第20章

Butsomethingstherebethatcanneitherbedividednorenjoyedincommon。Then，thelawofnaturewhichprescribethequityrequireth：

thattheentireright，orelse(makingtheusealternate)thefirstpossession，bedeterminedbylot。Forequaldistributionisofthelawofnature；andothermeansofequaldistributioncannotbeimagined。

Oflotstherebetwosorts，arbitraryandnatural。Arbitraryisthatwhichisagreedonbythecompetitors；naturaliseitherprimogeniture(whichtheGreekcallskleronomia，whichsignifies，givenbylot)，orfirstseizure。

Andthereforethosethingswhichcannotbeenjoyedincommon，nordivided，oughttobeadjudgedtothefirstpossessor；andinsomecasestothefirstborn，asacquiredbylot。

Itisalsoalawofnature：thatallmenthatmediatepeaceheallowedsafeconduct。Forthelawthatcommandethpeace，astheend，commandethintercession，asthemeans；andtointercessionthemeansissafeconduct。

Andbecause，thoughmenbeneversowillingtoobservetheselaws，theremayneverthelessarisequestionsconcerningaman’saction；

first，whetheritweredone，ornotdone；secondly，ifdone，whetheragainstthelaw，ornotagainstthelaw；theformerwhereofiscalledaquestionoffact，thelatteraquestionofright；thereforeunlessthepartiestothequestioncovenantmutuallytostandtothesentenceofanother，theyareasfarfrompeaceasever。Thisother，towhosesentencetheysubmit，iscalledanarbitrator。Andthereforeitisofthelawofnaturethattheythatareatcontroversysubmittheirrighttothejudgementofanarbitrator。

Andseeingeverymanispresumedtodoallthingsinordertohisownbenefit，nomanisafitarbitratorinhisowncause：andifhewereneversofit，yetequityallowingtoeachpartyequalbenefit，ifonebeadmittedtobejudge，theotheristobeadmittedalso；andsothecontroversy，thatis，thecauseofwar，remains，againstthelawofnature。

Forthesamereasonnomaninanycauseoughttobereceivedforarbitratortowhomgreaterprofit，orhonour，orpleasureapparentlyarisethoutofthevictoryofonepartythanoftheother：forhehathtaken，thoughanunavoidablebribe，yetabribe；andnomancanbeobligedtotrusthim。Andthusalsothecontroversyandtheconditionofwarremaineth，contrarytothelawofnature。

Andinacontroversyoffact，thejudgebeingtogivenomorecredittoonethantotheother，iftherebenootherarguments，mustgivecredittoathird；ortoathirdandfourth；ormore：forelsethequestionisundecided，andlefttoforce，contrarytothelawofnature。

Thesearethelawsofnature，dictatingpeace，forameansoftheconservationofmeninmultitudes；andwhichonlyconcernthedoctrineofcivilsociety。Therebeotherthingstendingtothedestructionofparticularmen；asdrunkenness，andallotherpartsofintemperance，whichmaythereforealsobereckonedamongstthosethingswhichthelawofnaturehathforbidden，butarenotnecessarytobementioned，norarepertinentenoughtothisplace。

Andthoughthismayseemtoosubtleadeductionofthelawsofnaturetobetakennoticeofbyallmen，whereofthemostpartaretoobusyingettingfood，andtheresttoonegligenttounderstand；yettoleaveallmeninexcusable，theyhavebeencontractedintooneeasysum，intelligibleeventothemeanestcapacity；andthatis：Donotthattoanotherwhichthouwouldestnothavedonetothyself，whichshowethhimthathehasnomoretodoinlearningthelawsofnaturebut，whenweighingtheactionsofothermenwithhisowntheyseemtooheavy，toputthemintotheotherpartofthebalance，andhisownintotheirplace，thathisownpassionsandself-lovemayaddnothingtotheweight；andthenthereisnoneoftheselawsofnaturethatwillnotappearuntohimveryreasonable。

