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much the furer, as they are grounded on Expe

rience.

It is as hard to define the Court, as to give a true Name to changeable Colours.

The Country is the Place from whence the Court, as in its true diftance, appears a thing full of Charms, and worth our Admiration. But if a Man come near it, its Perfections decrease, just as thofe of a fine Landskip, when you behold it at a close view.

The Court does neither make a Man happy, nor fuffer him to be fo elsewhere.

As it is good for a Gentleman to Travel, fo it is to fee the Court, when he firit comes to it, he discovers there, as it were, a new World, where Vice and Politeness have an equal fway, and where a Man advantageoufly improves both good and bad Qualities.

The Court is like a ftately Edifice, of Marble, I mean, because thofe that compofe it, are very hard, but very well Polish'd.

Nothing fo deforms certain Courtiers, as the Prefence of the Prince; it fo alters their Air,and debafes their Looks, that a Man can fcarce know them by their Faces. Proud infolent Men are the moft disfigur'd, for they lofe moft of their own; but a modelt Man keeps his natural Countenance; he has nothing to reform.

It is oftentimes as dangerous to make the first fteps at Court, as it is not to make them.

You are a Good Man, you neither court the Favour, nor the Refentments of Favourites; you mind your own Bufinefs, and wholly apply your felf to your Prince and Duty. Mark my Prophecy, lou are undone.

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Slept

As difficult as it is to get a confiderable Place at Court, it is much harder yet to make one's felf worthy of it.

It is hard to determine which of the two is the greater fhame, either to be deny'd a Place we deferve, or granted one we deferve not.

*Courtiers generally pay Services with Smoak and fair Words, and ufe a World of unprofitable Ceremony to mortifie an Honeft Man.

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Courage, Valour, Cowardife.

The love of Honour and Glory, the fear of Shame, the defign of promoting an Intereft, the defire of making Life cafie and comfortable, and the longing of pulling down others, are oftentimes the causes of that Valour, fo much extoll'd in the World.

Valour in private Soldiers, is a hazardous Trade, to which they have bound themselves to get a Livelyhood.

Perfect Valour and abfolute Cowardice are Extreams that few Men fall into. The vaft middle fpace contains all the other kinds and degrees of Courage, which differ no lefs from one another than Men's Faces or their Humours. Some Men are Valiant even to Temerity, in the beginning of an Action, that are eafily difheartned and dejected, if it continue: Some fatisfie themfelves with having done what was neceffary to maintain their -Honour and Reputation, and will hardly be prevail'd upon to do any thing befides: Some have the command of their Fears, and Mafter them only -by intervals Others are fometimes carried away

by general 7 errors: Others throw themselves into the Action, not daring to maintain their own Post: The Courage of fome has been inur'd and harden'd against great Dangers, by their habit and familiarity with fmall ones: Some are valiant with a Sword, that fear a Musket-Shot; and others are unconcern'd at the difcharge of a Musket, and frighted at the fight of a naked Sword. All these different forts of Courage agree in this, that night as it encreases the Fear, fo it conceals both brave and bafe Actions,and gives every body opportunity of faving himself. There is ftill another more general Tenderness of a Man's felf, for you meet with no body that does as much as he would be capable to do,if he was but fure to come off fafe: So that it is very plain, that let a Man be never fo Stout,yet the fear of Death does certainly give fome damp to his Courage.

True Valour confifts in doing without Witneffes, what a Man is capable to do before all the World.

Intrepidity is an extraordinary Strength of Mind, which raises us above the Troubles and Perturbations which the Profpect of Dangers is apt to produce: And by this ftrength it is, that Heroes remain undisturbed, and preferve the free use of their Reafon, amidst the most amazing and terrible Accidents.

Intrepidity is requifite to buoy up the Mind in Plots and Confpiracies; but Valour is alone fufficient to give a Man conftancy of Mind in honourable Actions, and the hazards of War.

Moft Men expose themselves enough in an Engagement to fecure their Honour; but very few are willing to expofe themfelves fo far as the Defign they go upon requires, to render it fuc

Men

Men are as fond of their Lives, as defirous of getting Honour, which is the reafon why Men of Gallantry ufe as many dextrous Shifts and Stratagems to decline Death, as your Litigious Knaves do to fecure their Eftates.

He cannot answer for his own Courage, who has never been in any danger.

Cowardice is a dangerous Failing to tell those of, that we would reclaim from.

Valour was affign'd to Men, and Chastity to Women, as their principal Vertues, because they are the hardest to practife: When these Vertues are not fuftain'd, and kept up either by Conftitution or Divine Grace, they foon grow faint, and fall prefently a Sacrifice to the love of Life and Pleafure.

If a Man would define Victory, he must be tempted to call her with the Poets, The Daughter of Heaven; fince her Original is not to be found upon Earth: And indeed it is the effect of a thoufand Actions, which inftead of aiming at it, have no other Profpect than the particular Intereft of each Combatant. For all thofe that make up an Army feeking their own Honour and Preferment, procure fo great and fo univerfal a Good.

Cowards can never be fit for great Undertakings; Their eafie belief of Dangers, fuppreffes their best form'd Defigns, and fo confounds their Judgments, that imaginary Sufpicions pafs with them for real Obftacles.

Of all Enemies thofe of a Cowardly Temper are moft to be feared; their want of Courage, makes 'em ufe private Revenges and Treacheries, when a Valiant Man attacks you openly, and gives you warning that you may ftand upon your Guard.

Cowards are of all Men the most Distrustful, Credulous and Cruel. Their fearful Conftitution makes

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makes them apprehenfive of imaginary Dangers, and Enemies and puts them upon revenging Plots and Confpiracies, which have oftentimes no reality, but in their wounded Fancy!

Courage, without the foftnefs of Humane Courtefie and Candor, is but a favage and outragious Brutality.

Let the Numbers be what they will, that Army is ever beaten where the fright firft enters.

Natural Infirmities are well nigh infuperable; and Men that are Cowards by Complexion, are hardly to be made Valiant by Difcourfe: But they are confcious yet of the Scandal of that Weakness, and may make a fhift, perhaps, to reafon themselves now and then into a kind of temporary Refolution, which they have not the power afterwards to go through with.

The Law of Refolution and Conftancy, does not imply that we ought not as much as in us lies to decline and to fecure our felves from the Mischiefs and Inconveniencies that threaten us; nor confequently that we fhall not fear, left they should Surprize us: On the contrary, all honeft ways and means of fecuring our felves from Harms, are not only permitted, but moreover Commendable, and the Bufinefs of Conftancy chiefly is, bravely to stand to, and ftoutly to fuffer thofe Inconveniencies which are not otherwife poffible to be avoided.

Valour has its Bounds as well as other Vertues, which once transgrefs'd, the next step is into the Territories of Vice: So that by having too large a proportion of this Heroick Vertue, unless a Man be very Perfect in its Limits, he may very eafily unawares run into Temerity, Obftinacy and Folly. The effects of Courage and of Fear are no lefs

different

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