body deserves the jealousy of another, who will give any juft occafion for it.

1225. He that trims between two interefts, lofes himfelf with both, when he comes to be detected, for being true to neither.

1226. The knowing of others well is a fair step to gain an afcendant and maftery over them; for the man that is throughly known, depends, in fome measure, upon the perfon that knows him.

1227. There are fome fort of people that never look into a book, and yet, with their own stock of natural parts, have a better fenfe of things, that depend upon clear and true reafon, than fome great and bookish profelors.

1228. Government can no more fubfift without fubjection, than the multitude can agree without government; and the duty of obliging is no lefs of divine appointment, than the authority of commanding.

1229. They who give the firft shock to a state, are ordinarily the first overwhelmed in its ruin. The fruits of publick commotions are seldom enjoyed by him who was the first mafter: He only troubles the water for another's net; and beats the bufh, whilft another gets the hare. 1230. A prince should conftantly reflect that he governs men, and that he himself is but a man.

1231. The affability of fome great men, is to make us believe their goodness greater than their fortune.

1232. Jealousy is the greatest of evils, and pitied by thofe that occafion it.

yet

the least

1233. There

1233. There is an eloquence, a certain fimplicity, which: furpaffes all ornament; and the more fimple any discourse is, the more true, noble, and magnificent will it appear; like those uncultivated places, which nature has so much enriched by their fituation, as to allow no room for additional beauties and improvements.

1234. It is a pleasure to stand upon the fhore, and to fee fhips toffed upon the ocean; a pleasure to stand in the window of a caftle, and behold a battle, its adventures, and fuccefs: but no pleasure like that of standing upon the advantage ground of truth, (a hill not to be commanded, and where the air is ever clear and ferene) and to see the errors, the wanderings, the mifts, and tempests in the vale below; fo always, that this prospect be with pity, not with contemptuous pride. It is, certainly, heaven upon earth to have a man's mind move in charity, reft in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.

1235. He who is in poffeffion of the fupremest dignity, and can mount no higher, has but one way left to distinguish himself, that is, by his humility, because governors of the world need fear nothing lefs than the making themselves too cheap, by a condefcenfion of this

nature.

1236. Affumed and falfe greatness is brutish and inacceffible; as fhe is confcious of her foible, fo does fhe conceal herself, at least, fhe never fhews a full face, and but just so much as is requifite to impofe upon the spectators, and to hide the real imperfections, which are truly mean and contemptible: but true greatness is free, gentle, familiar, and popular; is tractable, and easy of

ac

accefs; lofes nothing by a close enquiry; the more she is feen, the more admired: as her goodness inclines her to bend to her inferiors, fo, without constraint, she refumes her native dignity. She abandons, neglects herself, and divefts herself of her native privileges. She dares fmile, play, and trifle, but always with fome fort of dignity, so that The may be approached with liberty, and reserve, at the fame time. Her character is noble, eafy, infpires refpect and confidence, and makes the rulers of the world appear great, nay, very great, without making us fenfible of our littleness and infignificancy.

1237. In the judgment of Pliny the younger, that perfon has the greatest honour, and purcft morals, who is ready to pardon all mistakes in other people, as if he himfelf offended daily; and at the fame time fo rigorously abftains from all appearance of evil, as if he forgave no body.

1238. It is much easier to know what men are in general, than to know a fingle man in particular.

1239. It is fo ufual with most men to judge of things fo very flightly and fuperficially, that the most ordinary. words and actions, fet off with a good grace, and fome little knowledge how matters go in the world, very often gain a man more reputation than the most profound wifdom and learning.

1240. As the abfence of an ill prince feldom fails of raising difquiets and commotions among the people, in a government which is obeyed only from fear; fo nothing contributes more to the fatisfaction and obedience of fubjects, than the prefence of a good king: and this is the

reafon

reason why all diftant provinces, governed by commiffions, or fubordinate authorities, are fo fubject to frequent feditions and revolts, how lawfully foever they are inherited, or how well foever they are established, after any new conqueft or acquifition; the force and influence of authority growing ftill weaker by the change of hands, and distance of place.

1241. Reasons of state are so very intricate, that a good minifter can hardly be a good man.

1242. Courage is not always innate; and men may learn to be brave, as well as to exercise a battalion.

1243. Intereft puts men upon exercifing virtues and vices, as the occafion requires.

1244. An author speaking in his prince's commendation, fays, He thinks himself one of us, and this confideration renders him ftill more glorious. For remembering always that he commands men, he is lefs apt to forget that he is one of that number.

1245. The ambitious are generally deceived, and impose most of all upon themselves, when they propose some certain end; for when they have once attained this purpose, it only inflames their minds, and ferves as the means to fome new pursuit.

1246. When great men fink under the length and preffure of disappointments, it is plain they fupported them by the vigour of their ambition, and not by the greatness of their minds; and that, excepting an exceffive vanity, your heroes are made just like other men; but they have never failed of flatteries, living or dead.

1247. The picture of Oliver Cromwell, as it is drawn

by

by a French gentleman deferves notice. A man appeared, who was endowed with an incredible depth of judgment. In hypocrify, as exquifitely refined, as seen in politicks; capable of undertaking and conducting every defign with the greateft fecrecy; who trufted nothing to fortune, which he could poffibly put out of her power by counfel or forefight; but withal fo vigilant, and fo prepared for every turn, that he never fuffered the leaft opportunity to escape him, with the which fhe presented him. In a word, he was one of those restless and daring fpirits, which feemed created on purpose to turn the world upfide down. He was good-natured and cruel, as it best fuited his intereft; he had not the leaft faith in religion, honour in his words, or fidelity in his friendship, any farther than the appearance of those virtues could any ways contribute to the aggrandizing of himself. He underflood, better than any man, the art of putting in practice the grimaces and hypocritical cant of all fectaries; and which way to conceal, under an humble and popular demeanour, an unbounded ambition. In fhort, he poffeffed, in the most eminent degree, the qualities of a great politician; and nothing was wanting to his fortune, but the attaining it by more justifiable measures, a greater extent of days, and having children worthy of fucceeding him. He was a great man, with refpect as well to his virtues as vices; fince having attained to a power and rank of acting as arbitrarily as he pleafed, he led, however, a life of continency, fobriety, modefty, vigilancy, and in business, was ever indefatigable: but was ftill under the dominion of a restless and boundlefs ambition, and

was