720. There is no condition that does not fit well upon a wife man; for this reason, I shall never quarrel with a philofopher for living in a palace, but shall, at the same time, not excufe him, if he cannot content himself with a cottage. I fhall not be scandalifed to behold him in the apparel of kings, provided he has not their ambition.

721. By looking back into history, and confidering the fate and revolutions of government, you will be able to draw a guess, and almost prophesy upon the future; for, things past, prefent, and to come, are ftrangely uniform, and of a colour, and are commonly caft in the fame mould so that, upon the matter, forty years of human life may ferve for a fample of ten thousand.

722. To be afraid of death, is to be long a dying.

723. The difficulty is not fo great, to die for a friend, as to find a friend worth dying for.

724. It is a dangerous thing in all commonwealths, by continual punishments, to hold the minds of subjects in fufpicion; for men ever fearing their ruin, will, like those in despair, refolve to fave themselves any way, and fo attempt innovations. All capital executions ought therefore to be done fuddenly, fo to fecure the minds of men from further cruelties.

725. It is ill logick to argue from particulars to generals; and where the premises are fingular, to conclude univerfally.

726. Privileges founded upon private laws, only, are neither to be pleaded nor granted in bar to the publick fafety, which is the fupreme law.

727. Nothing fo wins upon the obftinate, and melts the

most

most obdurate minds, like mild and gentle ufage; even filence, when it fhews fubmiffion and not fullenness, is more apt to perfuade, than angry arguments used in oppofition. There is an unaccountable force in meekness, patience, and forbearance; they excite a sense of shame, gratitude, and honour.

728. The very best way to make your children love and refpect you when you are old, is to teach them absolute obedience when they are young, that being the first virtue a child is capable of. Certainly nothing finks deeper, or takes fafter root in the mind of a man, than those rules and precepts learned when a child. Solon made a law, that those parents should neither be relieved nor regarded in their old age by their children, who took no care, by a good and virtuous education in their youth, to instruct them in all the principles of their duty. Socrates fays, he that makes his fon worthy of esteem, by giving him a liberal education, has a far better title to his obedience and duty, than he that gives him a large estate without it. 729. Revealing fecrets is, by Sir Richard Steele, called a diabetic paffion, a kind of incontinence of the mind, that retains nothing; perpetually, and almost infenfibly, evacuating all.

730. If, by concealing one man's fault, I be injurious to another, I affume the guilt I conceal; and by the laws, both of God and man, am judged an acceffary.

731. Men of great and elevated fpirits have fufferings and enjoyments peculiar to themselves.

732. All men are naturally good, when no refpect of profit or pleasure draws them to become evil; but the

corrup

corruption of this world, and our frailty is fuch, as cafily, and often for our particular intereft, we incline to the worft; which was the caufe that wife lawgivers found out rewards and punishments, the one to invite men to be good, the other to deliver them from being evil.

733. In a ftate divided by fects and parties, the leader of any fide is able to kindle civil war, yet he is unable to moderate the victory: for to ftir up feditions and troubles, the worst man commonly bears the ftroke; but peace and quietnefs are only fettled by men of rare gifts, and excellent virtue.

734. Marriage, that should be a fountain of all bleflings and enjoyments, proves often, by the disposition of a man's fortune, a heavy burden that crushes him down: It is then that a wife and children are a ftrong temptation to deceit and unaccountable gains; and that a man finds himself betwixt two very extremes, knavery and indigence.

735. The reafon why women have a greater fhare in ftate intrigues in France, than they generally have in England, is, becaufe France is governed by men, and England by laws; the former they know how to manage, the latter they are not bred to understand.

736. A man that has no good quality but courage, is in a very ill way towards making an agreeable figure in the world, becaufe that which he has fuperior to other people, cannot be exerted, without raifing himself enemies; (the fatirift is in the fame condition). To know barely how to flaughter men, to be better skilled than others in rooting out fociety, and destroying nature, is to excel in a very fatal science.

737. Chil

737. Children that are not fenfible of fhame, are for the most part perverfe, ill-natur'd, and indocible; on the contrary, bashful children are most commonly obferved to be very towardly and difciplinable; apt to learn, and easily taught.

738. Covetoufness is either an unlawful defire of what is none of our own, or a too greedy delight in what is fo. 739. What fignifies praife to them that are above it? Truth itself, in a dedication, is like an honeft man in a disguise, or visor mafque, and will appear a cheat by being dreffed fo like one. A man is no more in reafon obliged for his picture in a dedication, than to thank a painter for that on a fign-post; except it be a less injury to touch the most facred part of him in his character, than to make free with the countenance only.

740. Things read lose ten thoufand beauties which they have when spoken; they have not that spirit and life, but look ftiff, and dead; are not fo free and natural, nor appear with that fort of grace, spirit and affection, that things which are spoken do.

741. Women engage themselves to the men by the favours they grant them; men, on the contrary, difengage themselves from the women by the favours they receive.

742. A woman that has but one gallant, thinks herself to be no coquet; fhe that has feveral, concludes herself no more than a coquet.

743. Women

Women complain of their lovers inconftancy without reafon. Their humours, their faces, their charms, daily change: Why fhould men be debarred the fame privilege?

744. Love

744. Love is the most unaccountable of all paffions, for it is never fo violent, but one unexpected action may turn it to hatred.

745. It is the part of a prudent man to be moderate in good fortune. A brave retreat is as great as a brave enterprize. When a man has acted great exploits, he ought to fecure the glory of them, by drawing off in time. The more profperities croud one upon another, the more flippery they are, and fubject to a reverse. Fortune is weary to carry one and the fame man always upon her fhoulders.

746. The women would fain lay the faults of their conduct at the men's doors: They tell us, they would not fin, if we did not tempt them: We anfwer, we should not tempt them, if they did not invite us.

747. What contributes to make the fpring time of our life uncapable of the advantages of a true and folid friendship, is, that young men, generally speaking, hate even the very idea of virtue; that name gives them as much horror as its contrary pleases them; and as they look upon its rewards to be only in reverfion, they conclude that it is time ill fpent to fet up for wisdom, and to consult reason, when they should indulge their senses.

748. The belief of a God is the best foundation of ́all pleasures, and an intire dependence on him never suffers a man to be without fatisfaction in profperity, nor comfort in adverfity. A well regulated mind does not only taste delights in the enjoyment of any good it receives, but it alfo difcovers dainties in it, to thank its

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