OF HONOUR AND REPUTATION 133 



sufficiency. There is an honour, likewise, which may be 

 ranked amongst the greatest, which happeneth rarely ; that 

 is, of such as sacrifice themselves to death or danger for 

 the good of their country ; as was M. Regulus, and the 

 two Decii. 



LVI 

 OF JUDICATURE 



JUDGES ought to remember that their office is jus dicere^ 

 and not jus dare ; to interpret law, and not to make law, 

 or give law. Else will it be like the authority claimed by 

 the church of Rome, which under pretext of exposition of 

 Scripture doth not stick to add and alter ; and to pro- 

 nounce that which they do not find ; and by shew of 

 antiquity to introduce novelty. Judges ought to be more 

 learned than witty, more reverend than plausible, and more 

 advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is 

 their portion and proper virtue. ' Cursed (saith the law) 

 is he that removeth the landmark.' The mislayer of a 

 mere-stone is to blame. But it is the unjust judge that is 

 the capital remover of landmarks, when he defineth amiss 

 of lands and property. One foul sentence doth more hurt 

 than many foul examples. For these do but corrupt the 

 stream, the other corrupteth the fountain. So saith Solo- 

 mon, Fons turbatus, et vena corrupta^ est Justus cadens in 

 causa sua cor am adversario. The office of judges may 

 have reference unto the parties that sue, unto the advocates 

 that plead, unto the clerks and ministers of justice under- 

 neath them, and to the sovereign or state above them. 



First, for the causes or parties that sue. ' There be 

 (saith the Scripture) that turn judgment into wormwood'; 

 and surely there be also that turn it into vinegar ; for 

 injustice maketh it bitter, and delays make it sour. The 

 principal duty of a judge is to suppress force and fraud ; 

 whereof force is the more pernicious when it is open, and 

 fraud when it is close and disguised. Add thereto conten- 



