Three discourses of happiness, virtue, and liberty collected from the works of the learn'd Gassendi, by Monsieur Bernier ; translated out of French.

That there is great Reason to live up to Justice.

JƲstice having been established by a common Agree∣ment, every one ought to think that he is born and admitted into the Society whereof he is a Member, upon this Condition, either express or understood, That he shall do wrong to no Man, nor no Man to him; and thus we must either keep to this Agreement, or depart out of the Society, seeing that he is suffered there but upon the same Condition that he was admitted: From whence it follows, that as naturally he don't desire to be evilly dealt withal, he ought not to deal ill with others, nor do to others what he would not that others should do to him.

This being granted, we may say, that the Laws have been established in favour, and for the sake of wise Men, not to hinder them from committing Injustice, but to prevent others from doing them wrong; for of their own accord they are so inclined, that if there were no Laws they would injure no body; for they have limited their Desires, and confined them to the necessities of Nature; to supply which there is no need of doing In∣justice, for there is no Pleasure Nature allows of which will cause us to wrong any body; for those exor∣bitances and irregular Desires which proceed from our vain and unruly Passions and Lusts, are the only Causes of Mischief.

The Truth is, the Products of the Earth, such as Corn, Fruits, Water, &c. are to be obtain'd without any great difficulty, and the enjoyment of these as of∣ten as Hunger and Thirst excite us, afford us no small Pleasure and Satisfaction, without being hereby tempted to Riot and Excess, or to commit Robberies or other enormous Crimes upon our Neighbours, which Men are more apt to become liable to and guilty of, when they indulge their extravagant Lusts in living splendidly and sumptuously, and by unjustly heaping up of Riches to maintain such their Extravagances. Nor shall I here stand to take notice of Particulars, such who are not satisfied with decent Habits, with one Habitation, nor one Wife, and so of the like, who passing the Bounds that Nature hath appointed, are daily hurried away by their Passions and endless Desires beyond all Limits.

Moreover, as the wise Man acts all things for him∣self, and for his own Good and Satisfaction, there is nothing that will contribute more to this purpose than in carefully observing the Rules of Justice; for when he renders unto every one what belongs to him, and that he does wrong to no Man; he preserves and supports as much as in him lies the Society in which his own Safety is involved; he provokes no body to do him Injury, nei∣ther doth he fear the Penalties and Punishments which the Publick Laws threaten: So that his Conscience be∣ing free from Guilt, he is at quiet and ease within him∣self, without any private Checks or Gripes, which is one main design of Justice to procure, and the most excel∣lent and greatest Advantage that we can reap from it.

But we must not fancy that he who hath secretly bro∣ken the Laws, unknown to Men, may enjoy as much Peace and quiet of Mind as he who is truly Just. For, as I have already said, tho' he hath acted in the dark, yet he cannot be assured that the Fact shall always re∣main concealed. Tho' Crimes may indeed be done se∣cretly,

yet this is no Security; neither doth it advan∣tage a Man who commits a wicked Deed, to conceal him∣self, for tho' he has had the good fortune of keeping the Fact conceal'd hitherto, yet he hath no Assurance that it shall always so continue.

Tho' a wicked Act may at present seem to be quite forgot, and as it were buried out of sight; yet it is uncertain whether it will remain so till death; few Wick∣ednesses are so secretly acted, but they give some cause of Suspicion; for tho' at first they are only privately whisper'd, yet soon after they are publickly talk'd of, and then Fame spreads them, and then a Process is begun and the Sentence suddainly follows: Nay, many there have been who have discovered themselves, either in a Dream or in a Frenzy, or in Drink, or by letting fall an unadvised Word by the by. So that tho' a wicked Man deceives (as we say) both the Gods and Men, yet he must always remain uneasie and in a fear that his Wickednesses will at one time or another be detected.

