Interest Does more in the World then Faith and Honesty; for Men are more
sensible in their own Case then in Anothers; which is all but according
to the Old Saying, _Command your Man, and Do’t Your Self_. Neither, in
Truth, is it Reasonable, that Another should be more Careful of Me, then
I am of myself. Every Man’s Bus’ness is Best Done when he looks after it
with his Own Eyes: And in short, _when Every Man looks to One, the Care
is taken for All_.
We are likewise given to understand, in the Misfortune, and Mistake of
the _Stag_, how Rare a Felicity it is for a Man in Distress, to find out
such a Patron as has the Will and the Resolution, the Skill, and the
Power, to Relieve him; and that it is not Every Man’s Talent neither
to make _the Best of a Bad Game_. The Morality of this Caution is as
good a Lesson to Governments, as to Private Families. For a Prince’s
Leaving his Bus’ness Wholly to his Ministers without a Strict Eye over
them in their respective Offices and Functions, is as Dangerous an
Errour in _Politiques_, as a Master’s Committing All to his Servants
is in _Oeconomicks_. It is Effectually a Translation of the Authority,
when a Superiour trusts himself Implicitly to the Faith, Care, Honesty
and Discretion of an Inferiour. To say nothing of the Temptation to
Bribery and False Dealing, when so much may be Gotten by’t with so
Little Hazzard, either of Discovery, or Punishment. Beside the Desperate
Inconvenience of setting up a Wrong Interest, by drawing Applications
out of the Proper Channel; and Committing the Authority and Duty of the
Master to the Honesty and Discretion of the Servant. Men will be True to
themselves how Faithless soever to One Another.