The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11) — Thomas Hobbes — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
To speak to another with consideration, to appear before him with
decency, and humility, is to honour him; as signs of fear to offend. To
speak to him rashly, to do any thing before him obscenely, slovenly,
impudently, is to dishonour.
To believe, to trust, to rely on another, is to honour him; sign of
opinion of his virtue and power. To distrust, or not believe, is to
dishonour.
To hearken to a man’s counsel, or discourse of what kind soever is to
honour; as a sign we think him wise, or eloquent, or witty. To sleep, or
go forth, or talk the while, is to dishonour.
To do those things to another, which he takes for signs of honour, or
which the law or custom makes so, is to honour; because in approving the
honour done by others, he acknowledgeth the power which others
acknowledge. To refuse to do them, is to dishonour.
To agree with in opinion, is to honour; as being a sign of approving his
judgment, and wisdom. To dissent, is dishonour, and an upbraiding of
error; and, if the dissent be in many things, of folly.
To imitate, is to honour; for it is vehemently to approve. To imitate
one’s enemy, is to dishonour.
To honour those another honours, is to honour him; as a sign of
approbation of his judgment. To honour his enemies, is to dishonour him.
To employ in counsel, or in actions of difficulty, is to honour; as a
sign of opinion of his wisdom, or other power. To deny employment in the
same cases, to those that seek it, is to dishonour.
All these ways of honouring, are natural; and as well within, as without
commonwealths. But in commonwealths, where he, or they that have the
supreme authority, can make whatsoever they please, to stand for signs
of honour, there be other honours.
A sovereign doth honour a subject, with whatsoever title, or office, or
employment, or action, that he himself will have taken for a sign of his
will to honour him.
The king of Persia, honoured Mordecai, when he appointed he should be
conducted through the streets in the king’s garment, upon one of the
king’s horses, with a crown on his head, and a prince before him,
proclaiming, _thus shall it be done to him that the king will honour_.
And yet another king of Persia, or the same another time, to one that
demanded for some great service, to wear one of the king’s robes, gave
him leave so to do; but with this addition, that he should wear it as
the king’s fool; and then it was dishonour. So that of civil honour, the
fountain is in the person of the commonwealth, and dependeth on the will
of the sovereign; and is therefore temporary, and called _civil honour_;
such as magistracy, offices, titles; and in some places coats and
scutcheons painted: and men honour such as have them, as having so many
signs of favour in the commonwealth; which favour is power.
[Sidenote: Honourable.]
_Honourable_ is whatsoever possession, action, or quality, is an
argument and sign of power.
[Sidenote: Dishonourable.]