have his own approv'd, and shelter his own Adions under the Authority of another: On the other fide, he that gives it, returns, as one would think, the Confidence of others with an ardent and impartial Zeal, and yet has generally no other aim, but his own Honour or Intereft.

There goes as much VVisdom and Ability in the improving of a Friend's Advice, as in the advifing and conducting one's felf.

'Tis no difficult matter to give good Advice, but 'tis a hard one to make a Man improve it.

It is harder to keep one's felf from being Managed, than to manage and govern others.

There is need of as much Difcretion to give Advice, as Compliance to follow it: Nothing is fo dreadful as a Friend that takes the advantage of his own Experience; that propofes all his Counfels as Laws, and with the Air of a Mafter that takes from us the Privilege of Examining what he fays, and would force the Mind by Authority, rather than win it by Difcourfe.

Yet a great Weakness in receiving Advice, is no lefs blameable, than a great Roughness in giving it: It is our Intereft to furmount the one, and to fweeten the other.

It is not proper always to reject evil Counfels, for fear of difheartning those that are capable of adminiftring good ones.

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Some People are not to be dealt withal, but by a Train of Mystery and Circumlocution; downright Admonition, looks liker the Reproach of an Enemy, than the Advice of a Friend, or at beft, it is but the good Office of a Man that has an ill Opinion of us; and we do not naturally love to

be

be told of our Faults by the Witneffes of our Fail ings.

Tis eafie to give Counsel to another, which in the fame Circumftances we are far from practifing our felves; then we can be full of Wisdom and grave Morals; but when it comes home, all our Philofophy vanifhes; there remains nothing to be feen, but a meer fenfitive Animal, without Virtue

or Patience.

WE

Admiration.

E love all thofe that Admire us, but very few of those we Admire.

Admiration betrays a narrow Wit; and your great Admirers are for the moft part filly People. K. N.

* Exceffive Commendations of any Art, or Science whatsoever, as alfo of the Learning of any particular Men or Nations, only prove, that the Perfons who give fuch Characters, never heard of any Thing or Perfon, that was more excellent in that way; and therefore Admiration may be as well fuppofed to proceed from their own Ignorance, as from the real Excellency of the Perfons or Things, unless their refpective Abilities are otherwife Known.

Ambition.

Ambition.

WHen great Men fuffer themfelves to be caft

down by the weight of their Misfortunes,

it plainly discovers, it was not the Greatness of their Soul, but of their Ambition, that kept up their Spirits fo long, and that Vanity and Pride excepted, an Hero is much like another Man.

An Ambitious Man does not appear to be fo in the leaft, when he meets with an impoffibility of gaining his Ends.

Generofity is very often a difguis'd Ambition, that flights mean Interefts, only to purfue greater.

Moderation can never have the Honour of contending with Ambition, and fubduing it, because they never meet together: Moderation is the weakK nefs and floth of the Soul, whereas Ambition is the Ardour and Activity of it.

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for

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Ambitious Men abufe themfelves when they pretend to limit their Ambition; for their very Ends when they are gain'd, are but converted into means, fubfervient to farther Pursuits.

It feldom happens that a Man may fay, I have been Ambitious; for he that is once fo, is fo always.

The pursuits of Ambition, though not fo general, yet are as endless as thofe of Riches, and as extravagant too, fince none ever yet thought he had Power or Empire enough: For what Prince foever seems to be fo great, as to live and reign without any further Defires or Fears, falls into the Life of a private Man, and enjoys but thofe

Pleasures

Pleasures and Entertainments, which a great many feveral degrees of private Fortune will allow, and as much indeed as bumane Nature is capable of enjoying.

Ambitious Men and Mifers, feem to acquire their mighty ftock of Glory and Riches for no other end, than to make themselves more fenfible of the torment of being neither able to quit nor to keep them.

All Paffions tyrannize over us, yet Ambition fufpends all the other Paflions, and gives us for a while the appearances of all the Vertues. This Man who has all manner of Vices, I took him to be Sober, Chaft, Humble, Liberal, and even Devout; nay, undoubtedly he would be fo ftill, if he had not made his Fortune.

The Ambitious are content to pay fo great a Price as their own Slavery, to get the Dominion

over others.

Slaves have but one Mafter; but the Ambitious have as many as there are Men that can be inftrumental to their Fortune.

* Ambition is like Choler, which is an Humour that makes Men Active, earneft, full of Alacrity and Stirring, if it be not ftopp'd; but if it cannot have its way, it becomes aduft, and thereby malign and venomous: So Ambitious Men, if they find their way open to their Rifing, and ftill get forward, they are rather bufie than dangerous but if they be check'd in their Defires, they become fecretly difcontent, and look upon Men and Ma fters with an evil Eye, and are beft pleas'd when Things go backward, which is the worft Property in a Servant of a Prince or State. Therefore

it is good for Princes, if they are obliged to make ufe of Ambitious Men, to handle 'em fo, as they be ftill Progreffive, and not Retrograde.

Afflictions.

Nder what difguife foever we conceal our Afflictions, they feldom proceed but either from Vanity or Intereft.

There are in our Afflictions feveral kinds of Hypocrify. Sometimes we weep for our felves, under colour of weeping for our Friends. We lament the lofs of the good Opinion they had of us; we bewail the diminution of our Advantages, Pleafures and Credit. Thus the Dead have the honour of thofe Tears, which indeed are shed for the Living. I call this a fort of Hypocrify, becaufe in thefe Afflictions People impofe upon themselves. There is another kind not fo harmlefs as this, because it impofes upon all the World; I mean, the Affliction of thofe who have the vanity of valuing themselves upon a deep and defperate Sorrow: When Time, the great Phyfician of Sorrows, has worn off their real grief, they do not leave off being obftinate, in Crying, Sobbing, Groaning and Lamenting, and with a mournful and melancholy Countenance endeavour to make the World believe, that nothing but Death will end their Affliction. This difmal and troublefome Vanity is moft prevailing with Ambitions Women; for their Sex rendring them unable to advance themfelves by eminent Vertues, they ftrive to fignalize their F

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