A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R.

¶Of Equitie and Righteousnesse. Chap. 17.

THe last part of Prudence is called Equitie.* 1.1 Which is a right iudgment of that which is good and honest: Or els it is a more gentle sētence geuen to ma∣lefactors,

then commonlie the lawes doo geue. For this Equitie iudgeth with lenitie: the lawes with extremity. But some wyll saie heare is no place to talke of punishing or pardoning, of Iustice, or Equitie, for that belongeth to Iustice, whereof no mention hath bene made. Certes it maie seeme so.* 1.2 But herein I follow the iudgement of the best lerned, which distinguish Iustice, and saie there is a Iustice naturall, and there is a Iustice legall. The legall Iustice is that written law according to which cōmon iudges geue sentence: the naturall iustice is that discretion, which euerie prudent and wyse man, is endued with∣al, wherby he driuen therevnto through consideration of circumstances, doeth oftentymes make things bitter, sweete, great and daungerous, easie: haynous and horrible, eyther not so at all, or not so horrible as they are supposed to bée. This naturall iustic•• (as I sayde) is in the minde of euery wyse man: and therefore the Peripatecions nomber it among those thinges, without whiche none maye he called a Prudent man.

To this equitie some ioygne Equanimi∣tie,* 1.3 which is called of the Grecians 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is a certaine tranqui∣litie of the mind, by which in aduersitie, we doo not through griefe and thought hurt our selues: nor in prosperitie exult and reioyce ouer much. For this vertue haue many heard well, espetially Socra∣tes,* 1.4 and Antonius an Emperor, that I may leaue others. Xantippe, the wife of Socrates, sayd that her husband alwaies kepte one countenance, shée could neuer sée him by his countenance at any tyme ouer sad, or exceeding merry. The lyke is reported of Antonius Caesar.* 1.5 There was a sect of Philosophers named Scep∣tici, which in the quietnesse of mind put the greatest felicity, & thought him to be most happie, which in a constant sober∣nesse, excelled other men. But I leaue to speake any more hereof, because I haue touched it in my discourse of Perturba∣tions, where I spake of Pleasure, & shal talke more of this hereafter among the vertues, when I shall explicate the na∣ture of true Fortitude. And thus much brieflye of Prudence, iudged of the

Philosophers the most excellent vertue, and therefore first placed, the next is Temperance, whose nature shall nowe he described.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Equitie.
• * 1.2

  Naturalis Iustitia, Legalis.
• * 1.3

  Equani∣mitie.
• * 1.4

  Socrates. Antonius. Xantippe.
• * 1.5

  Sceptici. 1. Considera∣tores cuius sectae erane Pyrrho, et Aristo.