第12章

Allactionsandspeechesthatproceed，orseemtoproceed，frommuchexperience，science，discretion，orwitarehonourable；forallthesearepowers。Actionsorwordsthatproceedfromerror，ignorance，orfolly，dishonourable。

Gravity，asfarforthasitseemstoproceedfromamindemployedonsomethingelse，ishonourable；becauseemploymentisasignofpower。Butifitseemtoproceedfromapurposetoappeargrave，itisdishonourable。Forthegravityoftheformerislikethesteadinessofashipladenwithmerchandise；butofthelikethesteadinessofashipballastedwithsandandothertrash。

Tobeconspicuous，thatistosay，tobeknown，forwealth，office，greatactions，oranyeminentgoodishonourable；asasignofthepowerforwhichheisconspicuous。Onthecontrary，obscurityisdishonourable。

Tobedescendedfromconspicuousparentsishonourable；becausetheythemoreeasilyattaintheaidsandfriendsoftheirancestors。Onthecontrary，tobedescendedfromobscureparentageisdishonourable。

Actionsproceedingfromequity，joinedwithloss，arehonourable；assignsofmagnanimity：formagnanimityisasignofpower。Onthecontrary，craft，shifting，neglectofequity，isdishonourable。

Covetousnessofgreatriches，andambitionofgreathonours，arehonourable；assignsofpowertoobtainthem。Covetousness，andambitionoflittlegains，orpreferments，isdishonourable。

Nordoesitalterthecaseofhonourwhetheranaction(soitbegreatanddifficult，andconsequentlyasignofmuchpower)bejustorunjust：forhonourconsistethonlyintheopinionofpower。Therefore，theancientheathendidnotthinktheydishonoured，butgreatlyhonouredthegods，whentheyintroducedthemintheirpoemscommittingrapes，thefts，andothergreat，butunjustoruncleanacts；insomuchasnothingissomuchcelebratedinJupiterashisadulteries；norinMercuryashisfraudsandthefts；ofwhosepraises，inahymnofHomer，thegreatestisthis，thatbeingborninthemorning，hehadinventedmusicatnoon，andbeforenightstolenawaythecattleofApollofromhisherdsmen。

Alsoamongstmen，tilltherewereconstitutedgreatCommonwealths，itwasthoughtnodishonourtobeapirate，orahighwaythief；butratheralawfultrade，notonlyamongsttheGreeks，butalsoamongstallothernations；asismanifestbytheofancienttime。Andatthisday，inthispartoftheworld，privateduelsare，andalwayswillbe，honourable，thoughunlawful，tillsuchtimeasthereshallbehonourordainedforthemthatrefuse，andignominyforthemthatmakethechallenge。Forduelsalsoaremanytimeseffectsofcourage，andthegroundofcourageisalwaysstrengthorskill，whicharepower；thoughforthemostparttheybeeffectsofrashspeaking，andofthefearofdishonour，inoneorboththecombatants；

who，engagedbyrashness，aredrivenintotheliststoavoiddisgrace。

Scutcheonsandcoatsofarmshereditary，wheretheyhaveanytheiranyeminentprivileges，arehonourable；otherwisenotfortheirpowerconsistetheitherinsuchprivileges，orinriches，orsomesuchthingasisequallyhonouredinothermen。Thiskindofhonour，commonlycalledgentry，hasbeenderivedfromtheancientGermans。ForthereneverwasanysuchthingknownwheretheGermancustomswereunknown。NorisitnowanywhereinusewheretheGermanshavenotinhabited。TheancientGreekcommanders，whentheywenttowar，hadtheirshieldspaintedwithsuchdevicesastheypleased；insomuchasanunpaintedbucklerwasasignofpoverty，andofacommonsoldier；

buttheytransmittednottheinheritanceofthem。TheRomanstransmittedthemarksoftheirfamilies；buttheyweretheimages，notthedevicesoftheirancestors。AmongstthepeopleofAsia，Africa，andAmerica，thereisnot，norwasever，anysuchthing。Germansonlyhadthatcustom；fromwhomithasbeenderivedintoEngland，France，SpainandItaly，wheningreatnumberstheyeitheraidedtheRomansormadetheirownconquestsinthesewesternpartsoftheworld。

