THE SECOND BOOK 177 



of government and society, but as to the framing of the 

 mind of particular persons. 



11. The knowledge concerning good respecting so- 

 ciety doth handle it also, not simply alone, but com- 

 paratively ; whereunto belongeth the weighing of 

 duties between person and person, case and case, par- 

 ticular and public. As we see in the proceeding of 

 Lucius Brutus against his own sons, which was bo much 

 extolled ; yet what was said ? 



Infelix, utcunque ferent ea fata minores. 



So the case was doubtful, and had opinion on both 

 sides. Again, we see when M. Brutus and Cassius in- 

 vited to a supper certain whose opinions they meant 

 to feel, whether they were fit to be made their associates, 

 and cast forth the question touching the killing of a 

 tyrant being an usurper, they were divided in opinion ; 

 some holding that servitude was the extreme of evils, 

 and others that tyranny was better than a civil war : 

 and a number of the like cases there are of comparative 

 duty. Amongst which that of all others is the most 

 frequent, where the question is of a great deal of gcod 

 to ensue of a small injustice. Which Jason of Thes- 

 salia determined against the truth : ' Aliqua sunt 

 in juste facienda, ut multa juste fieri possint.' But the 

 reply is good, ' Auctorem praesentis justitiae habes, 

 sponsorem f uturae non habes.' Men must pursue things 

 which are just in present, and leave the future to the 

 divine Providence. So then we pass on from this 

 general part touching the exemplar and description of 

 good. 



XXII. 1. Now therefore that we have spoken of this 

 fruit of life, it remaineth to speak of the 

 husbandry that belongeth thereunto ; animi!^""' 

 without which part the former seemeth 

 to be no better than a fair image, or statua, which 

 is beautiful to contemplate, but is without life and 

 motion; whereunto Aristotle himself subscribeth 

 in these words : ' Necesse est scilicet de virtute dicere, 

 et quid sit, et ex quibus gignatur. Inutile enim fere 



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