Thejustmanwhodisdainseithertotakeortogiveanyadvantage，butwhowouldthinkitlessdishonourabletogivethantotakeone；themanwho，inallprivatetransactions，wouldbethemostbelovedandthemostesteemed；inthosepublictransactionsisregardedasafoolandanidiot，whodoesnotunderstandhisbusiness；andheincursalwaysthecontempt，andsometimeseventhedetestationofhisfellow-citizens。Inwar，notonlywhatarecalledthelawsofnations，arefrequentlyviolated，withoutbringingamonghisownfellow-citizens，whosejudgmentsheonlyregardsanyconsiderabledishonourupontheviolator；butthoselawsthemselvesare，thegreaterpartofthem，laiddownwithverylittleregardtotheplainestandmostobviousrulesofjustice。Thattheinnocent，thoughtheymayhavesomeconnexionordependencyupontheguiltywhich，perhaps，theythemselvescannothelp，shouldnot，uponthataccount，sufferorbepunishedfortheguilty，isoneoftheplainestandmostobviousrulesofjustice。Inthemostunjustwar，however，itiscommonlythesovereignortherulersonlywhoareguilty。
Thesubjectsarealmostalwaysperfectlyinnocent。Wheneveritsuitstheconveniencyofapublicenemy，however，thegoodsofthepeaceablecitizensareseizedbothatlandandatsea；theirlandsarelaidwaste，theirhousesareburnt，andtheythemselves，iftheypresumetomakeanyresistance，aremurderedorledintocaptivity；andallthisinthemostperfectconformitytowhatarecalledthelawsofnations。
Theanimosityofhostilefactions，whethercivilorecclesiastical，isoftenstillmorefuriousthanthatofhostilenations；andtheirconducttowardsoneanotherisoftenstillmoreatrocious。Whatmaybecalledthelawsoffactionhaveoftenbeenlaiddownbygraveauthorswithstilllessregardtotherulesofjusticethanwhatarecalledthelawsofnations。Themostferociouspatriotneverstateditasaseriousquestion，Whetherfaithoughttobekeptwithpublicenemies？——Whetherfaithoughttobekeptwithrebels？Whetherfaithoughttobekeptwithheretics？arequestionswhichhavebeenoftenfuriouslyagitatedbycelebrateddoctorsbothcivilandecclesiastical。Itisneedlesstoobserve，Ipresume，thatbothrebelsandhereticsarethoseunluckypersons，who，whenthingshavecometoacertaindegreeofviolence，havethemisfortunetobeoftheweakerparty。Inanationdistractedbyfaction，thereare，nodoubt，alwaysafew，thoughcommonlybutaveryfew，whopreservetheirjudgmentuntaintedbythegeneralcontagion。Theyseldomamounttomorethan，hereandthere，asolitaryindividual，withoutanyinfluence，excluded，byhisowncandour，fromtheconfidenceofeitherparty，andwho，thoughhemaybeoneofthewisest，isnecessarily，uponthatveryaccount，oneofthemostinsignificantmeninthesociety。Allsuchpeopleareheldincontemptandderision，frequentlyindetestation，bythefuriouszealotsofbothparties。Atrueparty-manhatesanddespisescandour；and，inreality，thereisnovicewhichcouldsoeffectuallydisqualifyhimforthetradeofaparty-manasthatsinglevirtue。Thereal，revered，andimpartialspectator，therefore，is，uponnooccasion，atagreaterdistancethanamidsttheviolenceandrageofcontendingparties。Tothem，itmaybesaid，thatsuchaspectatorscarceexistsanywhereintheuniverse。EventothegreatJudgeoftheuniverse，theyimputealltheirownprejudices，andoftenviewthatDivineBeingasanimatedbyalltheirownvindictiveandimplacablepassions。Ofallthecorruptersofmoralsentiments，therefore，factionandfanaticismhavealwaysbeenbyfarthegreatest。
Concerningthesubjectofself-command，Ishallonlyobservefurther，thatouradmirationforthemanwho，undertheheaviestandmostunexpectedmisfortunes，continuestobehavewithfortitudeandfirmness，alwayssupposesthathissensibilitytothosemisfortunesisverygreat，andsuchasitrequiresaverygreatefforttoconquerorcommand。Themanwhowasaltogetherinsensibletobodilypain，coulddeservenoapplausefromenduringthetorturewiththemostperfectpatienceandequanimity。Themanwhohadbeencreatedwithoutthenaturalfearofdeath，couldclaimnomeritfrompreservinghiscoolnessandpresenceofmindinthemidstofthemostdreadfuldangers。ItisoneoftheextravaganciesofSeneca，thattheStoicalwisemanwas，inthisrespect，superioreventoaGod；thatthesecurityoftheGodwasaltogetherthebenefitofnature，whichhadexemptedhimfromsuffering；butthatthesecurityofthewisemanwashisownbenefit，andderivedaltogetherfromhimselfandfromhisownexertions。
Thesensibilityofsomemen，however，tosomeoftheobjectswhichimmediatelyaffectthemselves，issometimessostrongastorenderallself-commandimpossible。Nosenseofhonourcancontrolthefearsofthemanwhoisweakenoughtofaint，ortofallintoconvulsions，upontheapproachofdanger。Whethersuchweaknessofnerves，asithasbeencalled，maynot，bygradualexerciseandproperdiscipline，admitofsomecure，may，perhaps，bedoubtful。Itseemscertainthatitoughtnevertobetrustedoremployed。