Acrimearisingfromasuddenpassionisnotsogreataswhenthesamearisethfromlongmeditation：forintheformercasethereisaplaceforextenuationinthecommoninfirmityofhumannature；buthethatdothitwithpremeditationhasusedcircumspection，andcasthiseyeonthelaw，onthepunishment，andontheconsequencethereoftohumansociety；allwhichincommittingthecrimehehathcontemnedandpostponedtohisownappetite。Butthereisnosuddennessofpassionsufficientforatotalexcuse：forallthetimebetweenthefirstknowingofthelaw，andthecommissionofthefact，shallbetakenforatimeofdeliberation，becauseheought，bymeditationofthelaw，torectifytheirregularityofhispassions。
Wherethelawispublicly，andwithassiduity，beforeallthepeoplereadandinterpreted，afactdoneagainstitisagreatercrimethanwheremenareleftwithoutsuchinstructiontoenquireofitwithdifficulty，uncertainty，andinterruptionoftheircallings，andbeinformedbyprivatemen：forinthiscase，partofthefaultisdischargeduponcommoninfirmity；butintheformerthereisapparentnegligence，whichisnotwithoutsomecontemptofthesovereignpower。
Thosefactswhichthelawexpresslycondemneth，butthelawmakerbyothermanifestsignsofhiswilltacitlyapproveth，arelesscrimesthanthesamefactscondemnedbothbythelawandlawmaker。Forseeingthewillofthelawmakerisalaw，thereappearinthiscasetwocontradictorylaws；whichwouldtotallyexcuse，ifmenwereboundtotakenoticeofthesovereignsapprobation，byotherargumentsthanareexpressedbyhiscommand。Butbecausetherearepunishmentsconsequent，notonlytothetransgressionofhislaw，butalsototheobservingofitheisinpartacauseofthetransgression，andthereforecannotreasonablyimputethewholecrimetothedelinquent。Forexample，thelawcondemnethduels；thepunishmentismadecapital：onthecontrarypart，hethatrefusethduelissubjecttocontemptandscorn，withoutremedy；andsometimesbythesovereignhimselfthoughtunworthytohaveanychargeorprefermentinwar：ifthereuponheacceptduel，consideringallmenlawfullyendeavourtoobtainthegoodopinionofthemthathavethesovereignpower，heoughtnotinreasontoberigorouslypunished，seeingpartofthefaultmaybedischargedonthepunisher：whichIsay，notaswishinglibertyofprivaterevenges，oranyotherkindofdisobedience，butacareingovernorsnottocountenanceanythingobliquelywhichdirectlytheyforbid。Theexamplesofprinces，tothosethatseethem，are，andeverhavebeen，morepotenttogoverntheiractionsthanthelawsthemselves。Andthoughitbeourdutytodo，notwhattheydo，butwhattheysay；yetwillthatdutyneverbeperformedtillitpleaseGodtogivemenanextraordinaryandsupernaturalgracetofollowthatprecept。
Again，ifwecomparecrimesbythemischiefoftheireffects；first，thesamefactwhenitredoundstothedamageofmanyisgreaterthanwhenitredoundstothehurtoffew。Andthereforewhenafacthurteth，notonlyinthepresent，butalsobyexampleinthefuture，itisagreatercrimethanifithurtonlyinthepresent：fortheformerisafertilecrime，andmultipliestothehurtofmany；thelatterisbarren。TomaintaindoctrinescontrarytothereligionestablishedintheCommonwealthisagreaterfaultinanauthorisedpreacherthaninaprivateperson：soalsoisittoliveprofanely，incontinently，ordoanyirreligiousactwhatsoever。Likewiseinaprofessorofthelaw，tomaintainanypoint，ordoanyact，thattendethtotheweakeningofthesovereignpowerisagreatercrimethaninanotherman：alsoinamanthathathsuchreputationforwisdomasthathiscounselsarefollowed，orhisactionsimitatedbymany，hisfactagainstthelawisagreatercrimethanthesamefactinanother：forsuchmennotonlycommitcrime，butteachitforlawtoallothermen。Andgenerallyallcrimesarethegreaterbythescandaltheygive；thatistosay，bybecomingstumbling-blockstotheweak，thatlooknotsomuchuponthewaytheygoin，asuponthelightthatothermencarrybeforethem。
AlsofactsofhostilityagainstthepresentstateoftheCommonwealtharegreatercrimesthanthesameactsdonetoprivatemen：forthedamageextendsitselftoall：sucharethebetrayingofthestrengthsorrevealingofthesecretsoftheCommonwealthtoanenemy；alsoallattemptsupontherepresentativeoftheCommonwealth，beitamonarchoranassembly；andallendeavoursbywordordeedtodiminishtheauthorityofthesame，eitherinthepresenttimeorinsuccession：whichcrimestheLatinsunderstandbycriminalaesaemajestatis，andconsistindesign，oract，contrarytoafundamentallaw。
Likewisethosecrimeswhichrenderjudgementsofnoeffectaregreatercrimesthaninjuriesdonetooneorafewpersons；astoreceivemoneytogivefalsejudgementortestimonyisagreatercrimethanotherwisetodeceiveamanofthelikeoragreatersum；
becausenotonlyhehaswrong，thatfallsbysuchjudgements，butalljudgementsarerendereduseless，andoccasionministeredtoforceandprivaterevenges。
Alsorobberyanddepeculationofthepublictreasuryorrevenuesisagreatercrimethantherobbingordefraudingofaprivateman，becausetorobthepublicistorobmanyatonce；alsothecounterfeitusurpationofpublicministry，thecounterfeitingofpublicseals，orpubliccoin，thancounterfeitingofaprivateman’spersonorhisseal，becausethefraudthereofextendethtothedamageofmany。
