928. It is rare to fee a man decline in his fortune, that has not first declined in his wisdom and prudence.

929. In Cato's discourse concerning his death, as it is represented by Tully in his book of old age, "I am (fays he) tranfported with a defire of seeing my forefathers, thofe excellent perfons, of whom I have heard, and read, and writ; and now I am going to them, I would not willingly be drawn back again into this world. If fome God would offer me at this age to be a child again, and to cry in the cradle, I would earnestly refuse it, and upon no terms accept it; and now that my race is almost run, and my course just finished, how loth fhould I be to be brought back, and made to begin again! What advantage is there in life, nay rather what labour and trouble is there not in it? But let the benefit of it be what it will, there is certainly fome measure of life, as well as of other things, and men ought to know when they have enough. O bleffed and glorious day, when I fhall go to the great affembly and council of spirits, and have got out of this tumult and fink!" If a heathen, that had but fome obfcure glimmerings of another life, and of the bleffed state of departed fouls, could speak thus chearfully of death; how much more may we, who have a clear and undoubted revelation of those things, and to whom life and immortality are brought to light!

930. It is violating all the laws of nature, to treat perfons fuperior to us by their quality and station, employs or age, in a familiar way. Familiarity is not fufferable but among equals: And tho' people fometimes wave their privileges, yet ought we not to forget our

duty,

duty, and treat them otherwife than their character demands. Liberties of this kind befpeak a fordid education, and perfect ignorance of decorum.

931. What we call friendship is no more than an intercourse of society; it is only a mutual care aud management of interefts, and an exchange of good turns and fervices. In a word, it is only a fort of traffick, in which felf-love has always profit in prospect.

932. The decrees of heaven are wrapped up in the clouds, and the events of future things hidden in the dark from the eyes of mortal men. The wifeft counfels may be discompofed by the smallest accidents, and the fecureft peace of states, and kingdoms, may be disturbed by the lightest paffions, as well as the deep defigns of those who govern them. For though the wife reflections of the best hiftorians, as well as the common reasonings of private men, are apt to afcribe the actions and counfels of princes to intereft or reasons of state; yet whoever can trace them to their true fpring, will be af ter forced to derive them from the fame paffions, and personal dispositions, which govern the affairs of private lives.

933. Though the several members of a church may seem to compofe but one body, yet they have a particular religion, accommodated to every one's temper, humour, inclination, quality, and the perfons they converfe with.

934. Fine talents, and eminent qualities, are not fufficient, of themselves, to purchase the esteem and affection of men. It is moreover requifite not to applaud ourfelves for them, nor make too pompous, a difplay of

them;

them; for if you affume too great an afcendant, you will bring all the world upon your back, your merit will become a rock of offence, and be more to your prejudice than advantage; because we feel a fecret indignation against those that eclipfe us, and fpare nothing to excufe ourselves from fo ungrateful a fuperiority.

935. Rather modeftly bear the praises that are given you, and you deserve, than reject them with a mysterious and affected roughness; it is equally ridiculous to be too fond of praise, and to refuse it with too manifest an affectation; admit what is civilly and obligingly faid to you, or dexterously turn the discourse, so as they that speak to you may have no reason to repent their commendation, or look upon you as an unbred or brutal man.

936. Keep a low fail at the entrance of your estate; you may rife with honour, but cannot go back without shame.

937. It is a great mark of weakness to be eternally complaining of your misfortunes, and deafening all you meet with the account of them; we feek to folace and amuse our affections by these recitals, but, in my mind, we ought to conceal our difgraces from all but those that can remedy them.

938. The will of God is not, in us, an impression that he receives from without, but an inward felf-centering principle, that both derives from, and terminates in himfelf.

939. How calmly do thofe glide through all, even the roughest, events, who can but make a right estimate of the happiness, as well as the virtue of a governable will, refigned to God's! How does it enervate and enfeeble

!

any calamity nay, indeed, it triumphs over it, and, by that conjunction with him that ordains it, may be said to command even what it fuffers. It was a philofophical maxim that a wife moral man could not be injured, could not be miferable; but fure it is much more true of him, who has that divine wisdom of christian refignation, that twists and inwraps all his choices with God's, and is neither at the pains nor hazards of his own election, but is fecure, unlefs omniscience can be deceived, and omnipotence defeated, he shall have what is really beft for him.

940. There is no truth more evident, than that fomething must be from eternity. I never yet heard of any one fo unreasonable, or that could suppose so manifest a contradiction, as a time wherein there was perfectly nothing; this being of all abfurdities the greatest to imagine, that pure nothing, the perfect negation and absence of all being, should ever produce any real existence.

941. There never was found any pretended confciencious zeal, but it was always moft certainly attended with a fierce fpirit of implacable cruelty..

942. No treachery is fo mortal, as that which covers itself under the mask of fanctity.

943. There is fomething particular, that pleases in a gentleman's converfation, when he is well bred: No body can define it, yet every body is fenfible when they meet it, or when they miss it.

944. No injuries are fo fenfible to mankind in general, as those of scorn; and no quarrels pursued between princes, with fo much sharpness and violence, as those

i

which arife from perfonal animofities, or private paffions, to which they are fubject like other men.

945. Though it may be an argument of great wit, to give ingenious reafons for many wonderful appearances in nature; yet it is an evidence of fmall judgment, to be pofitive in any thing, but the acknowledgment of our own ignorance.

946. It is an unhappy thing for princes to be fometimes neceffitated to promife, when they know it would not be prudence to perform.

947. He who has learning, and not difcretion to use it, has only the advantage of having more ways to expose himself.

948. There are abundance of obfcene, and a great many more railing and fatirical wits, but very few delicate. A man must have manners and politeness, to trifle with a good grace, and a copious fancy, to play handfomely on little things, to create matter of raillery, and make something out of nothing.

949. Undertake not with rashness, nor perform with indifference; the one fhews a weak mind, the other a Alothful difpofition.

950. The jealous man's life is fpent in pursuit of a fecret, which deftroys his happiness if he chance to find it: If he does not fee to the bottom of every thing, he will be fure to go beyond it in his fears and suspicions.

951. It is of the last importance to feafon the paffions of a child with devotion, which feldom dies in a mind that has received an early tincture of it. Though it may feem extinguished for a while by the cares of the world,