Butsomethingstherebethatcanneitherbedividednorenjoyedincommon。Then，thelawofnaturewhichprescribethequityrequireth：
thattheentireright，orelsemakingtheusealternatethefirstpossession，bedeterminedbylot。Forequaldistributionisofthelawofnature；andothermeansofequaldistributioncannotbeimagined。
Oflotstherebetwosorts，arbitraryandnatural。Arbitraryisthatwhichisagreedonbythecompetitors；naturaliseitherprimogeniturewhichtheGreekcallskleronomia，whichsignifies，givenbylot，orfirstseizure。
Andthereforethosethingswhichcannotbeenjoyedincommon，nordivided，oughttobeadjudgedtothefirstpossessor；andinsomecasestothefirstborn，asacquiredbylot。
Itisalsoalawofnature：thatallmenthatmediatepeaceheallowedsafeconduct。Forthelawthatcommandethpeace，astheend，commandethintercession，asthemeans；andtointercessionthemeansissafeconduct。
Andbecause，thoughmenbeneversowillingtoobservetheselaws，theremayneverthelessarisequestionsconcerningaman’saction；
first，whetheritweredone，ornotdone；secondly，ifdone，whetheragainstthelaw，ornotagainstthelaw；theformerwhereofiscalledaquestionoffact，thelatteraquestionofright；thereforeunlessthepartiestothequestioncovenantmutuallytostandtothesentenceofanother，theyareasfarfrompeaceasever。Thisother，towhosesentencetheysubmit，iscalledanarbitrator。Andthereforeitisofthelawofnaturethattheythatareatcontroversysubmittheirrighttothejudgementofanarbitrator。
Andseeingeverymanispresumedtodoallthingsinordertohisownbenefit，nomanisafitarbitratorinhisowncause：andifhewereneversofit，yetequityallowingtoeachpartyequalbenefit，ifonebeadmittedtobejudge，theotheristobeadmittedalso；andsothecontroversy，thatis，thecauseofwar，remains，againstthelawofnature。
Forthesamereasonnomaninanycauseoughttobereceivedforarbitratortowhomgreaterprofit，orhonour，orpleasureapparentlyarisethoutofthevictoryofonepartythanoftheother：forhehathtaken，thoughanunavoidablebribe，yetabribe；andnomancanbeobligedtotrusthim。Andthusalsothecontroversyandtheconditionofwarremaineth，contrarytothelawofnature。
Andinacontroversyoffact，thejudgebeingtogivenomorecredittoonethantotheother，iftherebenootherarguments，mustgivecredittoathird；ortoathirdandfourth；ormore：forelsethequestionisundecided，andlefttoforce，contrarytothelawofnature。
Thesearethelawsofnature，dictatingpeace，forameansoftheconservationofmeninmultitudes；andwhichonlyconcernthedoctrineofcivilsociety。Therebeotherthingstendingtothedestructionofparticularmen；asdrunkenness，andallotherpartsofintemperance，whichmaythereforealsobereckonedamongstthosethingswhichthelawofnaturehathforbidden，butarenotnecessarytobementioned，norarepertinentenoughtothisplace。
Andthoughthismayseemtoosubtleadeductionofthelawsofnaturetobetakennoticeofbyallmen，whereofthemostpartaretoobusyingettingfood，andtheresttoonegligenttounderstand；yettoleaveallmeninexcusable，theyhavebeencontractedintooneeasysum，intelligibleeventothemeanestcapacity；andthatis：Donotthattoanotherwhichthouwouldestnothavedonetothyself，whichshowethhimthathehasnomoretodoinlearningthelawsofnaturebut，whenweighingtheactionsofothermenwithhisowntheyseemtooheavy，toputthemintotheotherpartofthebalance，andhisownintotheirplace，thathisownpassionsandself-lovemayaddnothingtotheweight；andthenthereisnoneoftheselawsofnaturethatwillnotappearuntohimveryreasonable。
Thelawsofnatureobligeinforointerno；thatistosay，theybindtoadesiretheyshouldtakeplace：butinforoexterno；thatis，totheputtingtheminact，notalways。Forhethatshouldbemodestandtractable，andperformallhepromisesinsuchtimeandplacewherenomanelseshoulddoso，shouldbutmakehimselfapreytoothers，andprocurehisowncertainruin，contrarytothegroundofalllawsofnaturewhichtendtonature’spreservation。Andagain，hethathavingsufficientsecuritythatothersshallobservethesamelawstowardshim，observesthemnothimself，seekethnotpeace，butwar，andconsequentlythedestructionofhisnaturebyviolence。
Andwhatsoeverlawsbindinforointernomaybebroken，notonlybyafactcontrarytothelaw，butalsobyafactaccordingtoit，incaseamanthinkitcontrary。Forthoughhisactioninthiscasebeaccordingtothelaw，yethispurposewasagainstthelaw；which，wheretheobligationisinforointerno，isabreach。
Thelawsofnatureareimmutableandeternal；forinjustice，ingratitude，arrogance，pride，iniquity，acceptionofpersons，andtherestcanneverbemadelawful。Foritcanneverbethatwarshallpreservelife，andpeacedestroyit。
Thesamelaws，becausetheyobligeonlytoadesireandendeavour，meananunfeignedandconstantendeavour，areeasytobeobserved。Forinthattheyrequirenothingbutendeavour，hethatendeavoureththeirperformancefulfilleththem；andhethatfulfilleththelawisjust。
