a waggishness, a long-billed Fowl. Errors, indeed, in this virtue of Goodness or Charity, may be committed. The Italians have an ungracious Proverb; Tanto buon che val niente: So good, that he is good for nothing. And one of the Doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had the confidence to put in writing almost in plain terms: That the Chriftian Faith had given up Good Men in prey to those, that are Tyrannical and Unjust.? Which he spake, because, indeed, there was never Law, or Sect, or Opinion did so much magnify Goodness as the Christian Religion doth. Therefore, to avoid the Scandal and the Danger both, it is good to take knowledge of the Errors of a Habit fo excellent. Seek the Good of other Men; but be not in bondage to their Faces or Fancies: for that is but Facility or Softness, which taketh an honest Mind Prisoner. Neither give thou Æsop's Cock a Gem,3 who would be better pleased, and happier, if he had had a Barley-corn. The Example of God teacheth the Leffon truly: He fendeth his Rain, and maketh his Sun to fhine, upon the Juft, and Unjust; but he doth not rain Wealth, nor shine Honour and Virtues upon Men equally. Common Benefits are to be communicate with all; but peculiar Benefits with choice. And beware how in making the Portraiture thou breakest the Pattern: for Divinity maketh the Love of our

because he fufpended in sport a Caprimulgas or Goatfucker over his door with its wide mouth extended by a stick.

2 Cf. Shakefp. K. Hen. VIII, iii. 2; and Pope's Effay on Man Ep. 1, 125-8. Difcorfi fopra Livio, 1. ii, 2.

3 See the Apophthegms, No. 203, p. 222, edit. 1625.

Selves the Pattern, the Love of our Neighbours but the Portraiture. Sell all thou haft, and give it to the poor, and follow me : but fell not all thou haft, except thou come and follow me; that is, except thou have a Vocation wherein thou mayest do as much good with little means as with great : for otherwise, in feeding the Streams, thou driest the Fountain. Neither is there only a Habit of Goodness directed by right Reason; but there is in fome Men, even in Nature, a Difpofition towards it as on the other fide, there is a Natural Malignity. For there be that in their Nature do not affect the Good of Others. The lighter fort of Malignity turneth but to a Croffnefs or Frowardness, or Aptness to oppose, or Difficilness, or the like; but the deeper fort to Envy, and mere Mischief. Such Men, in other men's Calamities, are, as it were in season, and are ever on the loading Part; not fo good as the Dogs that licked Lazarus' Sores, but like Flies, that are still buzzing upon any Thing that is raw: Misanthropi, that make it their Practice to bring Men to the Bough, and yet have never a Tree for the purpofe in their Gardens, as Timon had. Such Difpofitions are the very Errors of Human Nature: and yet they are the fittest Timber to make great Politiques of: like to knee Timber, that is good for Ships that are ordained to be toffed, but not for building Houses that shall ftand firm. The

5

4 Mark x. 21.

i. e. the part which is moft heavily laden.

6 See Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, act v. fc. 2.
7 i. e. politic perfons.

Parts and Signs of Goodness are many: If a Man be gracious and courteous to Strangers, it fhews he is a Citizen of the World, and that his Heart is no Ifland cut off from other Lands, but a Continent that joins to them. If he be compaffionate towards the Afflictions of others, it fhews that his Heart is like the noble Tree that is wounded itself when it gives the Balm. If he eafily pardons and remits Offences, it fhews that his Mind is planted above Injuries; so that he cannot be shot. If he be thankful for small Benefits, it shews that he weighs Men's Minds, and not their Trash. But above all, if he have St. Paul's Perfection, that he would wish to be an Anathema from Chrift, for the Salvation of his Brethren, it fhews much of a Divine Nature, and a kind of Conformity with Chrift himself.

8

XIV. Of Nobility.'

E will speak of Nobility first as a Portion of an Estate; then as a Condition of Particular Perfons. A Monarchy, where there is no Nobility at all, is ever a pure and absolute Tyranny, as that of the Turks for Nobility attempers Sovereignty, and draws the Eyes of the People fomewhat aside from the Line Royal. But for Democracies they need

Romans ix. 3.

This Effay has been entirely rewritten. See Antitheta, No. 1.

it not; and they are commonly more quiet, and lefs fubject to Sedition, than where there are Stirps2 of Nobles; for Men's Eyes are upon the Business, and not upon the Perfons; or if upon the Perfons, it is for the Business' fake, as fittest, and not for Flags and Pedigree. We see the Switzers laft well, notwithstanding their Diversity of Religion and of Cantons; for Utility is their Bond, and not Refpects. The United Provinces of the Low Countries in their Government excel: for where there is an Equality the Confultations are more indifferent, and the Payments and Tributes more cheerful. A great and Potent Nobility addeth Majesty to a Monarch, but diminisheth Power and putteth Life and Spirit into the People, but preffeth their Fortune. It is well, when Nobles are not too great for Sovereignty nor for Justice; and yet maintained in that height, as the Infolency of Inferiors may be broken upon them before it come on too fast upon the Majesty of Kings. A Numerous Nobility causeth Poverty and Inconvenience in a State; for it is a Surcharge of Expense; and befides, it being of Neceffity that many of the Nobility fall in time to be weak in Fortune, it maketh a kind of Difproportion between Honour and Means.

As for Nobility in particular Perfons; it is a Reverend Thing, to fee an Ancient Castle or Building not in decay; or to fee a fair Timber Tree found and perfect; how much more to behold an Ancient Noble Family, which hath ftood 2 This Latinifm fignifies a stock, trunk, or race.

;

against the Waves and Weathers of Time? For new Nobility is but the Act of Power; but Ancient Nobility is the Act of Time. Thofe that are firft raised to Nobility are commonly more Virtuous, but lefs Innocent, than their Defcendants; for there is rarely any Rifing but by a Commixture of good and evil Arts. But it is Reafon the Memory of their virtues remain to their Pofterity, and their Faults die with themfelves. Nobility of Birth commonly abateth Induftry; and he that is not induftrious envieth him that is. Befides, Noble perfons cannot go much higher; and he that ftandeth at a stay when others rife, can hardly avoid Motions of Envy. On the other fide, Nobility extinguifheth the paffive Envy from others towards them, because they are in Poffeffion of Honour. Certainly, Kings that have Able Men of their Nobility fhall find eafe in employing them, and a better Slide into their Bufinefs: for People naturally bend to them as born in fome fort to Command.

xv. Of Seditions and Troubles.

HEPHERD SofPeople had need know the Calendars of Tempefts in State, which are commonly greatest when Things grow to Equality; as Natural Tempests are greatest about the Equinoctia. And as there are certain hollow Blafts of Wind and

E