ver appointed, and the Standard of Honour is quite different
from that of Reason and of Nature: Bravery is denominated not from a
fearless undaunted Spirit in the just Defence of Life and Liberty, but
from a daring Defiance of God and Man, fighting, killing and treading
under Foot his fellow Creatures, at the ordinary Command of the Officer,
whether it be right or wrong, and whether it be in a just Defence of
Life, and our Country's Life, that is Liberty, or whether it be for the
Support of Injury and Oppression.

A prudent avoiding causeless Quarrels is call'd Cowardice, and to take
an affront Baseness, and Meanness of Spirit; to refuse fighting, and
putting Life at a Cast on the Point of a Sword, a Practice forbid by the
Laws of God and of all good Government, is yet call'd Cowardice; and a
Man is bound to die duelling, or live and be laugh'd at.

This trumping up these imaginary Things call'd Bravery and Gallantry,
naming them Virtue and Honour, is all from the _Devil_'s new Management,
and his subtil influencing the Minds of Men to fly in the Face of God
and Nature, and to act against his Senses; nor but for his Artifice in
the Management, could it be possible that such Inconsistencies could go
down with Mankind, or they could pass such absurd Things among them for
reasoning; for Example, A is found in Bed with B's Wife, B is the Person
injur'd, and therefore offended, and coming into the Chamber with his
Sword in his Hand, A exclaims loudly, _Why Sir, you won't murder me,
will you? as you are a Man of Honour let me rise and take my Sword_.

A very good Story indeed! fit for no body but the Devil to put into any
Man's Head; But so it is, B being put in mind, forsooth, that he is _a
Man of Honour_, starts back and must act the honourable Part; so he lets
A get up, put on his Clothes and take his Sword; then they fight, and B
is kill'd for his Honour; whereas had the Laws of God, of Nature and of
Reason taken Place, the Adulterer and the Adulteress should have been
taken Prisoners and carried before the Judge, and being taken in the
Fact, should have been immediately sentenc'd, he to the Block and she to
the Stake, and the innocent abus'd Husband had no Reason to have run
any Risque of his Life for being made a Cuckold.

But thus has _Satan_ abus'd the Reason of Man; and if a Man does me the
greatest Injury in the World, I must do my self Justice upon him, by
venturing my life upon an even Lay with him, and must fig