I am very sensible, that the office I have now taken upon me will engage me in the disquisition of many weighty points that daily perplex the youth of the British nation, and therefore I have already discussed several of them for my future use; as, How far a man may brandish his cane in the telling a story, without insulting his hearer? What degree of contradiction amounts to the lie? How a man should resent another's staring and cocking a hat in his face? If asking pardon is an atonement for treading upon one's toes? Whether a man may put up [with] a box on the ear received from a stranger in the dark? Or, Whether a man of honour may take a blow off his wife? With several other subtleties of the like nature.
For my direction in the duties of my office, I have furnished myself with a certain astrological pair of scales which I have contrived for this purpose. In one of them I lay the injuries, in the other the reparations. The first are represented by little weights made of a metal resembling iron, and the other in gold. These are not only lighter than the weights made use of in avoirdupois, but also than such as are used in troy weight. The heaviest of those that represent the injuries amount but to a scruple; and decrease by so many subdivisions, that there are several imperceptible weights which cannot be seen without the help of a very fine microscope. I might acquaint my reader, that these scales were made under the influence of the sun when he was in Libra, and describe many signatures on the weights both of injury and reparation: but as this would look rather to proceed from an ostentation of my own art than any care for the public, I shall pass it over in silence.
The letter of the 7th instant, inquired for by another of the 11th, came to hand.
[189] The Masters in Chancery sat on the bench with the Lord Chancellor, but he was the sole judge of the court.
From _Tuesday, Nov. 14_, to _Thursday, Nov. 16, 1710_.
Quisnam igitur liber? Sapiens, sibi qui imperiosus, Quem neque pauperies, neque mors, neque vincula, terrent: Responsare cupidinibus, contemnere honores Fortis, et in se ipso totus, teres atque rotundus, Externi ne quid valeat per leve morari; In quem manca ruit semper fortuna.----