Man is worth ten Thousand Pounds a Tear- This Particular concerns him alone, and I'll never be the better or worfe for it: If now I begin to entertain other Thoughts of him than I did before, pray, which of us is the greater Fool of the

two?

If fome of our fleeping Ancestors fhould come to Life again, and faw their great Names and Titles, their fplendid Palaces and vaft Eftates enjoyed by thofe whofe Fathers perhaps were their Farmers, I wonder what Opinion they would have of the prefent Age?

Nothing better fhows what little value God fets upon Riches, Preferments, and other Worldly Advantages, than his indifferent Difpenfation of them, and the Unworthiness of those who generally poffefs them.

From the Features of a Man's Face, we may 1 draw fome probable Conjectures of his Temper and Inclinations; but his Looks and Countenance, plainly difplay the Advantage of Fortune, and we may read in them in fair Characters, how many Thoufands a Man is worth a Year.

That which makes a Man look big and take State upon him with those who are below him, makes him fervilely creep before thofe who are above him. For 'tis the Character of that fort of Pride which is not grounded either on Perfonal Merit, or Vertue, but only upon Riches, Preferments, and the knavifh Sciences of Lucre, to make us despise those who have lefs than we of thofe Goods, and esteem thofe too much who have them in a greater measure than our felves.

Better no Eftate at all than the Cares and Véxations that attend the Poffeffion of it, without the ufe on't. We are never the better for any thing, barely for the Propriety fake, but 'tis the application of it towards the conveniencies of Life, and the Comforts of Humane Society, that gives every thing its Value. The Bleffings of Providence, which are common and diffufive; ought not to lie Idle; and whoever buries his Talent either of Understanding, or of Fortune, breaks a Sacred Truft, and Cozens thofe that ftand in need on't. But we have a fort of Sordid Wretches among us, that had rather caft their Silver and Gold into the very Mine again from whence it was taken, or leave it at the Mercy of Thieves and common Hazards, than that any Man living fhould be the better for't.

*Money has its ufe, 'tis true; but generally fpeaking, the Benefit does not countervail the Care that goes along with it, and the Hazards and the Temptation to abuse it. It is the Patron and the Price of all Wickednefs: It blinds all Eyes, and stops all Ears, from the Prince, to the very Beggar: It corrupts Faith and Justice; and, in one Word, 'tis the very Pick-lock that opens the way into all Cabinets and Councils. It debauches Children againft their Parents. It makes Subjects Rebel against their Governors. It turns Lawyers and Divines into Advocates for Sacrilege and Sedition; and it tranfports the very Poffeffors of the Gofpel into a Spirit of Contradiction, and defiance of the Practices and Precepts of our Lord and Master.

* He

*He that's tranfported out of his Nature and out of his Element, let the Change be what it will, is a lofer by the Bargain. A plain and a homely Home, with competency and Content, is beyond all the Palaces under the Heavens; the Pomp, the Plenty,and the Pleasures of them over and above. To fay nothing of the Surfeits that are gotten by the Exceffes of Eating and Drinking, the restlefs Nights, factious Emulations, Fewds and Difgufts that attend them, befides the flavery of being ty'd up to other Peoples Hours, Meals and Fafhions. He that has no Ambition, is happy in a Cell, or in a Cottage; whereas the Ambitious Man is Miferable, even upon a Throne. He that thinks that he has not enough, Wants, and he that Wants, is a Beggar.

* There's no Wealth like to that which comes by the Bleffing of God, upon honeft Labour, and warrantable Industry; there's one great Comfort in hand,befides the hope and affurance of more to come. The very Exercife procures Health, and confequently all the Pleafures and Satisfactions that attend it. We have the delight of feeing and reaping the Fruit of our own Labour, and the inward Joy of contemplating the Benedictions of another World, that shall be fuperadded to the advantage of this.

* In a Middle State both of Body and Fortune, a Man is better difpos'd for the Offices of Humane Society, and the Functions of Reasonable Nature; and the Heart is alfo freer from Cares and Troubles.

The shortest way to be Rich, is not by enlarging our Estates, but by contracting our Defires.

*It is with Fortune as with other fantastical Miftreffes; the makes Sport with those that are ready to Die for her, and throws her felf at the Feet of others that defpife her.

Whilft Orontes's Wealth and Revenues encrease. with his Years, a certain Lord, whom we all know, has a Daughter born for him: She grows up to all the Accomplishments of Mind and Body, and now the is juft going upon Sixteen, and becomes the Object of the Admiration and Addreffes of all the young Beaux. But her Father it feems, makes Love for her to Orontes; and this bafe deformed old Hunks, Marries the Young Witty, Beautiful Creature in preference to all his Rivals.

Marriage, that should be a Fountain of all Bleffings and Enjoyments, proves often by the difpofition of a Man's Fortune, a heavy Burden that Crufhes him down: 'Tis then that a Wife and Children are a strong Temptation to Deceit and unaccountable Gains, and that himself betwixt two very hard Extreams, Knave a Man finds ry and Indigence.

By Marrying a Widow, we generally mean in plain English, to make one's Fortune; but the thing does not always anfwer the Signification of the Phrafe.

The most general and immediate Cause of the Ruine of Families in all the different degrees of Conditions, is, that People generally fquare their State and Expence by their Title, and not by their Revenue.

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There's either Mony or Mony's worth in all the Controverfies of Life; for we live in a Mercenary World, and 'tis the Price in fome fort or other, of all things that are in it; but as it certainly draws Envy and Hazard after it, fo there are great Advantages go along with it, and great Bleffings that attend the right ufe of it. And fo for Poverty too; a narrow Fortune is undoubtedly a Cramp to a great Mind, and lays a Man un der a thousand Incapacities of ferving either his Country or his Friend; but it has the Comforts yet of being free from the Cares and Perils that accompany great Maffes of Treasure, and Plentiful Estates.

*It is the part of a Prudent Man to be moderate in good Fortune. A brave Retreat is as great as a Brave Enterprize. When a Man has acted great Exploits, he ought to fecure the Glory of them, by drawing off in time. The more Profperities crowd one upon another, the more flippery they are, and fubject to a Reverse. Fortune is weary to carry one and the fame Man always upon her Shoulders.

The generality of Men, after they have laboured to get a Competency, do wafte it in the purfuit of Superfluities.

It is no fmall Point to know how to Govern one's Fortune, whether it be in waiting till the be in the good Humour (for fhe loves to be waited on) or in taking her fuch as fhe offers. For fhe has an Ebbing and Flowing, and it is impoffible to fix her, being fo irregular and variable as the is. Let him who has often found her Favourable, not defift from importuning her, because it is ufual with her to declare for the Bold, and being Court

ly,