| Friday Decr. 24. 1762

i.I	  Of Jurisprudence.

Jurisprudence is the theory of the rules by which civil
governments ought to be directed.

It attempts to shew the foundation of the different systems of
government in different countries and to shew how far they are
founded in reason.

We will find that there are four things which will be the
design of every government:

1  The first and chief design of every system of government is
to maintain justice; to prevent the members of a society from
incroaching on one anothers property, or siezing what is not
their own. The design here is to give each one the secure and
peacable possession of his own property. (The end proposed by
justice is the maintaining men in what are called their
perfect rights.) When this end, which we may call the
internall peace, or 2  peace within doors, is | secured, the
government will next be desirous of promoting the opulence of
the state. This produces what we call police. Whatever
regulations are made with re . . .