Re-writing a bit of Hobbes as Cicero

The Original: Hobbes, Thomas.  Leviathan.  Chapter 14, Section 31.

The force of words being (as I have formerly noted) too weak to hold men to the performance of their covenants; there are in man’s nature but two imaginable helps to strengthen it. And those are either a fear of the consequence of breaking their word; or a glory or pride in appearing not to need to break it. This latter is a generosity too rarely found to be presumed on, especially in the pursuers of wealth, command, or sensual pleasure; which are the greatest part of mankind. The passion to be reckoned upon, is fear, whereof there be two very general objects: one, the power of spirits invisible; the other, the power of those men they shall therein offend. Of these two, though the former be the greater power, yet the fear of the latter is commonly the greater fear. The fear of the former is in every man his own religion; which hath place in the nature of man before civil society. The latter hath not so; at least not place enough to keep men to their promises; because in the condition of mere nature, the inequality of power is not discerned, but by the event of battle. So that before the time of civil society, or in the interruption thereof by war, there is nothing can strengthen a covenant of peace agreed on against the temptations of avarice, ambition, lust, or other strong desire, but the fear of that invisible power which they every one worship as God; and fear as a revenger of their perfidy. All therefore that can be done between two men not subject to civil power is to put one another to swear by the God he feareth, which swearing, or OATH, is a form of speech, added to a promise; by which he that promiseth signifieth that, unless he perform he renounceth the mercy of his God or calleth to Him for vengeance on himself. Such was the heathen form, Let Jupiter kill me else, as I kill this beast. So is our form, as I shall do thus, and thus, so help me God.  And this, with the rites and ceremonies, which every one useth in his own religion, that the fear of breaking faith might be the greater.

Re-presented as though from Cicero:

SCIPIO: As you know, men do not always hold to their words as they attempt to imitate the laws of natures.  Still, there are ways to keep men more honest.

LAELIUS: And what, may I ask, are they?

SCIPIO: Men, in a state of nature, are driven by a fear of consequences if they do not perform what they have spoken, or the glory they receive in not needing to break with their word.  The latter, a good sense of consciousness, shows moral excellence, but is not achievable in each iteration.

LAELIUS: True, they may often be driven by a desire for wealth or power, or some other pleasure.

SCIPIO: Still, I think you won’t object to finding out about the nature of men’s fears.

LAELIUS: No, nothing seems more apt.

SCIPIO:  Well, the first fear is man’s fear of his fellow.  This we may call the common fear, the one to which all society is subject.  When men look around them, they see other men in the immediate vicinity, and that can create in them a sense of alarm.

LAELIUS: Perhaps they are not always men of good sense?

SCIPIO: No, not always.  But when men find themselves in this state of inequality, fear of another man adds nothing to them, and does not allow them to escape, no more than a fish can escape an eagle.

LAELIUS: I know the very sort of man you mean.

SCIPIO:  Such a man may still be motivated by his fear of God, and turn his pursuit again to that of justice.

LAELIUS: We can hope for nothing greater.

SCIPIO: In order to hasten this return to the laws of nature and the virtue there assigned, men can swear oaths.  By so doing, they recognize that there is one single justice.  The act of swearing helps enforce his promise to goodness, and that if he still fails he renounces God’s mercy.  Thus, the fear of breaking faith may be greater.

LAELIUS: But is it his nature to have a regard for others, or to fear others?  Is man, in nature, more likely to seek goodness or to necessarily defend himself?

[Here a leaf has been lost]