Chapter I: Front Matter

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcriber’s Note:

This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. The many instances of italic text are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Title page use of blackletter text uses the ‘=’ as a delimiter.

Marginal sidenotes which spanned multiple pages were often repeated on each page. These have been removed.

Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.

THE
ENGLISH WORKS
OF
THOMAS HOBBES.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE

ENGLISH WORKS

OF

THOMAS HOBBES

OF MALMESBURY;

NOW FIRST COLLECTED AND EDITED

BY

SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH, BART.

---

VOL. IV.

---

LONDON:
JOHN BOHN,
HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

---

MDCCCXL.

LONDON:
C. RICHARDS, PRINTER, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.

CONTENTS OF VOL. IV.

-------

PAGE

TRIPOS; in Three Discourses:

I. Human Nature, or the Fundamental Elements of Policy 1

II. De Corpore Politico, or the Elements of Law 77

III. Of Liberty and Necessity 229

An Answer to Bishop Bramhall’s Book, called “The Catching of the
Leviathan” 279

An Historical Narration concerning Heresy, and the Punishment
thereof 385

Considerations upon the Reputation, Loyalty, Manners, and
Religion of Thomas Hobbes 409

Answer to Sir William Davenant’s Preface before “Gondibert” 441

Letter to the Right Honourable Edward Howard 458

HOBBES' TRIPOS

IN

=Three Discourses.=

THE FIRST,
HUMAN NATURE:

THE SECOND,
DE CORPORE POLITICO:

THE THIRD,
OF LIBERTY AND NECESSITY.

---

BY
THOMAS HOBBES
OF MALMESBURY.

HUMAN NATURE,
OR THE
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS
OF
POLICY.

BEING A DISCOVERY OF

THE FACULTIES, ACTS, AND PASSIONS,

OF

THE SOUL OF MAN,

FROM THEIR ORIGINAL CAUSES;

ACCORDING TO SUCH

PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES,

AS ARE NOT COMMONLY KNOWN OR ASSERTED.

BY

THOMAS HOBBES

OF MALMESBURY.

TO THE READER.

-------

READER,

It was thought good to let you know that _Mr. Hobbes_ hath written a body of philosophy, upon such principles and in such order as are used by men conversant in demonstration: this he hath distinguished into three parts; _De Corpore_, _De Homine_, _De Cive_; each of the consequents beginning at the end of the antecedent, and insisting thereupon, as the later Books of _Euclid_ upon the former. The last of these he hath already published in Latin beyond the seas; the second is this now presented: and if these two receive justice in the world, there is hope we may obtain the first. He whose care it is, and labour, to satisfy the _judgment_ and _reason_ of mankind, will condescend so far, we hope, to satisfy the _desire_ of those learned men whom these shall either have found or made; which cannot be, until they shall analytically have followed the grand _phænomena_ of states and kingdoms through the passions of particular men, into the elemental principles of natural and corporeal motions. The former work was published by the Author, and so is out of danger; this by a friend, with leave from him: and to secure this, you are intreated to consider the relations wherein it stands, especially to the book _de Cive_. It was thought a part of religion, not to make any change without the author’s advice, which could not suddenly be obtained; and so it comes forth innocently, supposing nothing to have happened since the Dedication of it; which if it seem a solecism to some, it may to others give satisfaction, in calling to mind those times and opportunities to which we are indebted for these admirable compositions.

F. B.

-------

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

WILLIAM, EARL OF NEWCASTLE,

GOVERNOR TO THE PRINCE HIS HIGHNESS,

ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL.

