastising or reproving another, but the good and advantage of the whole republic. Diligent care should be taken, that the penalty be proportioned to the nature of the crime; and that some do not pass without ever being questioned, while others are punished for the same misdemeanors. But of all things, anger should be excluded in punishing; for whoever comes to this work in a passion, will never observe that due mediocrity, which equally abstains from too much and too little, so strictly required by the peripatetic schools.

A private estate should be got honestly, not by any base, scandalous, or invidious way of gaining: then let it be

distributed to the uses and necessities of as many as possible, provided they are worthy and deserving people; and let it be increased by such ordinary methods of sav ing and good husbandry, as are agreeable to the dictates. of reason and prudence and lastly, let none of it be spent in debauchery and luxurious living, but in acts of munificence and liberality towards others.

The good that men enjoy, and the evil they suffer, proceed for the most part from men themselves; I lay down this as one principal part of virtue, to procure the good liking and favor of men, and so to engage their endeavors and affections, as to make them still ready to do us any kindness.

Now of all those methods, which tend to the advancement and maintenance of our interest, there is none more proper and convenient than love, and none more improper and inconvenient than fear. For, as it is very well observed by ENNIUS, "Whom men fear, they also hate; and whom they hate, they wish out of the world." But no force of power or greatness whatsoever, can bear up long against a stream of public hate.

Liberty, after she has been chained up a while, is always more fierce, and sets her teeth in deeper, than she would otherwise have done if she had never been restrained. Let us therefore embrace and adhere to that method, which is of the most universal influence, and serves not only to secure us what we have, but moreover to enlarge our power and authority: that is, in short, let us rather endeavor to be loved than feared, which is certainly the best way to make us successful, as well in our private as our public business. For those who desire to have others afraid of them, must needs be afraid of those others in their turn.

Honesty possesses such universal influence, that those who live upon villanies and wickedness, can never subsist without some degree of justice: for should any thief steal from another that belonged to the same confederacy, he would immediately be expelled, as unfit to be a member even of a society of robbers; and should the leader himself not distribute their booty, according to the measures of justice and honesty, he would either be murdered or