Lesson 8 – Of Justice, Laws, Cities, and Governors

Of Justice, Laws, Cities, and Governors

1. Except wise men be made Governors, or Governors be made wise men; Mankind shall never have quiet rest, nor virtue be able to defend herself.
2. The City is well ordered; where ambitious men desire to have no offices.
3. Cities are well governed; when the wicked be punished.
4. All that is done by Justice is well done; but all that is done otherwise is evil.
5. A City to obtain prosperity, needs not so much abundance of goods, as Virtue.
6. Law is the finder, and trier out, of Truth.
7. Through idleness, negligence, and too much trust in Fortune, not only men, but Cities and Kingdoms, are utterly lost and destroyed.
8. Justice is a measure which God has ordained on the earth, to defend the feeble from the mighty, and the true from the untrue: and to root out the wicked from among the good.
9. Wisdom is the Physician of the Law, and Money is the disease and when the Physician cannot cure himself, how should he cure others?
10. Law and Wisdom are two laudable things: for the one conserves Virtue; and the other, Good conditions.
11. Those Rulers sin exceedingly, that give others licence to sin.
12. Cities must needs perish; when the common laws are of none effect.
13. There cannot be in a City a more horrible thing than Sedition.
14. He that is obedient to the law, obeys God.
15. Where Law and Order is, all things prosper well.
16. A Law-maker ought to be godly, learned, and wise; and such a one as hath been subject to others’ laws.
17. Bribery used in a City engenders evil manners; by means whereof both Faith and Friendship are little set by.
18. That City is safe, whose dignities are well bestowed
19. None delights in Justice but the just man; none loves Wisdom but the wise man; and none but the true friend delights in Friendship.
20. Without Justice, no realm may prosper.
21. He that makes his realm subject to Law, shall reign; and he that makes the Law subject to his realm, may hap to reign a while: but he that casteth the Law forth from his realm, casteth himself forth.
22. God is a Law to sober men.
23. Happy is that City that has a wise man to govern it.
24. It is better for a City to be governed by a good man than by a good Law.
25. A good City should care more for virtue, than for people.
26. Without Justice, no City may be long inhabited.
27. He that sagaciously intends to the Common-weal, may well be called just: but he that intends only to his profit, is a vicious person.