Thelawsofnatureobligeinforointerno；thatistosay，theybindtoadesiretheyshouldtakeplace：butinforoexterno；thatis，totheputtingtheminact，notalways。Forhethatshouldbemodestandtractable，andperformallhepromisesinsuchtimeandplacewherenomanelseshoulddoso，shouldbutmakehimselfapreytoothers，andprocurehisowncertainruin，contrarytothegroundofalllawsofnaturewhichtendtonature’spreservation。Andagain，hethathavingsufficientsecuritythatothersshallobservethesamelawstowardshim，observesthemnothimself，seekethnotpeace，butwar，andconsequentlythedestructionofhisnaturebyviolence。

Andwhatsoeverlawsbindinforointernomaybebroken，notonlybyafactcontrarytothelaw，butalsobyafactaccordingtoit，incaseamanthinkitcontrary。Forthoughhisactioninthiscasebeaccordingtothelaw，yethispurposewasagainstthelaw；which，wheretheobligationisinforointerno，isabreach。

Thelawsofnatureareimmutableandeternal；forinjustice，ingratitude，arrogance，pride，iniquity，acceptionofpersons，andtherestcanneverbemadelawful。Foritcanneverbethatwarshallpreservelife，andpeacedestroyit。

Thesamelaws，becausetheyobligeonlytoadesireandendeavour，meananunfeignedandconstantendeavour，areeasytobeobserved。Forinthattheyrequirenothingbutendeavour，hethatendeavoureththeirperformancefulfilleththem；andhethatfulfilleththelawisjust。

Andthescienceofthemisthetrueandonlymoralphilosophy。Formoralphilosophyisnothingelsebutthescienceofwhatisgoodandevilintheconversationandsocietyofmankind。Goodandevilarenamesthatsignifyourappetitesandaversions，whichindifferenttempers，customs，anddoctrinesofmenaredifferent：anddiversemendiffernotonlyintheirjudgementonthesensesofwhatispleasantandunpleasanttothetaste，smell，hearing，touch，andsight；butalsoofwhatisconformableordisagreeabletoreasonintheactionsofcommonlife。Nay，thesameman，indiversetimes，differsfromhimself；andonetimepraiseth，thatis，callethgood，whatanothertimehedispraiseth，andcallethevil：fromwhencearisedisputes，controversies，andatlastwar。Andthereforesolongasamanisintheconditionofmerenature，whichisaconditionofwar，privateappetiteisthemeasureofgoodandevil：andconsequentlyallmenagreeonthis，thatpeaceisgood，andthereforealsothewayormeansofpeace，which(asIhaveshownbefore)arejustice，gratitude，modesty，equity，mercy，andtherestofthelawsofnature，aregood；thatistosay，moralvirtues；andtheircontraryvices，evil。Nowthescienceofvirtueandviceismoralphilosophy；andthereforethetruedoctrineofthelawsofnatureisthetruemoralphilosophy。Butthewritersofmoralphilosophy，thoughtheyacknowledgethesamevirtuesandvices；yet，notseeingwhereinconsistedtheirgoodness，northattheycometobepraisedasthemeansofpeaceable，sociable，andcomfortableliving，placetheminamediocrityofpassions：asifnotthecause，butthedegreeofdaring，madefortitude；ornotthecause，butthequantityofagift，madeliberality。

Thesedictatesofreasonmenusedtocallbythenameoflaws，butimproperly：fortheyarebutconclusionsortheoremsconcerningwhatconducethtotheconservationanddefenceofthemselves；whereaslaw，properly，isthewordofhimthatbyrighthathcommandoverothers。ButyetifweconsiderthesametheoremsasdeliveredinthewordofGodthatbyrightcommandethallthings，thenaretheyproperlycalledlaws。