From hence it is, that tho' Injustice of it self, and in its own Nature, be no Evil, because what is Just here is reputed Ʋnjust elsewhere; nevertheless, 'tis an Evil because of that Fear that it stirs up in us, which cau∣seth a wicked Man to be continually tormented with re∣morse of Conscience; so that he is still suspicious of something, and apprehensive that his Wickednesses will come to the Knowledge of those who are appointed to pu∣nish them. Wherefore there is nothing more conducive to our Security and our living Happily, than to live ho∣nestly and observe inviolably those Contracts which we have entred into for the Preservation of the publick Peace.

Therefore a just Man seems to stand in Opposition to an unjust; for as the one is free from Troubles and Apprehensions of Evils, so the other on the contrary is continually allarm'd by 'em. What is it therefore that can be more convenient and profitable to us than Justice,

and more hurtful than Injustice? Can constant Trou∣bles and perplexing Fears be pleasant and diverting to any Man?

Since therefore that Justice is so great a Good, and Injustice so great an Evil, let us sincerely love and em∣brace the former, and altogether abominate the latter. And if by chance our Mind should happen to be some∣times in an even Balance and doubtful what to do, let us have always before our Eyes, and in our Thoughts the Example of some good Man whom we may propose to imitate, as a Pattern, and so live as if he were a constant Inspector of our Actions, and Privy to our most intimate Designs.

This Advice will be of use to us, not only to keep us from committing Injustice, but also from doing any thing in secret inconsistent with honest Dealing. This just Man that we plac'd before us, will serve to keep us in some awe, and make us more watchful over our Actions; we shall continually have some regard to him, and say to our selves, I would not do so if he saw it, and why should I dare to do so in his absence; he would blame me for it as a wicked thing, why should I not fly from Evil of my own accord? Do then every thing as if some body still look'd upon you; for if you have this Venera∣tion for any Person else, you will quickly have it for your self.

Cicero treats excellently upon this Subject: If every one, saith he, for his own particular Advantage, should be always ready and prepared to intrench upon his Neighbour's Right, and strip him of his Goods, we should quickly perceive the ruin of human Society, which is so agreeable to Nature, just as if each particu∣lar Member should fancy that by attracting the Blood and Spirits from its Member, it would be the better able to support it self; but hereby we should find our selves much disappointed; for certainly this would at length much weaken and decay the whole Body. And

thus all Societies and Communities of Men must needs be destroyed, if every one, the better to support his own Interest, should violently take from, and strip his Neigh∣bour of what is his.

Indeed, this may be said to be lawful, and no ways to infringe the Bonds of Society, viz. to be more careful and industrious in acquiring the things necessary and useful for the conveniency of Life; but to use Fraud or Vio∣lence, to dispossess another, and endeavour to enrich our selves by our Neighbours miseries, is more contrary to the Laws of Nature, even than Death it self, than Poverty, than Pain, than all the most dreadful things that may befal us.

There is nothing truly useful but what is Just and Honest, and nothing Just and Honest but what is tru∣ly useful; these are reciprocal, and whosoever endea∣vours to separate 'em offers at the most pernicious thing that can befal human Life; for from thence spring Murders, false Witnesses, Thieveries, and innumerable other Mischiefs. They judge of the usefulness of things by a wrong Medium, and tho' they escape the Penalties of the Laws which they break, yet they escape not the Disgrace and Infamy which, to a generous Mind, is far more grievous and intolerable. They consider not that of all other worldly Goods, the most important and considerable is the Reputation of an honest, of a just and of a good Man, and that there is no Profit or Ad∣vantage that can recompence this loss.

The Life of an unjust Man is full of Troubles, Jea∣lousies and Fears, Gripings of Conscience and Anxiety of Mind; and what Good, what Profit can there be in such a Way, that if he were depriv'd of it, he would be honoured and respected by all the World? 'Tis therefore impossible that true and real Profit should be separated from Justice, and that it should accompany or be join∣ed to Injustice. Now as Justice and Injustice are con∣trary, the first being free from Trouble, the other al∣ways

encompass'd with it, what greater Advantage can an honest and good Man desire to attain to than that which Justice affords him? And what greater Mischiefs can a wicked Man dread than that which Injustice is attended with? For what Profit or Satisfaction is to be had from Cares, Fears and perpetual Inquietudes?