RIGHT is no other than RECT-um (Regitum), the paft participle of the Latin verb Regere *. Whence in Italian you have RITTO; and from Dirigere, DIRITTO, DRITTO: whence the French have their antient DROICT, and their modern. DROIT. The Italian DRITTO and the French DROIT being no other than the past participle Direct-um.

In the fame manner our English word JUST is the past par-ticiple of the verb jubere †.

DECREE,

* It cannot be repeated too often, that, in Latin, & fhould always be pronounced as the Greek r; and c as the Greek K. If Regere had been pronounced in our manner, i. e. Redjere; its paft participle would have been Redjitum, Retchtum, not Rectum. And if Facere, instead of Fakere, had been pronounced Faffere; its paft participle would have been Fafitum, Faftum; not Fakitum, Faktum.

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†This important word RECTUM is unnoticed by Voffius. And of the etymology of JUSTUM he himself hazards no opinion. What he collects from others concerning Rego and Jus, will ferve to let the reader know what fort of etymology he may expect from them on other occafions. "REGO, et Rer (quod ex Regis contractum) quibufdam placet effe a geçw, id eft, facio. Ifidorus Regem ait dici a recté agendo. Sed hæc "Stoica eft allufio. Nam planum eft effe a Rego. Hoc Caninius et "Nunnefius non abfurdè pro Rago dici putant: effeque id ab agxw, xata SμETabiσIV. Sed imprimis affentio doctiffimo Francifco Junio, qui fufpi"catur REGO, omniaque ejus conjugata, venire a nomine RAC, quod. "Babyloniis Regem notabat. &c.

"Jus forenfe a jucando aut jubendo dici putant. Alii jus quidem culinarium a juvando deducunt; forenfe autem a jubendo. Recentiores quidam mirificas originationes commenti funt. Sanè Francifcus "Conanus jus civile dici ait a juxta; quia juxta legem fit, et ei ad 66 æquetur

DECREE, EDICT, STATUTE, INSTITUTE, MANDATE, PRECEPT, are all past participles.

F.

What then is LAW?

H.

In our antient books it was written Laugh, Lagh, Lage, and Ley; as Inlaugh, Utlage, Hundred-Lagh, &c.

It is merely the past tenfe and past participle Lag or Læg, of the Gothic and Anglofaxon verb AARGAN, Leczan, ponere: and it means (fomething or any thing, Chofe, Cofa, Aliquid) Laid down-as a rule of conduct.

Thus, When a man demands his RIGHT; he afks only that which it is Ordered he shall have.

æquetur et accommodetur, veluti fuæ regulæ : quod etiam etymon adfert Jod. de Salas. At Galeotus Martius et Francifcus Sanctius tradunt, Jus primâ fuâ fignificatione fignare olera aut pultem: sed "quia in conviviis pares unicuique partes dabantur, ideo metaphoricè "JUS Vocatum, quod fuum unicuique tribuit. Scipio Gentilis fcribit"cùm prifci in agris viverent, fæpeque infirmiores opprimerentur a "potentioribus, eos qui afficerentur, ad mifericordiam excitandam 8 "folitos exclamare. Vult igitur ab 8, JOUS (ut veteres loquebantur) "dictum effe; quia infirmiores nil nifi sus cupiant atque expoftulent.

"Alterum quoque Ervuoλoya idem adfert; ut a Jove fit Jus; quem"admodum Græcis dxn (ut aiunt) quafi Aos xxpn, Jovis filia. Sanè "verifimilior hæc etymologia, quam prior; quam et ii fequuntur, qui 185 8s dici volunt quafi Jovis Os; quia nempe id demum juftum fit, quod "Deus fit profatus."

A RIGHT

A RIGHT Conduct is, that which is Ordered.

A RIGHT reckoning is, that which is Ordered.

A RIGHT line is, that which is Ordered or directed—(not a random extenfion, but) the fhorteft between two points.

The RIGHT road is, that Ordered or directed to be pursued (for the object you have in view.)

To do RIGHT is, to do that which is Ordered to be done.

To be in the RIGHT is, to be in fuch fituation or circumstances as are Ordered.

To have RIGHT or LAW on one's fide is, to have in one's favour that which is Ordered or Laid down.

A RIGHT and JUST action is, fuch a one as is Ordered and commanded.

A JUST man is, fuch as he is commanded to be-qui Leges Juraque fervat *-who obferves and obeys the things Laid down and commanded.

The

*It will be found hereafter that the Latin Lex (i. e. Legs) is no other than our ancestors paft participle Læg. But this intimation (though in its proper place here) comes before the reader can be ripe for it.

In the mean time he may, if he pleases, trifle with Voffius, concerning Ler:

C

"LEX,

The RIGHT hand is, that which Cuftom and those who have brought us up have Ordered or directed us to use in preference, when one hand only is employed: and the LEFT hand is, that which is Leaved, Leav'd, Left; or, which we are taught to Leave out of ufe on fuch an occafion. So that LEFT, you fee, is alfo a paft participle.

F'.

But if the laws or education or cuftom of any country fhould order or direct its inhabitants to ufe the LEFT hand in preference; how would your explanation of RIGHT hand apply to them? And I remember to have read in a voyage of De Gama's to Kalekut, (the firft made by the Portuguese round Africa) that the people of Melinda, a polifhed and flourishing people, are all Left-handed.

H.

With reference to the European custom, the author defcribes them truly. But the people of Melinda are as Right-handed as the Portuguese for they use that hand in preference which

“LEX, ut Cic. 1 de Leg. et Varro, v de L. L. teftantur, ita dicta; "quia Legi foleat, quo omnibus innotefcat. Sunt quibus a Legendo quidem dici placeat; fed quatenus Legere eft Eligere. Auguftinus, "five alius, in quæft. Novi Teftam. "LEX ab Electione dicta eft, ut e multis quod eligas fumas." Aliqui etiam fic dici volunt, non quia populo Legeretur, cum ferretur: quod verum etymon putamus:— "fed quia fcriberetur, Legendaque proponeretur. At minimè audiendus Thomas, quæft. xc. art. 1. ubi LEGEM dici ait a Ligando. Quod ་་ etymon plerique etiam Scholafticorum adferunt."

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is

is Ordered by their custom, and Leave out of employ the other; which is therefore their LEFT hand.

F.

Surely the word RIGHT is sometimes used in some other fenfe. And fee, in this Newfpaper before us*, M. Portalis, contending for the concordat, fays-" The multitude are much

more impreffed with what they are commanded to obey, than "what is proved to them to be RIGHT and JUST." This will be compleat nonfenfe, if RIGHт and JUST mean Ordered and commanded.

II.

I will not undertake to make fenfe of the arguments of M. Portalis. The whole of his speech is a piece of wretched mummery employed to bring back again to France the more wretched mummery of Pope and Popery. Writers on such fubjects are not very anxious about the meaning of their words. Ambiguity and equivocation are their ftrong Holds. Explanation would undo them.

F.

Well, but Mr. Locke ufes the word in a manner hardly to be reconciled with your account of it. He fays" God has a RIGHT to do it, we are his creatures."

H.

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It appears to me highly improper to say, that God has a RIGHT as it is alfo to fay, that God is JUST. For nothing is

Morning Chronicle. Monday, April 12, 1802.