278 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [BOOK VU 



extreme and contrary motions; and the reason seems to be, 

 that they give themselves up to a private life, free from dis 

 quiet and subjection to others; whereas men should rather 

 imitate the prudence of a lapidary, who, finding a speck or 

 a cloud in a diamond, that may be ground out without too 

 much waste, takes it away, or otherwise leaves it untouched ; 

 and so the serenity of the mind is to be consulted without 

 impairing its greatness. And thus much for the doctrine of 

 self-good. 



The good of communion, which regards society, usually 

 goes by the name of duty, a word that seems more properly 

 used of a mind well disposed towards others; whilst the term 

 virtue is used of a mind well formed and composed within 

 itself. Duty, indeed, seems at first to be of political cons - 

 deration; but if thoroughly weighed, it truly relates to the 

 rule and government of one s self, not others. And as i i 

 architecture it is one thing to fashion the pillars, rafters, an i 

 other parts of the building, and prepare them for the work, 

 and another to fit and join them together, so the doctrine 

 of uniting mankind in society differs from that which rer- 

 ders them conformable and well affected to the benefits cf 

 society. 



This part concerning duties is likewise divided into two, 

 the one treating of the duties of man in common, and th 3 

 other of respective duties, according to the profession, voca 

 tion, state, person, and degree of particulars. 11 The first of 

 these, we before observed, has been sufficiently cultivated 

 and explained by the ancient and later writers. The othe 

 also has been touched here and there, though not digested 

 and reduced into any body of science. 1 We do not, howevei, 

 except to its being treated piecemeal, as judging it the bes; 

 way to write upon this subject in separate parts; for who 

 will pretend he can justly discourse and define upon tho 

 peculiar and relative duties of all orders and conditions of 



k For the modern writers in this ^?.y. see Morhof s &quot;Polyhistor,&quot;tom. 

 iii. lib. i. &quot;De Philosophise moralis Scriptcribus ; &quot; and &quot; Stollii Intro- 

 ductio in Historiam Literariam, de Philosophia generation morr.li ;&quot; in 

 particular, consult PufTendorf, &quot; De Officio Hominis and Civis.&quot; Shaw 



1 This appears to be attempted by Grotius, in his book &quot; De Jure Bell, 

 ac Pacis ;&quot; and by Puffendorf, in his &quot; De JureXaturaa et Gentium.&quot; 

 See M. Barbeyrac s translation of the latter into French, with 

 lions, 