Offactsagainstthelawdonetoprivatemen，thegreatercrimeisthatwherethedamage，inthecommonopinionofmen，ismostsensible。
Andtherefore：
Tokillagainstthelawisagreatercrimethananyotherinjury，lifepreserved。
Andtokillwithtorment，greaterthansimplytokill。
Andmutilationofalimb，greaterthanthespoilingamanofhisgoods。
Andthespoilingamanofhisgoodsbyterrorofdeathorwounds，thanbyclandestinesurreption。
Andbyclandestinesurreption，thanbyconsentfraudulentlyobtained。
Andtheviolationofchastitybyforce，greaterthanbyflattery。
Andofawomanmarried，thanofawomannotmarried。
Forallthesethingsarecommonlysovalued；thoughsomemenaremore，andsomeless，sensibleofthesameoffence。Butthelawregardethnottheparticular，butthegeneralinclinationofmankind。
Andthereforetheoffencementakefromcontumely，inwordsorgesture，whentheyproducenootherharmthanthepresentgriefofhimthatisreproached，hathbeenneglectedinthelawsoftheGreeks，Romans，andotherbothancientandmodernCommonwealths；supposingthetruecauseofsuchgrieftoconsist，notinthecontumelywhichtakesnoholduponmenconsciousoftheirownvirtue，butinthepusillanimityofhimthatisoffendedbyit。
Alsoacrimeagainstaprivatemanismuchaggravatedbytheperson，time，andplace。Fortokillone’sparentisagreatercrimethantokillanother：fortheparentoughttohavethehonourofasovereignthoughhehavesurrenderedhispowertothecivillaw，becausehehaditoriginallybynature。Andtorobapoormanisagreatercrimethantorobarichman，becauseitistothepooramoresensibledamage。
Andacrimecommittedinthetimeorplaceappointedfordevotionisgreaterthanifcommittedatanothertimeorplace：foritproceedsfromagreatercontemptofthelaw。
Manyothercasesofaggravationandextenuationmightbeadded；
butbytheseIhavesetdown，itisobvioustoeverymantotakethealtitudeofanyothercrimeproposed。
Lastly，becauseinalmostallcrimesthereisaninjurydone，notonlytosomeprivatemen，butalsototheCommonwealth，thesamecrime，whentheaccusationisinthenameoftheCommonwealth，iscalledpubliccrime；andwheninthenameofaprivateman，aprivatecrime；andthepleasaccordingthereuponcalledpublic，judiciapublica，pleasofthecrown；orprivatepleas。Asinanaccusationofmurder，iftheaccuserbeaprivateman，thepleaisaprivateplea；iftheaccuserbethesovereign，thepleaisapublicplea。
Apunishmentisanevilinflictedbypublicauthorityonhimthathathdoneoromittedthatwhichisjudgedbythesameauthoritytobeatransgressionofthelaw，totheendthatthewillofmenmaytherebythebetterbedisposedtoobedience。
BeforeIinferanythingfromthisdefinition，thereisaquestiontobeansweredofmuchimportance；whichis，bywhatdoortherightorauthorityofpunishing，inanycase，camein。Forbythatwhichhasbeensaidbefore，nomanissupposedboundbycovenantnottoresistviolence；andconsequentlyitcannotbeintendedthathegaveanyrighttoanothertolayviolenthandsuponhisperson。InthemakingofaCommonwealtheverymangivethawaytherightofdefendinganother，butnotofdefendinghimself。Alsoheobligethhimselftoassisthimthathaththesovereigntyinthepunishingofanother，butofhimselfnot。Buttocovenanttoassistthesovereignindoinghurttoanother，unlesshethatsocovenantethhavearighttodoithimself，isnottogivehimarighttopunish。ItismanifestthereforethattherightwhichtheCommonwealththatis，heortheythatrepresentithathtopunishisnotgroundedonanyconcessionorgiftofthesubjects。ButIhavealsoshownformerlythatbeforetheinstitutionofCommonwealth，everymanhadarighttoeverything，andtodowhatsoeverhethoughtnecessarytohisownpreservation；
subduing，hurting，orkillinganymaninorderthereunto。AndthisisthefoundationofthatrightofpunishingwhichisexercisedineveryCommonwealth。Forthesubjectsdidnotgivethesovereignthatright；butonly，inlayingdowntheirs，strengthenedhimtousehisownasheshouldthinkfitforthepreservationofthemall：sothatitwasnotgiven，butlefttohim，andtohimonly；and，exceptingthelimitssethimbynaturallaw，asentireasintheconditionofmerenature，andofwarofeveryoneagainsthisneighbour。
Fromthedefinitionofpunishment，Iinfer，first，thatneitherprivaterevengesnorinjuriesofprivatemencanproperlybestyledpunishment，becausetheyproceednotfrompublicauthority。
Secondly，thattobeneglectedandunpreferredbythepublicfavourisnotapunishment，becausenonewevilistherebyonanymaninflicted；heisonlyleftintheestatehewasinbefore。
Thirdly，thattheevilinflictedbypublicauthority，withoutprecedentpubliccondemnation，isnottobestyledbythenameofpunishment，butofahostileact，becausethefactforwhichamanispunishedoughtfirsttobejudgedbypublicauthoritytobeatransgressionofthelaw。
Fourthly，thattheevilinflictedbyusurpedpower，andjudgeswithoutauthorityfromthesovereign，isnotpunishment，butanactofhostility，becausetheactsofpowerusurpedhavenotforauthorthepersoncondemned，andthereforearenotactsofpublicauthority。
Fifthly，thatallevilwhichisinflictedwithoutintentionorpossibilityofdisposingthedelinquentor，byhisexample，othermentoobeythelawsisnotpunishment，butanactofhostility，becausewithoutsuchanendnohurtdoneiscontainedunderthatname。