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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=567167" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>Of Justice</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Tis the first sanction Nature gave to man,<br>Each other to assist in what they can;<br>Just or unjust, this law for ever stands;<br>All things are good by law which she commands;<br>The first step, man t'wards Christ must justly live,<br>Who t'us himself, and all we have, did give;<br>In vain doth man the name of just expect,<br>If his devotions he to God neglect;<br>So must we rev'rence God, as first to know <br>Justice from Him, not from ourselves, doth flow;<br>God those accepts who to mankind are friends,<br>Whose justice far as their own power extends;<br>In that they imitate the power Divine;<br>The sun alike on good and bad doth shine;<br>And he that doth no good, although no ill,<br>Does not the office of the just fulfil.<br>Virtue doth man to virtuous actions steer,<br>'Tis not enough that he should vice forbear;<br>We live not only for ourselves to care,<br>Whilst they that want it are denied their share. <br>Wise Plato said, the world with men was stored,<br>That succour each to other might afford;<br>Nor are those succours to one sort confined,<br>But sev'ral parts to sev'ral men consign'd;<br>He that of his own stores no part can give,<br>May with his counsel or his hands relieve.<br>If Fortune make thee powerful, give defence<br>'Gainst fraud and force, to naked innocence:<br>And when our Justice doth her tributes pay,<br>Method and order must direct the way. <br>First to our God we must with rev'rence bow;<br>The second honour to our prince we owe;<br>Next to wives, parents, children, fit respect,<br>And to our friends and kindred, we direct;<br>Then we must those who groan beneath the weight<br>Of age, disease, or want, commiserate.<br>'Mongst those whom honest lives can recommend,<br>Our Justice more compassion should extend;<br>To such, who thee in some distress did aid,<br>Thy debt of thanks with int'rest should be paid: <br>As Hesiod sings, spread waters o'er thy field,<br>And a most just and glad increase 'twill yield.<br>But yet take heed, lest doing good to one,<br>Mischief and wrong be to another done;<br>Such moderation with thy bounty join,<br>That thou may'st nothing give that is not thine;<br>That liberality's but cast away,<br>Which makes us borrow what we cannot pay.<br>And no access to wealth let rapine bring;<br>Do nothing that's unjust to be a king. <br>Justice must be from violence exempt,<br>But fraud's her only object of contempt.<br>Fraud in the fox, force in the lion dwells;<br>But Justice both from human hearts expels;<br>But he's the greatest monster (without doubt)<br>Who is a wolf within, a sheep without.<br>Nor only ill injurious actions are,<br>But evil words and slanders bear their share.<br>Truth Justice loves, and truth injustice fears,<br>Truth above all things a just man reveres. <br>Though not by oaths we God to witness call,<br>He sees and hears, and still remembers all;<br>And yet our attestations we may wrest<br>Sometimes to make the truth more manifest;<br>If by a lie a man preserve his faith,<br>He pardon, leave, and absolution hath;<br>Or if I break my promise, which to thee<br>Would bring no good, but prejudice to me.<br>All things committed to thy trust conceal,<br>Nor what's forbid by any means reveal. <br>Express thyself in plain, not doubtful words,<br>That ground for quarrels or disputes affords:<br>Unless thou find occasion, hold thy tongue;<br>Thyself or others careless talk may wrong.<br>When thou art called into public power,<br>And when a crowd of suitors throng thy door,<br>Be sure no great offenders 'scape their dooms; <br>Small praise from lenity and remissness comes;<br>Crimes pardon'd, others to those crimes invite,<br>Whilst lookers-on severe examples fright.<br>When by a pardon'd murd'rer blood is spilt,<br>The judge that pardon'd hath the greatest guilt;<br>Who accuse rigour, make a gross mistake;<br>One criminal pardon'd may an hundred make;<br>When justice on offenders is not done,<br>Law, government, and commerce, are o'erthrown;<br>As besieged traitors with the foe conspire,<br>T' unlock the gates, and set the town on fire.<br>Yet lest the punishment th'offence exceed,<br>Justice with weight and measure must proceed: <br>Yet when pronouncing sentence, seem not glad,<br>Such spectacles, though they are just, are sad;<br>Though what thou dost thou ought'st not to repent,<br>Yet human bowels cannot but relent:<br>Rather than all must suffer, some must die;<br>Yet Nature must condole their misery.<br>And yet, if many equal guilt involve,<br>Thou may'st not these condemn, and those absolve.<br>Justice, when equal scales she holds, is blind;<br>Nor cruelty, nor mercy, change her mind. <br>When some escape for that which others die,<br>Mercy to those, to these is cruelty.<br>A fine and slender net the spider weaves,<br>Which little and light animals receives;<br>And if she catch a common bee or fly,<br>They with a piteous groan and murmur die;<br>But if a wasp or hornet she entrap,<br>They tear her cords like Samson, and escape;<br>So like a fly the poor offender dies,<br>But like the wasp, the rich escapes and flies. <br>Do not, if one but lightly thee offend,<br>The punishment beyond the crime extend;<br>Or after warning the offence forget;<br>So God himself our failings doth remit.<br>Expect not more from servants than is just,<br>Reward them well, if they observe their trust;<br>Nor them with cruelty or pride invade,<br>Since God and Nature them our brothers made;<br>If his offence be great, let that suffice;<br>If light, forgive, for no man's always wise.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=John+Denham">John Denham</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=567167" data-title="Of Justice de John Denham" data-description="'Tis the first sanction Nature gave to man,
Each other to assist in what they can;
Just or unjust, this law for ever stands;
All things are good by law which she commands;
The first step, man t'wards Christ must justly live,
Who t'us himself, and ..."></div>
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