very few pounds a year would cafe a man of the fcandal of avarice.

1367. He that swells in profperity, will shrink in adverfity.

1368. Where is that advantage under the fun, that any but a madman would be proud of? Or where is that pride itself, that any mortal in his right wits would not find reason to be ashamed of?

1369. There is not the greatest man living, but may ftand in need of the meaneft, as much as the meanest does of him.

1370.

The best way to humble a proud man, is to take no notice of him.

1371. The tallest trees are most in the power of the winds, and ambitious men of the blafts of fortune; great marks are foonest hit.

1372. A person who fquanders away his fortune in rioting and profuseness, is neither just to himself, or others; for, by a conduct of this kind, his fuperfluities flow in an irregular channel, and those that are the most unworthy, are the greatest sharers of them, who do not fail to cenfure him when his fubftance is exhaufted.

1373. If money be not thy fervant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot fo properly be faid to poffefs wealth, as that may be faid to poffefs him.

1374. What man in his right fenfes, that has wherewithal to live free, would make himself a flave for fuperfluities? What does that man want that has enough? Or what is he the better for abundance, that can never be fatisfied?

1375. Tan

1375. Tantalus, it is faid, was ready to perish with thirst, though the water was up to his chin. Change but the name, and every rich mifer is the Tantalus in the fable. He fits gaping over his money, and dares no more touch it, than he dares commit facrilege.

1376. No kind admonition of friends, nor fear of poverty, can make a prodigal become thrifty. The Grecians had a law that denied them their father's fepulchre, that wasted their patrimony. It is wretched to see a house ruined by a prodigal.

1377. The prodigal has as little charity in him as the mifer His flinty foul is not to be touched with any tendernefs, humanity or commiferation; neither poverty nor diftrefs, innocence nor merit, can melt him: That noble truth in facred writ, of a fuperior happiness in giving than receiving, he never experienced.

1378. When Darius offered Alexander 10,000 talents, and to divide Afia equally with him, he anfwered, The earth cannot bear two funs, nor Afia two kings. Parmenio, á friend of Alexander, hearing the great offers Darius had made, faid, Were I Alexander, I would accept them. So would I, replied Alexander, were I Parmenio.

1379. Cleobulus being afked, why he fought not to be advanced to honour and preferment, made this reply; O friend, as long as I ftudy and practife humility, I know where I am; but when I fhall hunt after dignities and promotion, I am afraid I should lose myself.

1380. Turn your carcafe the wrong fide outward (faid the emperoror Aurelius) and be proud, if you can; and

to

to improve your thought, confider what a beauty, age, difeafes, and death, will make of you.

1381. Worldly glory ends with the world; and, for what concerns us, the world ends with our lives. What have we to be proud of? Are not all things perishable? The time of flourishing pride is foon over, and our little greatness is loft in eternity.

1382. He that envieth, maketh another man's virtue his vice, and another's happiness his torment; whereas he that rejoiceth at the profperity of another, is partaker of the fame.

1383. Envy is a paffion fo full of cowardice and shame, that no body ever had the confidence to own it.

1384. A good work is an eafy obligation; but not to fpeak ill, requires only our filence, which cofts us nothing. 1385. Slanderers are like flies; they leap over all a man's good parts, to light upon his fores.

1386. There is an odious spirit in many perfons, who are better pleased to detect a fault, than commend a virtue.

1387. The worthieft people are moft injured by flanderers; as we usually find that to be the best fruit, which the birds have been pecking at.

1388. Socrates, when informed of fome derogating fpeeches one had ufed of him behind his back, made only this facetious reply, Let him beat me too when I am absent.

1389. Envy is fixed only on merit; and, like a fore eye, is offended with every thing that is bright.

1390. Diogenes being afked, How one fhould be rcvenged of his enemy? answered, By being a virtuous and an honeft man.

1391. En

1391. Envious people are doubly miserable, in being afflicted with others profperity, and their own adversity.

1392. Philip of Macedon faid, He was beholden to the Athenian orators for reproving him; for he would endeavour both by words and actions to make them lyers. And Plato hearing it was afferted by fome perfons, that he was a very bad man, faid, I shall take care to live so, that nobody will believe them.

1393. Nothing is truly infamous, but what is wicked; and therefore fhame can never disturb an innocent and virtuous mind.

1394. If we well knew how little others enjoy, it would rescue the world from one fin, there would be no fuch thing as envy upon earth.

1395. The fureft fign of a noble difpofition, is to have no envy in one's nature.

1396. Our induftrious fearch and inquiries fhould chiefly be employed about our own affairs at home; for here we shall find fo many offences in our conversation, fuch variety of perturbations in our fouls, and manifest failures in our duty, that it will take up fo much time to reform them, as not to leave us any leifure to be impertinent or ill-natured in remarking upon the faults of others.

1397. The failings of good men are commonly more published in the world, than their good deeds; and one fault of a well deferving man shall meet with more reproaches, than all his virtues praife: Such is the force. of ill-will and ill-nature.

1398. It is in the power of every man to preferve his probity; but no man living has it in his power to say,

that

that he can preferve his reputation, while there are fo many evil tongues in the world, ready to blast the fairest character; and so many open cars, ready to receive their reports.

1399. It is fancy, not the reason of things, that makes life so uneasy to us as we find. It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone, that can make any body happy or miferable.

1400. Every man has it in his own power, by the force of natural reason, to mafter the temptation of falling either into presumption, or despair.

1401. When Anaxagoras was told of the death of his fon, he only said, I knew he was mortal. So we in all cafualties of life fhould fay, I knew my riches were uncertain, that my friend was but a man. Such confiderations would foon pacify us, because all our troubles proceed from their being unexpected.

1402. None should defpair, because God can help them; and none should prefume, because God can cross them.

1403. A noble spirit muft not vary with his fortune : worft eftate, hope; in the beft, fear; and in all be circumfpect.

In

your

1404. A man cannot be truly happy here, without a well grounded hope of being happy hereafter.

1405. A firm truft in the affiftance of an almighty being, naturally produces patience, chearfulness, and all other difpofitions of mind, that alleviate thofe calamities which we are not able to remove.