The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two PartsDefoe, Daniel
Philosophy
The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts
Defoe, Daniel
Devil -- Early works to 1800
This sowing the Seeds of Strife in the World, and bringing Nations to
fight and make War upon one another, would take up a great Part of the
_Devil_'s History, and abundance of extraordinary Things would occur in
relating the particulars; for there have been very great Conflagrations
kindled in the World, by the Artifice of Hell, under this Head, (_viz._)
of making War; in which it has been the _Devil_'s Master-piece, and he
has indeed shewn himself a Workman in it, that he has wheedled Mankind
into strange unnatural Notions of things, in order to propagate and
support the fighting Principle in the World; such as Laws of War, fair
Fighting, behaving like Men of Honour, fighting at the last Drop, and
the like, by which killing and murdering is understood to be
justifiable. Virtue and a true Greatness in Spirit is rated now by Rules
which God never appointed, and the Standard of Honour is quite different
from that of Reason and of Nature: Bravery is denominated not from a
fearless undaunted Spirit in the just Defence of Life and Liberty, but
from a daring Defiance of God and Man, fighting, killing and treading
under Foot his fellow Creatures, at the ordinary Command of the Officer,
whether it be right or wrong, and whether it be in a just Defence of
Life, and our Country's Life, that is Liberty, or whether it be for the
Support of Injury and Oppression.
A prudent avoiding causeless Quarrels is call'd Cowardice, and to take
an affront Baseness, and Meanness of Spirit; to refuse fighting, and
putting Life at a Cast on the Point of a Sword, a Practice forbid by the
Laws of God and of all good Government, is yet call'd Cowardice; and a
Man is bound to die duelling, or live and be laugh'd at.
This trumping up these imaginary Things call'd Bravery and Gallantry,
naming them Virtue and Honour, is all from the _Devil_'s new Management,
and his subtil influencing the Minds of Men to fly in the Face of God
and Nature, and to act against his Senses; nor but for his Artifice in
the Management, could it be possible that such Inconsistencies could go
down with Mankind, or they could pass such absurd Things among them for
reasoning; for Example, A is found in Bed with B's Wife, B is the Person
injur'd, and therefore offended, and coming into the Chamber with his
Sword in his Hand, A exclaims loudly, _Why Sir, you won't murder me,
will you? as you are a Man of Honour let me rise and take my Sword_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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