---

MY MOST HONOURED LORD,

From the principal parts of Nature, Reason and Passion, have proceeded two kinds of learning, _mathematical_ and _dogmatical_: the former is free from controversy and dispute, because it consisteth in comparing figure and motion only; in which things, _truth_, and _the interest of men_, oppose not each other: but in the other there is nothing undisputable, because it compareth men, and meddleth with their right and profit; in which, as oft as reason is against a man, so oft will a man be against reason. And from hence it cometh, that they who have written of justice and policy in general, do all invade each other and themselves with contradictions. To reduce this doctrine to the rules and infallibility of reason, there is no way, but, first, put such principles down for a foundation, as passion, not mistrusting, may not seek to displace; and afterwards to build thereon the truth of cases in the law of nature (which hitherto have been built in the air) by degrees, till the whole have been inexpugnable. Now, my Lord, the principles fit for such a foundation, are those which heretofore I have acquainted your Lordship withal in private discourse, and which by your command I have here put into a method. To examine cases thereby between _sovereign_ and _sovereign_, or between _sovereign_ and _subject_, I leave to them that shall find leisure and encouragement thereto. For my part, I present this to your Lordship for the true and only foundation of such science. For the style, it is therefore the worse, because, whilst I was writing, I consulted more with logic than with rhetoric: but for the doctrine, it is not slightly proved; and the conclusions thereof of such nature, as, for want of them, government and peace have been nothing else, to this day, but mutual fears; and it would be an incomparable benefit to commonwealth, that every one held the opinion concerning _law_ and _policy_ here delivered. The ambition therefore of this book, in seeking by your Lordship’s countenance to insinuate itself with those whom the matter it containeth most nearly concerneth, is to be excused. For myself, I desire no greater honour than I enjoy already in your Lordship’s favour, unless it be that you would be pleased, in continuance thereof, to give me more exercise in your commands; which, as I am bound by your many great favours, I shall obey, being,

My most honoured Lord,
Your most humble and most obliged Servant,
THOMAS HOBBES.

_May 9, 1640._

IN LIBELLUM PRÆSTANTISSIMI

THOMÆ HOBBII,

VIRI VERE PHILOSOPHI,

“DE NATURA HOMINIS.”

Quæ magna cœli mœnia, et tractus maris
Terræque fines, siquid aut ultra est, capit,
Mens ipsa tandem capitur: omnia hactenus
Quæ nosse potuit, nota jam primum est sibi.

Accede, Lector, disce quis demum sies;
Et inquilinam jecoris agnoscas tui,
Qua propius hæret nil tibi, et nil tam procul.

Non hic scholarum frivola, aut cassi logi,
Quales per annos forte plus septem legit;
Ut folle pleno prodeat, rixæ artifex;
Vanasque merces futili lingua crepet:
Sed sancta rerum pondera, et sensus graves,
Quales parari decuit, ipsa cum fuit
Pingenda ratio, et vindici suo adstitit.

Panduntur omnes machinæ gyri tuæ,
Animæque vectes, trochleæ, cunei, rotæ;
Qua concitetur arte, quo sufflamine
Sistatur illa rursus, et constet sibi:
Nec, si fenestram pectori humano suam
Aptasset ipse Momus, inspiceret magis.
Hic cerno levia affectuum vestigia,
Gracilesque sensus lineas; video quibus
Vehantur alis blanduli cupidines,
Quibusque stimulis urgeant iræ graves.
Hic et dolores, et voluptates suos
Produnt recessus; ipse nec timor latet.

Has norit artes, quisquis in foro velit
Animorum habenas flectere, et populos cupit
Aptis ligatos nexibus jungi sibi.
Hic Archimedes publicus figat pedem,
Siquando regna machinis politicis
Urgere satagit, et feras gentes ciet,
Imisque motum sedibus mundum quatit:
Facile domabit cuncta, qui menti imperat.

Consultor audax, et Promethei potens
Facinoris anime! quis tibi dedit Deus
Hæc intueri sæculis longe abdita,
Oculosque luce tinxit ambrosia tuos?
Tu mentis omnis, at tuæ nulla est capax.
Hac laude solus fruere: divinum est opus
Animam creare; proximum huic, ostendere.

RAD. BATHURST, A.M.
COL. TRIN. OXON.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUMAN NATURE:

OR THE

FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS

OF POLICY.

-------