al commissions, they might permit all their
subjects to plunder the enemy, as was formerly practised; and the
permission they granted to those privateers was not the cause of the
damage they did to our allies, since any private person may, without
such permission, fit out vessels, and sail on a cruize. Besides, it was
impossible to foresee that these privateers would turn out wicked; and
there is no taking such precautions as to employ only honest men. When a
prince's troops, whether by sea or land, contrary to his order, injure
his friends, he is not responsable for it; as appears from what has been
acknowledged by France and England. To make one answerable for the acts
of those who are in his service, even when no fault of his gave any
occasion to them, would be to decide the question not by the law of
nations, but by the civil law; and even the rule is not general in the
civil law.

The States were determined by this opinion.

FOOTNOTES:

[68] De jure belli et pacis, lib. 2. c. 17. sec. 20.

XXV. The multitude of affairs with which Grotius was oppressed, and the
continual journeys he was obliged to make, left him no time for
cultivating Polite Literature. In the midst of his occupations Du
Maurier, the French Ambassador in Holland, and his particular friend,
having resolved to begin a course of study, applied to Grotius for
directions. We shall here give an extract from his answer[69], because
it may be of use to grown persons desirous of acquiring literary
accomplishments.

He shortened his method as much as he could out of regard to Du
Maurier's age, dignity, and affairs. He advises him to begin with Logic,
not that of Aristotle, which is too long, and contains many things of no
great use: an abridgment was sufficient, such as Du Moulin's, the most
esteemed at that time. "But your assistant, says he, must read the best
that has been written on the subject, and communicate to you what is
most remarkable: much may be learnt in an hour or two spent in this
manner." The same method he would have observed in the other sciences,
and even with regard to books; that is to say, the person under whom Du
Maurier studies must read the best writers on every subject; and extract
what is most essential, to be repeated to him. After Logic he directs
him to the study of Physics, which he would not have carried too far;
and recommends some plain and short abridgement: he could think of none
at that time but _Jacchaeus_. He i