The most excellent Hugo Grotius, his three books treating of the rights of war & peace in the first is handled, whether any war be just : in the second is shewed, the causes of war, both just and unjust : in the third is declared, what in war is lawful, that is, unpunishable : with the annotations digested into the body of every chapter / translated into English by William Evats ...

III. War in de∣fence of our selves lawful.

That it is lawful for us to destroy him by war, that would otherwise destroy u••, o•• ••t least draw us into imminent peril of our lives, hath already been proved. Now it is to be observed, That this right of defending our selves doth principally and primarily arise, not from the malicious attempt of the Aggressor, but from the right that Nature gives unto every creature to preserve it self: So that although he by whom our lives are so endangered be without blame, as the Souldier in doing but his duty, or haply a man mistaking me for another, or being mad, or in a dream (as we have read of some to whom it hath thus happened) yet shall not my right to defend my self be thereby taken away. For to justifie me it sufficeth that I am not bound to suffer that which he attempts to do against me, no more than if a wild beast should attempt to worry me.