er end (or they may thank themselves) than to
protect the liberty of every private man, which by that means comes to
be the liberty of the commonwealth.

But seeing they that make the laws in commonwealths are but men, the
main question seems to be, how a commonwealth comes to be an empire of
laws, and not of men? or how the debate or result of a commonwealth is
so sure to be according to reason; seeing they who debate, and they who
resolve, be but men? "And as often as reason is against a man, so often
will a man be against reason."

This is thought to be a shrewd saying, but will do no harm; for be it so
that reason is nothing but interest, there be divers interests, and so
divers reasons.

As first, there is private reason, which is the interest of a private
man.

Secondly, there is reason of state, which is the interest (or error,
as was said by Solomon) of the ruler or rulers, that is to say, of the
prince, of the nobility, or of the people.

Thirdly there is that reason, which is the interest of mankind, or of
the whole. "Now if we see even in those natural agents that want sense,
that as in themselves they have a law which directs them in the means
whereby they tend to their own perfection, so likewise that another law
there is, which touches them as they are sociable parts united into one
body, a law which binds them each to serve to others' good, and all to
prefer the good of the whole, before whatsoever their own particular; as
when stones, or heavy things, forsake their ordinary wont or centre,
and fly upward, as if they heard themselves commanded to let go the good
they privately wish, and to relieve the present distress of nature in
common." There is a common right, law of nature, or interest of the
whole, which is more excellent, and so acknowledged to be by the agents
themselves, than the right or interest of the parts only. "Wherefore,
though it may be truly said that the creatures are naturally carried
forth to their proper utility or profit, that ought not to be taken
in too general a sense; seeing divers of them abstain from their own
profit, either in regard of those of the same kind, or at least of their
young."

Mankind then must either be less just than the creature, or acknowledge
also his common interest to be common right. And if reason be nothing
else but interest, and the interest of mankind be the right interest,
then the reason of mankind must be right reason. Now compute well; for