Pot. Just., Book V, chap. xxi

VI. Book III, chap. n (Of the Social Con tract), chap. m (of Promises), 2 e éd., vol. I, pp. 190 sqq.

42. D'où un des principaux paradoxes de la morale de Godwin : la critique du contrat, de la loi, de l'institution du mariage. « The institution of marriage isa System of fraud... Marriage is a law, and the worst of ail laws. Whatever our understandings may tell us of the perso n, from whose connexion we should dérive the gréa test improvement, of the worth of one woman and the demerits of another, we are obliged to consoler what is law, and not \\hat is justice. »

(Pp. 82-88) NOTES. 319

43. Pour arriver à cette conclusion, il suffisait à Godwia do transformer en objection cette observation de Hume (TreaHse, Book III, part. II, sect. II) sur Tidée de justice : « A single act of justice is frequently contrary to public interest ; and were it lo stand alone, without being followed by otber acts, may, in itself, be very prejudicial to society, When a man of merit, of a beneficent disposition, restores a great fortune to a miser, or a seditious bigot, he bas acted justly and laudably ; but tbe public is the real sufferer » .

44. 11 convient dénoter que, sur un point important, Godwin rompt avec la tradition de Hobbes, que Bentham avait suivie ; au lieu d'affirmer, par naine de nominaliste contre les universaux, que la justice est un produit de la loi positive, il affirme que la justice est une vérité, antérieure aux lois, et que les lois ne font qu'énoncer, que constater. — - Book V, chap. i : Législation has already appeared to be a term not applicable to human society. Men cannot do more than déclare and interprète law ; nor can tbere be an autbority so paramount, as to bave tbe prérogative of making tbat to be law, whieh a bs tract and immutable justice had not made to be law previously totbat interposition.— Book II, chap. v (2* éd.) : Législation... is not an affair of human compétence. Immutable reason is the true legislator, and lier decrees it behoves us to investigate. The funclions of society ex tend, not to tbe making, but the interpreting of law ; it cannot decree, it can only déclare thatwhich the nature of things has already decreed,and the propriety of which irresistibly flows from the circumstances of the case... Ail government is strictly speaking executive.