Andthescienceofthemisthetrueandonlymoralphilosophy。Formoralphilosophyisnothingelsebutthescienceofwhatisgoodandevilintheconversationandsocietyofmankind。Goodandevilarenamesthatsignifyourappetitesandaversions，whichindifferenttempers，customs，anddoctrinesofmenaredifferent：anddiversemendiffernotonlyintheirjudgementonthesensesofwhatispleasantandunpleasanttothetaste，smell，hearing，touch，andsight；butalsoofwhatisconformableordisagreeabletoreasonintheactionsofcommonlife。Nay，thesameman，indiversetimes，differsfromhimself；andonetimepraiseth，thatis，callethgood，whatanothertimehedispraiseth，andcallethevil：fromwhencearisedisputes，controversies，andatlastwar。Andthereforesolongasamanisintheconditionofmerenature，whichisaconditionofwar，privateappetiteisthemeasureofgoodandevil：andconsequentlyallmenagreeonthis，thatpeaceisgood，andthereforealsothewayormeansofpeace，whichasIhaveshownbeforearejustice，gratitude，modesty，equity，mercy，andtherestofthelawsofnature，aregood；thatistosay，moralvirtues；andtheircontraryvices，evil。Nowthescienceofvirtueandviceismoralphilosophy；andthereforethetruedoctrineofthelawsofnatureisthetruemoralphilosophy。Butthewritersofmoralphilosophy，thoughtheyacknowledgethesamevirtuesandvices；yet，notseeingwhereinconsistedtheirgoodness，northattheycometobepraisedasthemeansofpeaceable，sociable，andcomfortableliving，placetheminamediocrityofpassions：asifnotthecause，butthedegreeofdaring，madefortitude；ornotthecause，butthequantityofagift，madeliberality。
Thesedictatesofreasonmenusedtocallbythenameoflaws，butimproperly：fortheyarebutconclusionsortheoremsconcerningwhatconducethtotheconservationanddefenceofthemselves；whereaslaw，properly，isthewordofhimthatbyrighthathcommandoverothers。ButyetifweconsiderthesametheoremsasdeliveredinthewordofGodthatbyrightcommandethallthings，thenaretheyproperlycalledlaws。
OFPERSONS，AUTHORS，ANDTHINGSPERSONATED
APERSONishewhosewordsoractionsareconsidered，eitherashisown，orasrepresentingthewordsoractionsofanotherman，orofanyotherthingtowhomtheyareattributed，whethertrulyorbyfiction。
Whentheyareconsideredashisown，thenishecalledanaturalperson：andwhentheyareconsideredasrepresentingthewordsandactionsofanother，thenisheafeignedorartificialperson。
ThewordpersonisLatin，insteadwhereoftheGreekshaveprosopon，whichsignifiestheface，aspersonainLatinsignifiesthedisguise，oroutwardappearanceofaman，counterfeitedonthestage；andsometimesmoreparticularlythatpartofitwhichdisguiseththeface，asamaskorvizard：andfromthestagehathbeentranslatedtoanyrepresenterofspeechandaction，aswellintribunalsastheatres。Sothatapersonisthesamethatanactoris，bothonthestageandincommonconversation；andtopersonateistoactorrepresenthimselforanother；andhethatactethanotherissaidtobearhisperson，oractinhisnameinwhichsenseCicerousethitwherehesays，Unussustineotrespersonas；mei，adversarii，etjudicis-Ibearthreepersons；myown，myadversary’s，andthejudge’s，andiscalledindiverseoccasions，diversely；asarepresenter，orrepresentative，alieutenant，avicar，anattorney，adeputy，aprocurator，anactor，andthelike。
Ofpersonsartificial，somehavetheirwordsandactionsownedbythosewhomtheyrepresent。Andthenthepersonistheactor，andhethatownethhiswordsandactionsistheauthor，inwhichcasetheactoractethbyauthority。Forthatwhichinspeakingofgoodsandpossessionsiscalledanowner，andinLatindominusinGreekkurios；speakingofactions，iscalledauthor。Andastherightofpossessioniscalleddominionsotherightofdoinganyactioniscalledauthority。Sothatbyauthorityisalwaysunderstoodarightofdoinganyact；anddonebyauthority，donebycommissionorlicensefromhimwhoserightitis。
Fromhenceitfolloweththatwhentheactormakethacovenantbyauthority，hebindeththerebytheauthornolessthanifhehadmadeithimself；andnolesssubjectethhimtoalltheconsequencesofthesame。AndthereforeallthathathbeensaidformerlyChapterXIV
ofthenatureofcovenantsbetweenmanandmanintheirnaturalcapacityistruealsowhentheyaremadebytheiractors，representers，orprocurators，thathaveauthorityfromthem，sofarforthasisintheircommission，butnofurther。
Andthereforehethatmakethacovenantwiththeactor，orrepresenter，notknowingtheauthorityhehath，dothitathisownperil。Fornomanisobligedbyacovenantwhereofheisnotauthor，norconsequentlybyacovenantmadeagainstorbesidetheauthorityhegave。
Whentheactordothanythingagainstthelawofnaturebycommandoftheauthor，ifhebeobligedbyformercovenanttoobeyhim，nothe，buttheauthorbreakeththelawofnature：forthoughtheactionbeagainstthelawofnature，yetitisnothis；but，contrarily，torefusetodoitisagainstthelawofnaturethatforbiddethbreachofcovenant。
Andhethatmakethacovenantwiththeauthor，bymediationoftheactor，notknowingwhatauthorityhehath，butonlytakeshisword；incasesuchauthoritybenotmademanifestuntohimupondemand，isnolongerobliged：forthecovenantmadewiththeauthorisnotvalidwithouthiscounter-assurance。Butifhethatsocovenantethknewbeforehandhewastoexpectnootherassurancethantheactor’sword，thenisthecovenantvalid，becausetheactorinthiscasemakethhimselftheauthor。Andtherefore，aswhentheauthorityisevident，thecovenantobligeththeauthor，nottheactor；sowhentheauthorityisfeigned，itobligeththeactoronly，therebeingnoauthorbuthimself。