ForGermany，beinganciently，asallothercountriesintheirbeginnings，dividedamongstaninfinitenumberoflittlelords，ormastersoffamilies，thatcontinuallyhadwarsonewithanother，thosemasters，orlords，principallytotheendtheymight，whentheywerecoveredwitharms，beknownbytheirfollowers，andpartlyforornament，bothpaintedtheirarmor，ortheirscutcheon，orcoat，withthepictureofsomebeast，orotherthing，andalsoputsomeeminentandvisiblemarkuponthecrestoftheirhelmets。Andthisornamentbothofthearmsandcrestdescendedbyinheritancetotheirchildren；totheeldestpure，andtotherestwithsomenoteofdiversity，suchastheoldmaster，thatistosayinDutch，theHere-alt，thoughtfit。Butwhenmanysuchfamilies，joinedtogether，madeagreatermonarchy，thisdutyoftheheraldtodistinguishscutcheonswasmadeaprivateofficeapart。Andtheissueoftheselordsisthegreatandancientgentry；whichforthemostpartbearlivingcreaturesnotedforcourageandrapine；orcastles，battlements，belts，weapons，bars，palisades，andothernotesofwar；nothingbeingtheninhonour，butvirtuemilitary。Afterwards，notonlykings，butpopularCommonwealths，gavediversemannersofscutcheonstosuchaswentforthtothewar，orreturnedfromit，forencouragementorrecompensetotheirservice。Allwhich，byanobservingreader，maybefoundinsuchancienthistories，GreekandLatin，asmakementionoftheGermannationandmannersintheirtimes。

Titlesofhonour，suchasareduke，count，marquis，andbaron，arehonourable；assignifyingthevaluesetuponthembythesovereignpoweroftheCommonwealth：whichtitleswereinoldtimetitlesofofficeandcommandderivedsomefromtheRomans，somefromtheGermansandFrench。Dukes，inLatin，duces，beinggeneralsinwar；counts，comites，suchasborethegeneralcompanyoutoffriendship，andwerelefttogovernanddefendplacesconqueredandpacified；

marquises，marchioness，werecountsthatgovernedthemarches，orboundsoftheEmpire。Whichtitlesofduke，count，andmarquiscameintotheEmpireaboutthetimeofConstantinetheGreat，fromthecustomsoftheGermanmilitia。ButbaronseemstohavebeenatitleoftheGauls，andsignifiesagreatman；suchaswerethekings’orprinces’menwhomtheyemployedinwarabouttheirpersons；andseemstobederivedfromvir，tober，andbar，thatsignifiedthesameinthelanguageoftheGauls，thatvirinLatin；andthencetoberoandbaro：sothatsuchmenwerecalledberones，andafterbarones；and(inSpanish)varones。Buthethatwouldknowmore，particularlytheoriginaloftitlesofhonour，mayfindit，asIhavedonethis，inMr。

Selden’smostexcellenttreatiseofthatsubject。Inprocessoftimetheseofficesofhonour，byoccasionoftrouble，andforreasonsofgoodandpeaceablegovernment，wereturnedintomeretitles，serving，forthemostpart，todistinguishtheprecedence，place，andorderofsubjectsintheCommonwealth：andmenweremadedukes，counts，marquises，andbaronsofplaces，whereintheyhadneitherpossessionnorcommand，andothertitlesalsoweredevisedtothesameend。

Worthinessisathingdifferentfromtheworthorvalueofaman，andalsofromhismeritordesert，andconsistethinaparticularpowerorabilityforthatwhereofheissaidtobeworthy；whichparticularabilityisusuallynamedfitness，oraptitude。

