Thereisanotherdegreeofnegligencewhichdoesnotinvolveinitanysortofinjustice。Thepersonwhoisguiltyofittreatshisneighboursashetreatshimself，meansnoharmtoanybody，andisfarfromentertaininganyinsolentcontemptforthesafetyandhappinessofothers。Heisnot，however，socarefulandcircumspectinhisconductasheoughttobe，anddeservesuponthisaccountsomedegreeofblameandcensure，butnosortofpunishment。Yetifbyanegligence3*ofthiskindheshouldoccasionsomedamagetoanotherperson，heisbythelawsof，I
believe，allcountries，obligedtocompensateit。Andthoughthisisnodoubtarealpunishment，andwhatnomortalwouldhavethoughtofinflictinguponhim，haditnotbeenfortheunluckyaccidentwhichhisconductgaveoccasionto；yetthisdecisionofthelawisapprovedofbythenaturalsentimentsofallmankind。
Nothing，wethink，canbemorejustthanthatonemanshouldnotsufferbythecarelessnessofanother；andthatthedamageoccasionedbyblamablenegligence，shouldbemadeupbythepersonwhowasguiltyofit。
Thereisanotherspeciesofnegligence，4*whichconsistsmerelyinawantofthemostanxioustimidityandcircumspection，withregardtoallthepossibleconsequencesofouractions。Thewantofthispainfulattention，whennobadconsequencesfollowfromit，issofarfrombeingregardedasblamable，thatthecontraryqualityisratherconsideredassuch。Thattimidcircumspectionwhichisafraidofeverything，isneverregardedasavirtue，butasaqualitywhichmorethananyotherincapacitatesforactionandbusiness。Yetwhen，fromawantofthisexcessivecare，apersonhappenstooccasionsomedamagetoanother，heisoftenbythelawobligedtocompensateit。Thus，bytheAquilianlaw，theman，whonotbeingabletomanageahorsethathadaccidentallytakenfright，shouldhappentoridedownhisneighbour’sslave，isobligedtocompensatethedamage。
Whenanaccidentofthiskindhappens，weareapttothinkthatheoughtnottohaverodesuchahorse，andtoregardhisattemptingitasanunpardonablelevity；thoughwithoutthisaccidentweshouldnotonlyhavemadenosuchreflection，butshouldhaveregardedhisrefusingitastheeffectoftimidweakness，andofananxietyaboutmerelypossibleevents，whichitistonopurposetobeawareof。Thepersonhimself，whobyanaccidentevenofthiskindhasinvoluntarilyhurtanother，seemstohavesomesenseofhisownilldesert，withregardtohim。Henaturallyrunsuptothesufferertoexpresshisconcernforwhathashappened，andtomakeeveryacknowledgmentinhispower。Ifhehasanysensibility，henecessarilydesirestocompensatethedamage，andtodoeverythinghecantoappeasethatanimalresentment，whichheissensiblewillbeapttoariseinthebreastofthesufferer。Tomakenoapology，tooffernoatonement，isregardedasthehighestbrutality。Yetwhyshouldhemakeanapologymorethananyotherperson？Whyshouldhe，sincehewasequallyinnocentwithanyotherbystander，bethussingledoutfromamongallmankind，tomakeupforthebadfortuneofanother？Thistaskwouldsurelyneverbeimposeduponhim，didnoteventheimpartialspectatorfeelsomeindulgenceforwhatmayberegardedastheunjustresentmentofthatother。