CHAP. PAGE IX. VIII. Of the Administration of Justice X. 303 XI. Of Religious Eftablishments, and of Of Population and Provifion; and of Agriculture and Commerce, as fubfervient thereto 345 XII. Of War,and of Military Eftablishments 408 1 T HIS divifion of the fubject is retained merely for the fake of method, by which the writer and the reader are equally affifted. To the fubject itself it imports nothing; for, the obligation of all duties being fundamentally the fame, it matters little under what clafs or title any of them are confidered. In ftrictness, there are few duties or crimes, which terminate in a man's felf; and, fo far as others are affected by their operation, they have been treated of in fome article of the preceding book. We have referved however to this head the rights of *VOL. II. B Self felf-defence; alfo the confideration of drunkenness and fuicide, as offences against that care of our faculties, and prefervation of our person, which we account duties, and call duties to ourJelves. СНАР. CHAP. I. THE RIGHTS OF SELF-DEFENCE. T has been afferted, that in a state of nature IT we might lawfully defend the most infignificant right, provided it were a perfect determinate right, by any extremities which the obftinacy of the aggreffor rendered neceffary. Of this I doubt; because I doubt whether the general rule be worth sustaining at fuch an expence; and because, apart from the general confequence of yielding to the attempt, it cannot be contended to be for the augmentation of human happiness, that one man should lofe his life, or a limb, rather than another a pennyworth of his property. Nevertheless, perfect rights can only be distinguished by their value; and it is impoffible to ascertain the value, at which the liberty of using treme violence begins. The perfon attacked must balance, as well as he can, between the general confequence of yielding, and the particular effect of resistance. |