liberty-第3章

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　doe　delight　themselves；　and　in　which　the　most　excellent　wits　of　philosophers　have　been　conversant。　The　benefit　of　it　when　rightly　delivered　（that　is）　when　derived　from　true　principles　by　evident　connexion；　we　shall　then　best　discerne；　when　we　shall　but　well　have　considered　the　mischiefes　that　have　befallen　mankinde　in　its　counterfeit　and　babling　form；　for　in　such　matters　as　are　speculated　for　the　exercise　of　our　wits；　if　any　errour　escape　us；　it　is　without　hurt；　neither　is　there　any　losse；　but　of　time　onely：　but　in　those　things　which　every　man　ought　to　meditate　for　the　steerage　of　his　life；　it　necessarily　happens；　that　not　onely　from　errours；　but　even　from　ignorance　it　selfe；　there　arise　offences；　contentions；　nay　even　slaughter　it　selfe。　Look　now；　how　great　a　prejudice　these　are；　such；　and　so　great　is　the　benefit　arising　from　this　doctrine　of　morality；　truly　declared。　How　many　Kings　（and　those　good　men　too）　hath　this　one　errour；　That　a　Tyrant　King　might　lawfully　be　put　to　death；　been　the　slaughter　of？　How　many　throats　hath　this　false　position　cut；　That　a　prince　for　some　causes　may　by　some　certain　men　be　deposed？　And　what　blood…shed　hath　not　this　erroneous　doctrine　caused；　That　Kings　are　not　superiours　to；　but　administrators　for　the　multitude？　Lastly；　how　many　rebellions　hath　this　opinion　been　the　cause　of　which　teacheth　that　the　knowledge　whether　the　commands　of　Kings　be　just　or　unjust；　belongs　to　private　men；　and　that　before　they　yeeld　obedience；　they　not　only　may；　but　ought　to　dispute　them？　Besides；　in　the　morall　philosophy　now　commonly　received；　there　are　many　things　no　lesse　dangerous　then　those；　which　it　matters　not　now　to　recite。　I　suppose　those　antients　foresaw　this；　who　rather　chose　to　have　the　Science　of　justice　wrapt　up　in　fables；　then　openly　exposed　to　disputations：　for　before　such　questions　began　to　be　moved；　princes　did　not　sue　for；　but　already　exercised　the　supreme　power。　They　kept　their　Empire　entire；　not　by　arguments；　but　by　punishing　the　wicked；　and　protecting　the　good；　likewise　Subjects　did　not　measure　what　was　just　by　the　sayings　and　judgements　of　private　men；　but　by　the　Lawes　of　the　Realme；　nor　were　they　kept　in　peace　by　disputations；　but　by　power　and　authority：　yea　they　reverenced　the　supreme　power；　whether　residing　in　one　man　or　in　a　councell；　as　a　certain　visible　divinity；　therefore　they　little　used　as　in　our　dayes；　to　joyn　themselves　with　ambitious；　and　hellish　spirits；　to　the　utter　ruine　of　their　State；　for　they　could　not　entertain　so　strange　a　phansie　as　not　to　desire　the　preservation　of　that　by　which　they　were　preserved；　in　truth；　the　simplicity　of　those　times　was　not　yet　capable　of　so　learned　a　piece　of　folly。　Wherefore　it　was　peace；　and　a　golden　age；　which　ended　not　before　that　Saturn　being　expelled；　it　was　taught　lawfull　to　take　up　arms　against　Kings。　This　I　say；　the　Antients　not　only　themselves　saw；　but　in　one　of　their　fables；　they　seem　very　aptly　to　have　signified　it　to　us；　for　they　say；　that　when　Ixion　was　invited　by　Jupiter　to　a　banquet；　he　fell　in　love；　and　began　to　court　Juno　her　selfe；　offering　to　embrace　her；　he　clasp't　a　clowd；　from　whence　the　Centaures　proceeded；　by　nature　halfe　men；　halfe　horses；　a　fierce；　a　fighting；　and　unquiet　generation；　which　changing　the　names　only；　is　as　much　as　if　they　should　have　said；　that　private　men　being　called　to　Counsels　of　State　desired　to　prostitute　justice；　the　onely　sister　and　wife　of　the　supreme；　to　their　own　judgements；　and　apprehensions；　but　embracing　a　false　and　empty　shadow　instead　of　it；　they　have　begotten　those　hermaphrodite　opinions　of　morall　philosophers；　partly　right　and　comely；　partly　brutall　and　wilde；　the　causes　of　all　contentions；　and　blood…sheds。　