we are little, and because there are others less then we that respect us.

XXIX. We ought to be very much referv'd upon the Great Ones: There is generally a great deal of Flattery in the Praise we give them; and it is as dangerous to speak ill of them when they are alive, as 'tis bafe when they are out of the way.

* XXX. It is a common thing for Men to hate the f Authors of their Preferments, as the Witneffefs of their mean Original.

XXXI. A Man that enters the World must be Induftrious, but not affected in disclosing his Abilities; The best way is to obferve a Gradation, for the lowest steps to Greatness are the most fecure; but fwift Rifes are often attended with precipitate Falls; and what is fooneft got, is generally fhort in the Poffeffion.

XXXII. A Man rais'd to Grandures, that makes others find their Fortunes in his, joins a great Merit to a great Happiness: He is not the more happy by the Wealth which he enjoys, than by that which he knows how to give.

* XXXIII. 'Tis a Confolation for Inferiour Perfons to find their Infirmities in those that have the Authority to govern them? and a great delight to those that are diftinguished by Power, to be made, like others, for Pleasures.

* XXXIV. He that is afham'd of a mean Condition, would be proud of a Splendid one.

* XXXV. Great Men had need borrow other Mens Opinions, to think themselves happy; for if they judge by their own Feeling, they cannot find

it.

* XXXVI. In Place there is Licenfe to do Good and Evil, whereof the latter is a Curfe; for in

Evil the best Condition is not to Will, the fecond not to Can; but power to do Good is the true and lawful end of Afpiring; for good Thoughts, tho' God accept them, yet towards Men are little better than good Dreams, except they be put in ufe, and that cannot be without Power and Place.

* XXXVII. A Place fhews the Man; fome for the better, and fome for the worse.

* XXXVIII. It is an affur'd fign of a worthy and generous Spirit, whom Honour mends; for Honour is, or fhould be, the place of Virtue: And as in Nature things move violently to their Place, and calmly in their Place: So Virtue in Ambition is violent, in Authority fettled and calm.

* XXXIX. Oftentation and Pride, upon the account of Honours and Preferments, is much more offenfive, than upon any perfonal Oualifications. It argues Men do not deferve great Places, when they can value themfelves upon them; if a Man would be truly valued, the way to it is to be illustriously Good: For even the greatest Men are more refpected for the Eminence of their Parts and Virtue, than for that of their Fortune.

* XL. Great Offices and great Honours, are most truly faid to be great Burdens: The flavery of them is but fo much the greater, because it concerns the Service of the Publick, who of all Masters is the hardeft to be pleas'd.

XLI. 'Tis no finall Misfortune for Great Men to have but few things to wish or hope for, and to have thoufands to lofe.

XLII. The Prepoffeffions of the Vulgar for Men in Power and Authority are fo blind, and they are fo generally admired in every thing they do, that if they could bethink themselves of being

Good,

the

C

the Multitude would Worship them as Deities. XLIII. The Great Ones do generally defpife Witty Men, who have nothing but Wit; Witty Men, on the contrary have no value for the Great Ones who have nothing but Greatness. Good Men pity both thofe that have Wit, and those that have Greatnefs without Virtue.

XLIV. 'Tis an unaccounttable Paffion of Lucili

us, to prefer the perpetual Trouble he is at, to make d himself fuffered in the Company of Men of Quality, t before the free and comfortable enjoyment of his equals.

XLV. To difcern true Merit, and reward it when a Man has found it out, are two great Steps to make at once, and fuch as few of the great ones are capable of.

* XLVI. 'Tis in the power of Fortune to humble the Pride of the mighty, even by the most despicable Means. Wherefore let no Creature, how great, or how little foever, prefume on the one fide, or difpair on the other.

* XLVII. The Happiness of Great Men confifts in having Witty Men about them, who clear them from the difficulties of Ignorance. To entertain Wife Men, is a Grandeur Surpaffing the Barbarous haughtiness of that fame Tigranes, who prided himself in being ferv'd by Kings whom he had Conquer'd. It is a new kind of Dominion, to make thofe Our Servants by Art, whom Nature has made Our Mafters. Man has much to know, and but a fhort time to Live, and he Lives not at all, if he know nothing at all. It is therefore as Singular piece of Skill to Study without pains, and to Learn much by Learning of all. After all, let him who cannot have Wisdom for a Servant, endeavour at least to have it for a Companion.

Envy,

HOW

Envy.

TOW burdenfom foever an Indigent Man may be to us, yet we hardly resent any joy at those Advantages, which drew him from our dependance; and likewife the pleasure we find in the Preferment of a Friend, is in fome measure counterballanc'd by a fecret Envy of his being rais'd above, or at least made equal to us; fo that we are not one with our felves: For tho' we are Glad to have Dependants, yet we are loth to part with any thing of our own upon their account; and tho' we may Wish our Friends well, yet when they come to rise, rejoycing at it, is not the first thing we do.

II. We are too too apt to think other People more Happy, and our felves lefs, than in Truth, they, or we are; which Savors of Malevolence on the one hand, and of Ingratitude on the other. Nay, it falls out many Times, that the Envious Perfons are rather to be envy'd of the two. To fpeak properly, and to the Point, there is no fuch thing as Happiness or Mifery in this World (commonly fo reputed) but by comparison, neither is there any Man fo Miferable, as not to be Happy; or fo Happy, as not to be Miferable, in fome refpect or other: Only we are apt to envy our Neighbours the Poffeffion of thofe Advantages that we want, without ever giving Thanks for the Bleffings, that they want, and we our felves enjoy. Now this Mixturé in the Diftributions of Providence, duely confider'd, ferves to make us eafie, as well as necellary to

one another; and fo to unite us in a Consistence both of Friendship and of Civil Convenience: For it is no lefs requifite, to maintain a Truck in the matter of Moral Offices, and Natural Faculties, than in the common bufinefs of Negotiaion and Commerce; and Humane Seciety cannot more fubfift without the one than without the other.

III. If you be rais'd to a confiderable Preferment, 'tis matter of Prudence in you not to let your Benefactor understand that you expect nothing from him: And tho' your Fortune may be thought equal to his by other People, yet it highly concerns you, that he have another Opinion of it: For as long as he fhall look upon you as his inferiour, he will be still protecting you out of Vanity; but if otherwife, he will strive to put you down out of Envy.

IV. Those who do well, fhould deferve alone to be envied; but there is a sweeter, more Noble, and allowable fort of Vengance upon those who give us that Jealoufy, which is, an Emulation to do better.

*V. Tho' it be Prudence to Slight Envy, yet that Contempt is a small matter now a days: Gallantry Works a far better effect. He cannot be fufficiently prais'd, who fpeaks well of him that speaks ill. There's not any Revenge more Heroick than that which Torments Envy by doing Good. Every good Succefs is a Strapado for the Envious Man, and the Glory of his Corrival is a Hell to him. To make a Man's happiness to be a Poifon to his Envi ers, is held to be the most vigorous punishment that they can endure: For they die as often as they hear the Praises of the Envied revive.

* VI. Envy accufes that which is perfect of the Fault, of being without a Fault: And the perfecter

the