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different than the Rewards of both are juft; the firft, which fecks Dangers, often avoids them; the others often runs into them, by endeavouring to escape them.

*The Advantages of Time and Place are enough to make a Poltron Valiant. There's nothing fo Couragious as a Coward if you put him out of Danger.

*Many a Bragging Coxcomb is ruin'd by a miftake of Fear in an Enemy, and a fancy of Cou!rage in himfelf.

Conftancy, Inconftancy.

Onftancy in Love is generally a perpetual Inconfancy, which fixes our Hearts to all the Accomplishments of the Party beloved fucceffively; fometimes admiring one, fometimes another: So that this Conftancy is no better than a fickle Humour fettled, if I may fo fpeak, and confin'd within the compafs of one Perfon.

Conftancy in Love, is of two forts: One proceeds from the discovery of new Perfections, in thofe we Love; the other from a point of Honour, and a taking a pride in being Conftant.

There is an Inconftancy that proceeds from an unfetled Judgment, a natural Levity and Weakness, that efpoufes all Opinions as they come, and thinks as other People think; and there is another much more excufable, that arifes from a dislike and difapproving of the things themselves.

The Violence fome Men ufe upon themselves to be Conftant to what they Love, is little better than Inconftancy.

There

There is no reafon to reproach Inconftancy, as a great Crime; it is no more in the power of certain Perfons to love, or not to love,than to be in health or out of order. All that one can reasonably demand from fickle Perfons, is ingenuoufly to acknowledge their Levity, and not to add Treachery to Inconftancy.

It is ordinary with fome to exclaim against Inconftancy, and to decry thofe that defert them; when at the fame time they are glad to have an Example of Change: For it happens but too often that the best establish'd Friendships, the most strict Confidences infenfibly flacken; then we feek a Quarrel, we feem to be angry, to the end of finding fome pretence to fet our felves at liberty.

Conftancy, Refolution.

THe Conftancy of Philofophers is often nothing elfe but the knack of concealing their fecret Refentments and Perturbations.

We often fancy to be Conftant and Patient in our Misfortunes, when we are truly dejected and caft down: We fuffer without daring to hold up our Heads, juft as Cowards let themfelves be knock'd o'th' Head, becaufe they have not Courage enough to ftrike again.

No Man can be truly good and fweet-Natur'd without Conftancy and Refolution; They that feem to be fo, have commonly an Eafiefs that quickly turns peevish and fowre.

Conftancy or Refiftance in Misfortunes, is only dwelling longer upon our Miferies; it appears the moft amiable Vertue to those who are under no Afflictions, but is truly a new load to fuch as are.

Crimes,

Crimes, Ills, Harm.

Some Crimes not only pafs for innocent, but also

get Honour and Renown, by being committed, with more Pomp by a greater Number,and in a higher degree of Wickedness than others. Thus publick Robberies and Plunderings are ftil'd Noble Atchievements; and the Ufurping whole Countries, is dignified with the glorious Title of gaining Conquefts.

We eafily forget our Faults, when no body takes notice of them.

Some Men are fo good, that one cannot fairly believe any thing ill of them, without the demonftration of feeing it our felves: But never any were fo good, that we fhould be aftonifh'd when we do fee it.

Thofe that find no difpofition in themselves to be guilty of great Faults, are not apt upon flight Grounds to fufpect others of them.

Our Repentances are generally not fo much a Concern and Remorfe for the Ills we have done; as a dread of those we are in danger of fuffering. Innocence does not find near fo much Protection as Guilt.

The Ill we do never brings fo much Hatred and Perfecution upon us, as our good Qualities.

Men frequently do good, only to get an opportunity of doing ill with greater Security.

It is fafer to do fome Men Hurt, than to do them too much good,

No man can be truly Good, but fuch as are in a Station that gives them the Power of Revenging the Wrongs that are done them.

* Reafon and Confcience are fo Sacred, that the

greatest

greatest Villanies are ftill Countenanced under that Cloak and Colour.

Quarrels would never laft long, were the Wrong only of one fide.

Some Hero's have been accounted fo for being greatly Ill,no less than others for being greatly Good. We often forgive thofe that have injur'd us, but we can never Pardon those we have injur'd.

There are but few Men wife enough to know all the Mischief they do.

The Violences we commit upon our felves, are of tentimes more painful, than those which other People ufe towards us.

There are fome mischievous Men in the World, that would not be able to do half fo much hurt, if they had no Goodnefs at all.

Nothing more difcredits the Violence of Wicked Men, than the Moderation of the Good; and Perfecutors never become more odious, than by the Wisdom of those whom they Perfecute.

Innocence is no Protection against the Arbitrary Cruelty of a Tyrannical Power: for accufing is proving, where Malice and Force are join'd in the Profecution: Arguments then are but foolish Things, nay the very Merits, Vertues, and good Offices of the Perfon accus'd, are improved to his Condemnation.

CUS TO M.

*Custom is the Plague of Wife Men, and the Idol

of Fools.

There is no Life fo regular, where particular Actions don't fometimes exceed the general habit and conduct.

* Men's

* Men's Thoughts are much according to their Inclinations; their Difcourfe and Speech is accor ding to their Learning and infufed Opinions; but their Deeds are after, as they have been accustomed. Cuftom is a violent and treacherous School-Miftrefs, fhe by little and little, flily and unperceived, flips in the foot of her Authority; but having by this gentle and humble beginning, with the benefit of Time, fix'd and establish'd it; fhe then Unmasks a furious and tyrannick Countenance, against which we have no more the Courage, or the Power fo much as to lift up our Eyes.

Our greateft Vices derive their firft Propenfity from our most tender Infancy, and our principal Education depends upon the Nurse. Yet fuch Wife Fathers there are in the World, who look upon it as a notable mark of a Martial Spirit, when they hear their Sons mifs-call, or fee them domineer over a poor Peafant, or a Lacquey, that dares not reply nor turn again; and a great fign of Wit, when they fee them Cheat and Over-reach their Play-fellows, by fome malicious Trick of Treachery and Deceit; not confidering that these are the true Seeds of Cruelty, Tyranny and Treafon; They bud and put out there, and afterwards fhoot up vigoroufly, and grow to a prodigious Bulk and Stature, being cultivated and improved by Cuftom. Therefore, it is a very dangerous Miftake to excuse these vile Inclinations, upon the Tenderness of their Age, and the Trivialnefs of the Subject.

The Laws of Confcience, which we pretend to be derived from Nature, proceed from Cuftom, every one having an inward Veneration for the Opinions and Manners approved and received amongst his own People; and he cannot without very great Reluctancy, depart from them, nor apply himself

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