Since　therefore　such　opinions　are　daily　seen　to　arise；　if　any　man　now　shall　dispell　those　clowds；　and　by　most　firm　reasons　demonstrate　that　there　are　no　authenticall　doctrines　concerning　right　and　wrong；　good　and　evill；　besides　the　constituted　Lawes　in　each　Realme；　and　government；　and　that　the　question　whether　any　future　action　will　prove　just　or　unjust；　good　or　ill；　is　to　be　demanded　of　none；　but　those　to　whom　the　supreme　hath　committed　the　interpretation　of　his　Lawes；　surely　he　will　not　only　shew　us　the　high　way　to　peace；　but　will　also　teach　us　how　to　avoyd　the　close；　darke；　and　dangerous　by…paths　of　faction　and　sedition；　then　which　I　know　not　what　can　be　thought　more　profitable。　　　　　Concerning　my　Method；　I　thought　it　not　sufficient　to　use　a　plain　and　evident　style　in　what　I　had　to　deliver；　except　I　took　my　begining　from　the　very　matter　of　civill　government；　and　thence　proceeded　to　its　generation；　and　form；　and　the　first　beginning　of　justice；　for　every　thing　is　best　understood　by　its　constitutive　causes；　for　as　in　a　watch；　or　some　such　small　engine；　the　matter；　figure；　and　motion　of　the　wheeles；　cannot　well　be　known；　except　it　be　taken　in　sunder；　and　viewed　in　parts；　so　to　make　a　more　curious　search　into　the　rights　of　States；　and　duties　of　Subjects；　it　is　necessary；　（I　say　not　to　take　them　in　sunder；　but　yet　that）　they　be　so　considered；　as　if　they　were　dissolved；　（i。e。）　that　wee　rightly　understand　what　the　quality　of　humane　nature　is；　in　what　matters　it　is；　in　what　not　fit　to　make　up　a　civill　government；　and　how　men　must　be　agreed　among　themselves；　that　intend　to　grow　up　into　a　well…grounded　State。　Having　therefore　followed　this　kind　of　Method；　In　the　first　place　I　set　down　for　a　principle　by　experience　known　to　all　men；　and　denied　by　none；　to　wit；　that　the　dispositions　of　men　are　naturally　such；　that　except　they　be　restrained　through　feare　of　some　coercive　power；　every　man　will　distrust　and　dread　each　other；　and　as　by　naturall　right　he　may；　so　by　necessity　he　will　be　forced　to　make　use　of　the　strength　hee　hath；　toward　the　preservation　of　himself　You　will　object　perhaps；　that　there　are　some　who　deny　this；　truly　so　it　happens；　that　very　many　do　deny　it。　But　shall　I　therefore　seem　to　fight　against　my　self　because　I　affirm　that　the　same　men　confesse；　and　deny　the　same　thing？　In　truth　I　do　not；　but　they　do；　whose　actions　disavow　what　their　discourses　approve；　of　We　see　all　countries　though　they　be　at　peace　with　their　neighbours；　yet　guarding　their　Frontiers　with　armed　men；　their　Townes　with　Walls　and　ports；　and　keeping　constant　watches。　To　what　purpose　is　all　this；　if　there　be　no　feare　of　the　neighbouring　power？　Wee　see　even　in　well…governed　States；　where　there　are　lawes　and　punishments　appointed　for　offendors；　yet　particular　men　travell　not　without　their　Sword　by　their　sides；　for　their　defences；　neither　sleep　they　without　shutting　not　only　their　doores　against　their　fellow　Subjects；　but　also　their　Trunks　and　Coffers　for　feare　of　domestiques。　Can　men　give　a　clearer　testimony　of　the　distrust　they　have　each　of　other；　and　all；　of　all？　How　since　they　doe　thus；　and　even　Countreyes　as　well　as　men；　they　publiquely　professe　their　mutuall　feare　and　diffidence；　But　in　disputing　they　deny　it；　thats　as　much　as　to　say；　that　out　of　a　desire　they　have　to　contradict　others；　they　gainsay　themselves。　Some　object　that　this　principle　being　admitted；　it　would　needs　follow；　not　onely　that　all　men　were　wicked　（which　perhaps　though　it　seeme　hard；　yet　we　must　yeeld　to；　since　it　is　so　clearly　declar'd　by　holy　writ）　but　also