360 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [BOOK VIII, 



and a well-defined generality of words to be found, wliich 

 though it does not accurately explain the cases it compre 

 hends, yet clearly excludes those it does not comprehend. 



LXVIII. Yet in the ordinary politic laws and edicts, 

 where lawyers are seldom consulted, but the politicians trust 

 to their own judgment, things ought to be largely ex 

 plained and pointed out to the capacity of the vulgar. 



LXIX. Nor do we approve of tedious preambles at the 

 head of laws : they were anciently held impertinent, as in 

 troducing laws in the way of dispute, not in the way of 

 command. But as we do not suit ourselves to the manners 

 of the ancients, these prefaces are now generally used of 

 necessity, not only as explanations, but as persuasives to the 

 passing of the law in the assemblies of states, and likewise 

 to satisfy the people ; yet as much as possible let preambles 

 be avoided, and the law begin with commanding. 



LXX. Though the intent and mind of the law may be 

 sometimes drawn from these preambles, yet its latitude and 

 extent should by no means be derived from them ; for the 

 preamble frequently fixes upon a few of the more plausible 

 and specious particulars, by way of example, whilst the law 

 itself contains many more; or on the contrary, the law re 

 strains and limits many things, the reason whereof it were 

 not necessary to insert in the preamble ; wherefore the 

 extent of the law is to be derived from the body of the law, 

 the preamble often exceeding or falling short of this extent. 



LXXI. There is one very faulty method of drawing up 

 the laws, viz., when the case is largely set forth in the pre 

 amble, and then by the force of the word which, or some 

 such relative, the body of the law is reflected back upon the 

 preamble, and the preamble inserted and incorporated in the 

 body of the law ; whence proceed both obscurity and danger, 

 because the same care is riot usually employed in weighing 

 and examining the words of the preamble, as the words of 

 the law itself. 



Different methods of expounding laws and solving doubts, 



LXXII. There are five ways of interpreting the law, and 



making it clear; viz., 1. by recording of judgments; 2. by 



instituting authentic writers ; 3. by auxiliary books; 4. by 



readings; and, 5. by the answers or counsel of qrilified 



