The Blacklaws' Natural Laws

The Blacklaws’ Natural Laws

Other titles: Hobbestown’s Eight Customs, the Natural Laws, Blacklaw Customs.

Stranger, go tell your lawmakers that, with these customs, we lawless few live well.

1. Here we endeavor sincerely to keep the peace, but when that fails, we defend ourselves with all the means at our disposal.
2. Here we remember that what we do to others, others can and will do to us.
3. Here we put reasonable effort into accommodating others, no more nor less.
4. Here, when we harm others, we either volunteer fair recompense, or accept vendetta; when we are harmed, we accept fair recompense, and do not let vendetta go too far.
5. Here we endeavor not to harm or monopolize communal things.
6. Here we do not act on rash rumor, but do heed well-weighed opinion.
7. Here we do not harm or hinder peacemakers, arbiters, ambassadors, or those working for the public good, nor do we undo their work without good cause.
8. Here those chosen to be arbiters try to be fair, and those who consent to have a disagreement settled by an arbiter accept the judgement, and let matters end.

This, and the Black Laws, are rawly graven upon the gates of Hobbestown, where dwell those self-soverign beings, those “mortal gods” that bow to no Hobbesian Leviathan.

While ‘governed’ is not accurate, it is perhaps accurate to say that Hobbestown is led by the Rumormonger, who knows much of what is true and false: “Custom requires updating the rumormonger on all gossip,” writes Mycroft.