Fourthly, deny not Justice, which is Regia mensura, to the meanest Subject: but let the Cause of the poor and needy ⟨p. 183⟩come in equal balance with the rich and mighty. If thou perceivest on the one side in a cause, the* high hills of cunning advantage, powerful combination, and violent prosecution; and on the other side, the low valleys of poverty, simplicity, and desolation: prepare thy way (as God doth) to judgment, by† raising Valleys, 3and taking down Hills, equally inequality: that so thou mayest lay the Foundation of thy sentence upon an even ground. In matters of right and wrong 'twixt party and party, let thy Conscience be careful, rather *Jus dicere, to pronounce the Law that is made, secundùm allegata & probata; than Jus dare, to make a Law of thine own, upon the authority of sic volo, si jubeo, fearing that fearful Malediction,5 Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbour's Land-Mark. 6In Trials of Life and Death, let Judges, like Elohim, in justice remember mercy; and so cast the severe Eye of Justice upon the Fact, as that they look with the pitiful eye of Mercy upon the Malefactor, wresting the favour of Law, to the favour of Life, where Grace promiseth amendment: but if Justice requireth, that† one rather than unity, must perish, and that a rotten member must be* cut off, to save the whole body from putrefying; fiat Justitia. But whilst thou art pronouncing the sentence of judgment on another, remember that thine own judgment hangs over thy head. In all causes therefore judge aright; for thou shalt ⟨p. 184⟩be sure to find a righteous Judge, before whom thou must shortly appear to be judged thy self: at what time thou mayest leave to thy friend this for thine Epitaph: Nuper eram Judex, jam judicis ante tribunal Subsistens, paveo: judicor ipse modo.
Fourthly, deny not Justice, which is Regia mensura, to the meanest Subject: but let the Cause of the poor and needy ⟨p. 183⟩come in equal balance with the rich and mighty. If thou perceivest on the one side in a cause, the* high hills of cunning advantage, powerful combination, and violent prosecution; and on the other side, the low valleys of poverty, simplicity, and desolation: prepare thy way (as God doth) to judgment, by† raising Valleys, 3and taking down Hills, equally inequality: that so thou maist lay the Foundation of thy sentence upon an even ground. In matters of right and wrong 'twixt party and party, let thy Conscience be careful, rather *Jus dicere, to pronounce the Law that is made, secundùm allegata & probata; than Jus dare, to make a Law of thine own, upon the authority of sic volo, si jubeo, fearing that fearful Malediction,5 Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbour's Land-Mark. 6In Trials of Life and Death, let Judges, like Elohim, in justice remember mercy; and so cast the severe Eye of Justice upon the Fact, as that they look with the pitiful eye of Mercy upon the Malefactor, wresting the favour of Law, to the favour of Life, where Grace promiseth amendment: but if Justice requireth, that† one rather than unity, must perish, and that a rotten member must be* cut off, to save the whole body from putrefying; fiat Justitia. But whilst thou art pronouncing the sentence of judgment on another, remember that thine own judgment hangs over thy head. In all causes therefore judge aright; for thou shalt ⟨p. 184⟩be sure to find a righteous Judge, before whom thou must shortly appear to be judged thy self: at what time thou maist leave to thy friend this for thine Epitaph: Nuper eram Judex, jam judicis ante tribunal Subsistens, paveo: judicor ipse modo.
