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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

ners, and the state of society in general ; by forming associationsto accomplish what he cannot do by his unassisted endeavours ;by disseminating useful knowledge and good principles ; by set-ting an example of industry, temperance, and public spirit; byprojecting or encouraging useful enterprises ; by encouraging thesupport of schools and churches ; by introducing improvementsin agriculture, new inventions in machinery, &c.

1. It may be well to glance at some legal considerations, andprinciples of a general nature, pertaining to the duties of goodneighbourhood. It is often said, that “ it is lawful for every manto do what he will with bis own ; that he may use his own prop-erty and his person as he pleases, and even his tongue and his pen,if he always adheres to the truth. But, as a rule of universalapplication, nothing can be more erroneous. It is always subjectto this essential limit and modification, that no injury be therebydone to his neighbour.” As has been said before, the rule ofthe municipal law, as far as it can be enforced by human sanc-tions, is identical with the golden rule of our Saviour, by whichwe are required to do to others as we would wish them to doto ourselves, in an exchange of situation and circumstances.*“ Thus, in general, a man may lawfully erect what buildings hepleases on his own land ; but yet not so as to deprive his neigh-bour of the light to which he has acquired a title by long and un-interrupted enjoyment. He may carry on what trade he pleases ;yet not so as to render the air unwholesome to others, or essen-tially to impair their comfort. He may govern his family withmore or less regulation, and manage his affairs with much or littlenoise, as he pleases ; yet, when his house becomes the scene ofcommon brawls, or the noise made on his premises becomes in-tolerable to his more quiet neighbours, he becomes the subjectof legal animadversion. He may employ his capital in the pur-chase of goods at his pleasure ; yet, should he buy up the wholestock in market of any one article of the necessaries of life, cornfor example, — with a view to create a scarcity and enhance theprice for his own advantage, the law would regard him as nothingbetter than a ‘ rogue in grain,’ and punish him accordingly. He

See above, p. 214.