4. And especially offences must be prevented, and the honour of the Sovereign and safety of the people be preserved: If Laws be not executed, they and the Law-giver will be despised; others will be let loose, and invited to do evil, and no man's right will have any security by the Law. Therefore it is a Principle in Politics, that Poena debetur reipublicae; it is the Common-wealth to which the punishment of offenders is due, that is, it is a means which the Ruler oweth them for their security. And Cato was wont to say, See mall pro collato beneficio nullam reportare gratiam, quàm pro maleficio perpetrato non dare poenam. Plutar. Apoth. Rom. He had rather miss of thanks for his kindnesses and gifts, than of punishment for his faults. And was wont to say, that Magistratus qui maleficos prohibere possent, & tamen impunitate donarent, lapidibus ol ruendos esse, ut Reipub. perniciosissimos. A hundred such sayings are in Cicero, Offic. 3. Quotusquisque reperietur qui impunitate propositâ abstinere possit injuriâ. Impunitas peccandi maxima est illecebra: De Natur. Deor. 3. Nec domus, nec Respubl. stare potest, si in ea nec recte factis praemia extent ulla, nec supplicia peccatis. In Verrem 5. est utilius unius improbi supplicio multorum improbitatem coercere, quàm propter multos improbos uni parcere. Offic. 1. Non satis est eum qui lacesserit, injuriae suae penitere; ut ipse nequid tale posthac committat, & caeteri sint ad injuriam tardiores. This is the common sense of all that know what it is to govern.
4. And especially offences must be prevented, and the honour of the Sovereign and safety of the people be preserved: If Laws be not executed, they and the Law-giver will be despised; others will be let loose, and invited to do evil, and no man's right will have any security by the Law. Therefore it is a Principle in Politicks, that Poena debetur reipublicae; it is the Common-wealth to which the punishment of offendors is due, that is, it is a means which the Ruler oweth them for their security. And Cato was wont to say, Se malle pro collato beneficio nullam reportare gratiam, quàm pro maleficio perpetrato non dare poenam. Plutar. Apoth. Rom. He had rather miss of thanks for his kindnesses and gifts, than of punishment for his faults. And was wont to say, that Magistratus qui maleficos prohibere possent, & tamen impunitate donarent, lapidibus ol ruendos esse, ut Reipub. perniciosissimos. A hundred such sayings are in Cicero, Offic. 3. Quotusquisque reperietur qui impunitate propositâ abstinere possit injuriâ. Impunitas peccandi maxima est illecebra: De Natur. Deor. 3. Nec domus, nec Respubl. stare potest, si in ea nec recte factis praemia extent vlla, nec supplicia peccatis. In Verrem 5. est utilius unius improbi supplicio multorum improbitatem coercere, quàm propter multos improbos uni parcere. Offic. 1. Non satis est eum qui lacesserit, injuriae suae penitere; ut ipse nequid tale posthac committat, & caeteri sint ad injuriam tardiores. This is the common sense of all that know what it is to govern.