OFPERSONS，AUTHORS，ANDTHINGSPERSONATED

APERSONishewhosewordsoractionsareconsidered，eitherashisown，orasrepresentingthewordsoractionsofanotherman，orofanyotherthingtowhomtheyareattributed，whethertrulyorbyfiction。

Whentheyareconsideredashisown，thenishecalledanaturalperson：andwhentheyareconsideredasrepresentingthewordsandactionsofanother，thenisheafeignedorartificialperson。

ThewordpersonisLatin，insteadwhereoftheGreekshaveprosopon，whichsignifiestheface，aspersonainLatinsignifiesthedisguise，oroutwardappearanceofaman，counterfeitedonthestage；andsometimesmoreparticularlythatpartofitwhichdisguiseththeface，asamaskorvizard：andfromthestagehathbeentranslatedtoanyrepresenterofspeechandaction，aswellintribunalsastheatres。Sothatapersonisthesamethatanactoris，bothonthestageandincommonconversation；andtopersonateistoactorrepresenthimselforanother；andhethatactethanotherissaidtobearhisperson，oractinhisname(inwhichsenseCicerousethitwherehesays，Unussustineotrespersonas；mei，adversarii，etjudicis-Ibearthreepersons；myown，myadversary’s，andthejudge’s)，andiscalledindiverseoccasions，diversely；asarepresenter，orrepresentative，alieutenant，avicar，anattorney，adeputy，aprocurator，anactor，andthelike。

Ofpersonsartificial，somehavetheirwordsandactionsownedbythosewhomtheyrepresent。Andthenthepersonistheactor，andhethatownethhiswordsandactionsistheauthor，inwhichcasetheactoractethbyauthority。Forthatwhichinspeakingofgoodsandpossessionsiscalledanowner，andinLatindominusinGreekkurios；speakingofactions，iscalledauthor。Andastherightofpossessioniscalleddominionsotherightofdoinganyactioniscalledauthority。Sothatbyauthorityisalwaysunderstoodarightofdoinganyact；anddonebyauthority，donebycommissionorlicensefromhimwhoserightitis。

Fromhenceitfolloweththatwhentheactormakethacovenantbyauthority，hebindeththerebytheauthornolessthanifhehadmadeithimself；andnolesssubjectethhimtoalltheconsequencesofthesame。Andthereforeallthathathbeensaidformerly(ChapterXIV)

ofthenatureofcovenantsbetweenmanandmanintheirnaturalcapacityistruealsowhentheyaremadebytheiractors，representers，orprocurators，thathaveauthorityfromthem，sofarforthasisintheircommission，butnofurther。

Andthereforehethatmakethacovenantwiththeactor，orrepresenter，notknowingtheauthorityhehath，dothitathisownperil。Fornomanisobligedbyacovenantwhereofheisnotauthor，norconsequentlybyacovenantmadeagainstorbesidetheauthorityhegave。

Whentheactordothanythingagainstthelawofnaturebycommandoftheauthor，ifhebeobligedbyformercovenanttoobeyhim，nothe，buttheauthorbreakeththelawofnature：forthoughtheactionbeagainstthelawofnature，yetitisnothis；but，contrarily，torefusetodoitisagainstthelawofnaturethatforbiddethbreachofcovenant。

Andhethatmakethacovenantwiththeauthor，bymediationoftheactor，notknowingwhatauthorityhehath，butonlytakeshisword；incasesuchauthoritybenotmademanifestuntohimupondemand，isnolongerobliged：forthecovenantmadewiththeauthorisnotvalidwithouthiscounter-assurance。Butifhethatsocovenantethknewbeforehandhewastoexpectnootherassurancethantheactor’sword，thenisthecovenantvalid，becausetheactorinthiscasemakethhimselftheauthor。Andtherefore，aswhentheauthorityisevident，thecovenantobligeththeauthor，nottheactor；sowhentheauthorityisfeigned，itobligeththeactoronly，therebeingnoauthorbuthimself。