PART XIII

fdme difcontent, and perhaps grieves •• In this cafe, the alTwagement of his difcontent confilts in two ;things, formerly prefcribed as remedies againft corporeal pain*, wz.. Diverfionof his thoughts from his lofs, or the caufe of it *, and
p ower, of lull;, of gluttony, and other defires, which nothing that is uniuflly gotten dimin- ifheth, but' rather encreafeth and emfiameth, fd that they are fitter for reftraint than inftruction. All Ibund and Judicious perfons therefore.
an application of them to thofe things, which he Ure,by right reafon, induced to Juftice, equity, knows to be grateful and pleafant to his mind. | honelly ^ but neither can uniuft aftions benefit For the mind of a wife man is conformed to a Child or impotent perfon, for fuchca-nnei-
reafon, and follows the conduct thereof^ but
eafon forbids to look on thofe things, which
create and nourilh difcontent *, and thus he ab- ftraAs the mind from bitter thoughts, to convert it to think upon goods, either future or paft, ef- pecially thafe which he knows pleafe him mofi;.
Thofe fad and importune thoughts indeed arc very apt to return, but he mult infill: upon that diver fion and application of the mind where, by it is brought by little and little to wear out, and deface its for row. Neither doth time di¬ mini (h difcontent any other way, than by exhi¬ biting various occafions ot divertifement, which, by degrees, take the mind off, and make her forget, as it were, the difcontent.
things that caufed her
CHAP. XXIV.
Of fujlice in general.
IT refts, we fpeak of Jullice, which, as I faid before, wholly relates to others, and there¬ fore belongs to a man, as living in a civil foci- ety. And certainly it is a common tycjwithout which, no Society can fubfift, it being a virtue which gives to every one that which is his, and takes care that none receive injury.
And to begin with that,with which I ufed to begin, in treating of the other virtues, truely not u nlike are the things that may be faid of this. For, as 1 Ihewed, that Prudence, Tempe- ranee, Fortitude, are infeparably Joyned to pleafure, the fame may be faid of Juftice, which not only never hurts any one, but,on the con¬ trary, always preferves and nourilheth fom- thing, that calms and quiets the mind ^ and this aswell by its own power and nature, as by hope, that none Ihalf ever want any of thofe things, which pure undepraved Nature defires.
Now forafmuch as temerity, luft,and cowar- dife,always excruciate the minds alway, perplex and trouble it •, it is impolTible, that a mind in which Injuftice dwells, Ihould, for that very reafon , becaufe Iniuftice dwells in it , be o- therwife than unquiet : Becaufe though fuch a mind Ihould attempt any unjult aftion with the greatell fecrecy imaginable, yet can it not per- fwade itlelf,but that it will at laft come to light. And though fome men may think their confei- ences fufficiently barricado’d and fortifi’d by their wealth, yet they dread the divine power, and imagin,that thofe very folicitudes and trou- bles,which torture their fouls day and night,are fent by the immortalGods for their punifhment.
Bat,how can we expeft, that unjuft adions Ihould diminilh the troubles of life, fo much as remorfe of confcience,penalties of the Law,and the being hated by our country men encreafe them? And yet, in fome men, there is not any bound or moderation of wealth, of honour, of
ther eafily effect what they endeavour, norob- * tain LTieir ends when they have effeded it, Befides, riches are more fuitable to fortune,or a noble genius, which they who enjoy, procure to themfelves a general refped and goodwill, and (what molt conduceth to quiet living, ) an endearment from others, efpecially there being no caufe of offending.
For the dcllres which proceed from Nature' are eafily fadsfied, without injuring any man; thofe which come from vain opinions are not to be followed, for they aiin.at nothing which i* defirable , and there is more detriment in the injury itfelf, than advantage or benefit in the things that are gained by the injury.
Neverthelefs, no man can fay rightly, that juftice is a virtue, expedble only for itjelf, but becaufe it brings great pleafure along with it^ For to be belov’d, and to be dear to others, is pleafant, becaufe it renders life more fife, and pleafure more full. We therefore conceive, that Injuftice ought to be avoided, not only for the inconveniences which happen to the unjuft; but much more, for that as long as it is in the mind, it never fuffers it to take breath, never to be at reft.
Thefe confiderations might perhaps be fuffici- ent, yet 1 lhall add ,fomthing,partly concerning Right ov which Juftice is denomina¬
ted, that we may come the better to underftand what is its original,among whom it is praffifed, what are its ■ benefits 5 and partly concerning fome other virtues nearly allied to Jufticc, as. Beneficence , Gratitude , Piety , Obftr-vance , and Friend/hip.
CHAP. XXV.
Of Jvts ( Right ) or Juft., whence Juftice is deno¬ minated.
F
Irft therefore, forafmuch Juftice isfo named, for that it preferves the Jus or Right, due to one another, or performs that which isjMyi; it is worth.our knowing what that is, which ought to be efteemed Right or Juft.
Now in regard Juftice was inftituted in or¬ der to the common good, necelTary it is, that Right or Juft, to which Juftice hath refpedt, Ihould be fuch a good, as is common to all and every m.ember of the Society. And becaufe e- very one, by the direffion of nature, defires what is good for hirafelf ; it is alfo neceflary, that what is right or Juft be conformable to Nature, and therefore termed Natural.
It is not without caufe that I hint this ; for fometimes it happens,that in a Sociecy,fomthing is prefcribed as Right andjuft:,which is not good for the Society, and fo being notNatural,or con¬ trary to Nature, it cannot, but by abufe, and only ill name, be reputedi Right orjuft, fince
‘ that
1 I