Forheisworthiesttobeacommander，tobeajudge，ortohaveanyothercharge，thatisbestfittedwiththequalitiesrequiredtothewelldischargingofit；andworthiestofriches，thathasthequalitiesmostrequisiteforthewellusingofthem：anyofwhichqualitiesbeingabsent，onemayneverthelessbeaworthyman，andvaluableforsomethingelse。Again，amanmaybeworthyofriches，office，andemploymentthatneverthelesscanpleadnorighttohaveitbeforeanother，andthereforecannotbesaidtomeritordeserveit。

Formeritpresupposetharight，andthatthethingdeservedisduebypromise，ofwhichIshallsaymorehereafterwhenIshallspeakofcontracts。

OFTHEDIFFERENCEOFMANNERS

BYMANNERS，Imeannotheredecencyofbehaviour；ashowonemanshouldsaluteanother，orhowamanshouldwashhismouth，orpickhisteethbeforecompany，andsuchotherpointsofthesmallmorals；butthosequalitiesofmankindthatconcerntheirlivingtogetherinpeaceandunity。Towhichendwearetoconsiderthatthefelicityofthislifeconsistethnotinthereposeofamindsatisfied。Forthereisnosuchfinisultimus(utmostaim)norsummumbonum(greatestgood)asisspokenofinthebooksoftheoldmoralphilosophers。Norcanamananymorelivewhosedesiresareatanendthanhewhosesensesandimaginationsareatastand。Felicityisacontinualprogressofthedesirefromoneobjecttoanother，theattainingoftheformerbeingstillbutthewaytothelatter。Thecausewhereofisthattheobjectofman’sdesireisnottoenjoyonceonly，andforoneinstantoftime，buttoassureforeverthewayofhisfuturedesire。

Andthereforethevoluntaryactionsandinclinationsofallmentendnotonlytotheprocuring，butalsototheassuringofacontentedlife，anddifferonlyintheway，whicharisethpartlyfromthediversityofpassionsindiversemen，andpartlyfromthedifferenceoftheknowledgeoropinioneachonehasofthecauseswhichproducetheeffectdesired。

Sothatinthefirstplace，Iputforageneralinclinationofallmankindaperpetualandrestlessdesireofpowerafterpower，thatceasethonlyindeath。Andthecauseofthisisnotalwaysthatamanhopesforamoreintensivedelightthanhehasalreadyattainedto，orthathecannotbecontentwithamoderatepower，butbecausehecannotassurethepowerandmeanstolivewell，whichhehathpresent，withouttheacquisitionofmore。Andfromhenceitisthatkings，whosepowerisgreatest，turntheirendeavourstotheassuringitathomebylaws，orabroadbywars：andwhenthatisdone，theresucceedethanewdesire；insome，offamefromnewconquest；inothers，ofeaseandsensualpleasure；inothers，ofadmiration，orbeingflatteredforexcellenceinsomeartorotherabilityofthemind。

Competitionofriches，honour，command，orotherpowerinclinethtocontention，enmity，andwar，becausethewayofonecompetitortotheattainingofhisdesireistokill，subdue，supplant，orrepeltheother。Particularly，competitionofpraiseinclinethtoareverenceofantiquity。Formencontendwiththeliving，notwiththedead；totheseascribingmorethandue，thattheymayobscurethegloryoftheother。

Desireofease，andsensualdelight，disposethmentoobeyacommonpower：becausebysuchdesiresamandothabandontheprotectionthatmightbehopedforfromhisownindustryandlabour。

Fearofdeathandwoundsdisposethtothesame，andforthesamereason。Onthecontrary，needymenandhardy，notcontentedwiththeirpresentcondition，asalsoallmenthatareambitiousofmilitarycommand，areinclinedtocontinuethecausesofwarandtostiruptroubleandsedition：forthereisnohonourmilitarybutbywar；

noranysuchhopetomendanillgameasbycausinganewshuffle。

Desireofknowledge，andartsofpeace，inclinethmentoobeyacommonpower：forsuchdesirecontainethadesireofleisure，andconsequentlyprotectionfromsomeotherpowerthantheirown。

Desireofpraisedisposethtolaudableactions，suchaspleasethemwhosejudgementtheyvalue；forofthosemenwhomwecontemn，wecontemnalsothepraises。Desireoffameafterdeathdoesthesame。