The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

234 OF A DIGEST OF LAWS.
age that followed his times for five successions. to the Hebrews, because he was the scribe
But, kings, by giving their subjects good laws, of God himself, is fitter to be named for hconour's
may, if they will, in their own time, join and graft sake to other lawgivers, than to be numbered or
this golden head upon their own necks after their ranked amongst them. Minos, Lycurgus, and
death. Nay, they may make Nabuchodonozor's Solon, are examples for themes of grammar schoimage of monarchy golden from head to foot. lars. For ancient personages and characters,
And, if any of the meaner sort of politics, that are now-a-days, use to wax children again; though
sighted only to see the worst of things, think, that parable of Pindarus be true, the best thing is
that laws are but cobwebs, and that good princes water: for common and trivial things are many
will do well without them, and bad will not stand times the best, and rather despised upon pride,
much upon them; the discourse is neither good because they are vulgar, than upon cause or use.
nor wise. For certain it is, that good laws are Certain it is, that the laws of those three lawsome bridle to bad princes, and as a very wall givers had great prerogatives. The first, of fame,
about government. And, if tyrants sometimes because they were the pattern amongst the Gremake a breach into them, yet they mollify even cians: the second of lasting, for they continued
tyranny itself, as Solon's laws did the tyranny of longest without alteration: the third, of a spirit of
Pisistratus: and then commonly they get up reviver, to be often oppressed, and often restored.
again, upon the first advantage of better times. Amongst the seven kings of Rome four were
Other means to perpetuate the memory and merits lawgivers: for it is most true, that a discourser
of sovereign princes are inferior to this. Build- of Italy saith; 6 there was never state so well
ings of temples, tombs, palaces, theatres, and the swaddled in the infancy, as the Roman was by
like, are honourable things, and look big upon the virtue of their first kings; which was a prinposterity: but Constantine the Great gave the cipal cause of the wonderful growth of that state
name well to those works, when he used to call in after-times."
Trajan, that was a great builder, Parietaria, wall- The decemvirs' laws were laws upon laws,
flower, because his name was upon so many not the original; for they grafted laws of Graecia
walls: so, if that be the matter, that a king would upon the Roman stock of laws and customs: but
turn wall-flower, or pellitory of the wall, with such was their success, as the twelve tables
cost he may. Adrian's vein was better, for his which they compiled were the main body of the
nind was to wrestle a fall with time; and being laws which framed and wielded the great body
a great progressor through all the Roman empire, of that estate. These lasted a long time, with
whenever he found any decays of bridges, or some supplementals and the Pretorian edicts 1" in
highways, or cuts of rivers and sewers, or walls, albo;" which were, in respect of laws, as writing
or banks, or the like, he gave substantial order for tables ill respect of brass; the one to be put in
their repair with the better. He gave, also, mul- and out, as the other is permanent. Lucius Cortitules of charters, and liberties for the comfort of nelius Sylla reformed the laws of Rome: for that
corporations and companies in decay: so that his man had three singularities, which never tyrant
bounty did strive with the ruins of time. But had but he; that he was a lawgiver, that he took
yet this, though it were an excellent disposition, part with the nobility, and that he turned private
went but in effect to the cases and shells of a com- man, not upon fear, but upon confidence.
monwealth. It was nothing to virtue or vice. A Caesar long after desired to imitate him only in
bad man might indifferently take the benefit and the first, for otherwise he relied upon new men;
ease of his ways and bridges, as well as a good; and for resigning his power Seneca describeth him
and bad people might purchase good charters. right;, Caesar gladium cito condidit, nunquam
Surely the better works of perpetuity in princes posuit,",' Caesar soon sheathed his sword, but
are those that wash the inside of the cup; such as never put it off.'" And himself took it upon him,
are foundations of colleges, and lectures for learn- saying in scorn of Sylla's resignation; 6" Sylla
ino and education of youth; likewise foundations nescivit literas, dictare non potuit," " Syllaknewv
and institutions of orders and fraternities, for no letters, he could not dictate." But for the part
nobleness, enterprise, and obedience, and the of a lawgiver, Cicero giveth him the attribute;
like. But yet these also are but like plantations 4, Caesar, si ab eo quaereretur, quid egisset in toga;
of orchards and gardens, in plots and spots of leges se respondisset multas et prmclaras tuground here and there; they do not till over the lisse;" "If you had asked Caesar what he did
whole kingdom, and make it fruitful, as doth the in the gown, he would have answered, that he
establishing of good laws and ordinances; which made many excellent laws." His nephew Aurmlakes a whole nation to be as a well-ordered gustus did tread the same steps, but with deeper
college or foundation. print, because of his long reign in peace; whereof
This kind of work, in the memory of times, is one of the poets of his time saith,
rare enough to show it excellent: and yet, not so "Pace data terris, anitnum ad civilia vertit
rare, as to make it suspected for impossible, Jura sunu; legesque tulit jstissimus auctor.'
inconvenient, or unsafe. Moses, that gave laws I From that time there was such a race of wit and