degree, except the malice of the will and intention do appear; but in civil hiftories and injuries that are of an inferior nature, the law doth rather confider the damage of the party wronged than the malice of him that was the wrong-doer. (Ibid.)

LAWS.

The principal acts of peace. (Life of Henry VII.)

He was a prince that was ever ready to grace and countenance the profeffors of the Law; having a little of that, as he governed his fubjects by laws, fo he governed his laws by his lawyers. (Ibid.)

LAW-In formâ pauperis.

There was also enacted [11 Hen. VII., c. 12] that charitable law for the admiffion of poor fuitors in formâ pauperis, without fee to counsellor, attorney, or clerk; whereby poor men became rather able to vex than unable to fue [= the

Legislature thought it better that the poor man fhould be able to vex than that he should not be able to fue]. (Life of Henry VII.)

Animation of Laws.

The wisdom of a law-maker confifteth not only in a platform of justice, but in the application thereof, taking into confideration by what means laws may be made certain, and what are the causes and remedies of the doubtfulness and uncertainty of Law; by what means laws may be made apt and easy to be executed, and what are the impediments and remedies in the execution of laws; what influence laws touching private right of meum and tuum have into the public State, and how they may be made apt and agreeable; how laws are to be penned and delivered, whether in texts or in acts, brief or large, with preambles or without; how they are to be pruned and reformed from time to time, and what is the best means to keep them from being too vast in volumes, or too

full of multiplicity and croffnefs; how they are to be expounded, when upon fome caufes emergent, and judicially difcuffed, and when upon refponfes and conferences touching general points or queftions; how they are to be preffed, rigorously or tenderly; how they are to be mitigated by equity and good conscience, and whether difcretion and mixed law are to be mingled in the fame courts, or kept apart in several courts ; again, how the practice, profeffion, and erudition of the law is to be cenfured [=judged] and governed; and many other points touching the administration, and, as I may term it, animation of laws. (De Augmentis, Book VI. 'The Doctrine of Universal Justice.)

What Conftitutes a Good Law.

That may be esteemed a good law which is (1) clear and certain in its fenfe; (2) juft in its command; (3) commodious in the execution; (4) agreeable to the form of government; and (5) productive of virtue in the fubject. (Ibid.)

LETTERS WITH GIFT-COPIES OFDE AUGMENTIS SCIENTIARUM, 1623.

1. Francis, Baron of Verulam, Viscount of St. Alban, to the most famous College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, in Cambridge, Health.

The progrefs of things, together with themselves, are to be ascribed to their originals. Wherefore, feeing I have derived from your fountains my first beginnings in the fciences, I thought it fit to repay to you the increases of them. I hope, alfo, it may fo happen that these things of ours may the more profperously thrive among you, being replanted in their native foil. Therefore, I likewise exhort you, that ye yourselves, so far as is confiftent with all due modesty and reverence to the ancients, be not wanting to the advancement of the sciences: but that, next to the ftudy of those facred volumes of God, the Holy Scriptures, ye turn over that great volume of the works of God, His creatures, with

utmoft diligence, and before all books; which ought to be looked

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on only as commentaries on those texts. Fare ye well.

2. To the Indulgent Mother, the famous University of Cambridge, Health.

I here repay you, according to my ability, the debts of a son. I exhort you also to do the fame thing with myfelf: that is, to set your whole might towards the advancement of the sciences, and to retain freedom of thought, together with humility of mind; and not to suffer the talent which the ancients have depofited with you to lie dead in a napkin. Doubtless the favour of the divine light will be present and fhine amongst you, if philosophy being fubmitted to religion, you lawfully and dexterously use the keys of fenfe; and if, all study of oppofition being laid afide, every one of you fo difpute with another as if he were arguing with himfelf. Fare ye well.