criedthemonk。\"Godforbid！Isaidhemightkillhimprivately，andyouconcludethathemaykillhimtreacherously，asifthatwerethesamething！
Attend，sir，toEscobar’sdefinitionbeforeallowingyourselftospeakagainonthissubject：’Wecallitkillingintreacherywhenthepersonwhoisslainhadnoreasontosuspectsuchafate。He，therefore，thatslayshisenemycannotbesaidtokillhimintreachery，evenalthoughtheblowshouldbegiveninsidiouslyandbehindhisback—licetperinsidiasautatergopercutiat。’Andagain：’Hethatkillshisenemy，withwhomhewasreconciledunderapromiseofneveragainattemptinghislife，cannotbeabsolutelysaidtokillintreachery，unlesstherewasbetweenthemallthestricterfriendship—arctioramicitia。’Youseenowyoudonotevenunderstandwhatthetermssignify，andyetyoupretendtotalklikeadoctor。\"\"Igrantyouthisissomethingquitenewtome，\"Ireplied；
\"andIshouldgatherfromthatdefinitionthatfew，ifany，wereeverkilledintreachery；forpeopleseldomtakeitintotheirheadstoassassinateanybuttheirenemies。Bethisasitmay，however，itseemsthat，accordingtoSanchez，amanmayfreelyslay（Idonotsaytreacherously，butonlyinsidiouslyandbehindhisback）acalumniator，forexample，whoprosecutesusatlaw？\"\"Certainlyhemay，\"returnedthemonk，\"always，however，inthewayofgivingarightdirectiontotheintention：youconstantlyforgetthemainpoint。Molinasupportsthesamedoctrine；andwhatismore，ourlearnedbrotherReginaldmaintainsthatwemaydespatchthefalsewitnesseswhomhesummonsagainstus。And，tocrownthewhole，accordingtoourgreatandfamousfathersTannerandEmanuelSa，itislawfultokillboththefalsewitnessesandthejudgehimself，ifhehashadanycollusionwiththem。HereareTanner’sverywords：’SotusandLessiusthinkthatitisnotlawfultokillthefalsewitnessesandthemagistratewhoconspiretogethertoputaninnocentpersontodeath；butEmanuelSaandotherauthorswithgoodreasonimpugnthatsentiment，atleastsofarastheconscienceisconcerned。’Andhegoesontoshowthatitisquitelawfultokillboththewitnessesandthejudge。\"\"Well，father，\"saidI，\"IthinkInowunderstandprettywellyourprincipleregardingthedirectionoftheintention：butIshouldliketoknowsomethingofitsconsequences，andallthecasesinwhichthismethodofyoursarmsamanwiththepoweroflifeanddeath。
Letusgooverthemagain，forfearofmistake，forequivocationheremightbeattendedwithdangerousresults。Killingisamatterwhichrequirestobewell—timed，andtobebackedwithagoodprobableopinion。Youhaveassuredme，then，thatbygivingaproperturntotheintention，itislawful，accordingtoyourfathers，forthepreservationofone’shonour，orevenproperty，toacceptachallengetoaduel，togiveonesometimes，tokillinaprivatewayafalseaccuser，andhiswitnessesalongwithhim，andeventhejudgewhohasbeenbribedtofavourthem；andyouhavealsotoldmethathewhohasgotablowmay，withoutavenginghimself，retaliatewiththesword。Butyouhavenottoldme，father，towhatlengthhemaygo。\"\"Hecanhardlymistakethere，\"repliedthefather，\"forhemaygoallthelengthofkillinghisman。ThisissatisfactorilyprovedbythelearnedHenriquez，andothersofourfathersquotedbyEscobar，asfollows：’Itisperfectlyrighttokillapersonwhohasgivenusaboxontheear，althoughheshouldrunaway，provideditisnotdonethroughhatredorrevenge，andthereisnodangerofgivingoccasiontherebytomurdersofagrosskindandhurtfultosociety。Andthereasonisthatitisaslawfultopursuethethiefthathasstolenourhonour，ashimthathasrunawaywithourproperty。For，althoughyourhonourcannotbesaidtobeinthehandsofyourenemyinthesamesenseasyourgoodsandchattelsareinthehandsofthethief，stillitmayberecoveredinthesameway—byshowingproofsofgreatnessandauthority，andthusacquiringtheesteemofmen。And，inpointoffact，isitnotcertainthatthemanwhohasreceivedabuffetontheearisheldtobeunderdisgrace，untilhehaswipedofftheinsultwiththebloodofhisenemy？’\"IwassoshockedonhearingthisthatitwaswithgreatdifficultyIcouldcontainmyself；
but，inmyanxietytoheartherest，Iallowedhimtoproceed。\"Nay，\"hecontinued，\"itisallowabletopreventabuffet，bykillinghimthatmeanttogiveit，iftherebenootherwaytoescapetheinsult。Thisopinionisquitecommonwithourfathers。Forexample，Azor，oneofthefour—and—twentyelders，proposingthequestion，’Isitlawfulforamanofhonourtokillanotherwhothreatenstogivehimaslapontheface，orstrikehimwithastick？’replies，’Somesayhemaynot；allegingthatthelifeofourneighbourismorepreciousthanourhonour，andthatitwouldbeanactofcrueltytokillamanmerelytoavoidablow。Others，however，thinkthatitisallowable；andIcertainlyconsideritprobable，whenthereisnootherwayofwardingofftheinsult；for，otherwise，thehonouroftheinnocentwouldbeconstantlyexposedtothemaliceoftheinsolent。’