fhewing it, either by outward Pomp, or by triumphing over their vanquished Adverfaries or Competitors; whereas wife Men will rather facrifice to Envy, in fuffering themselves to be fometimes croffed, and conquered, in Matters of no great Moment. Yet an open and undiffembled Manifeftation of Greatnefs, without Arrogance and Vain-glory, raifes lefs Envy, than when carried in a more crafty and fkulking Manner. For by this difguifed Conduct a Man impeaches Fortune, as if confcious of his own want of Worth; and fo provokes others to envy him.

13. And, as we above obferved, that the Act of Envy has fomewhat The Cure of of Fascination in it; fo it admits of no other Cure, but the Cure of En- Envy. chantment: that is, to remove the Lot, and lay it upon another. For which purpose the wifer fort of Politicians always bring upon the Stage fome Servant, Affociate, &c. on whom to derive the Envy that would otherwise fall upon themselves. And for fuch Tools, there are never wanting certain rafh and enterprizing Spirits; who, to get into Power, or Office, will take it on any Condition.

The Difference betwixt

14. There is, however, fome Good in publick Envy; tho none in private. For publick Envy is a kind of wholfome Oftracism, that eclipfes publick and Men when they grow too great: and therefore proves a Rein to keep private Envy.

Men of Power within bounds.

15. Publick Envy, call'd in the modern Languages, Male-content, Publick Envy like Infection. is a Disease in a State, like to Infection : For as Infection fpreads and taints what is found; fo when Envy is got into a State, it traduces even the best Actions and Inftitutions thereof; and turns them into an ill Odour: whence there is little advantage in intermixing plaufible and popular Actions with fuch as are odious: For this only argues Weakness and Fear of Envy; which thus proves more pernicious, as in Infection, which thro Fear is caught the fooner.

16. This publick Envy feems to beat stronger upon the principal Offi- How known cers or Ministers of a Kingdom, than upon Kings and States themselves. to be upon And here it is a Rule, that if the Envy be great against the Minifter, and how the Minifter, when the Caufe in him is fmall; or if the Envy be almoft general, or upon the against all the Ministers of State, then, tho fecret, it ftrikes at the King Prince. or State itself.

17. Envy, of all the Affections, is the most importunate and continual: For Is a refilefs the Occafions of the other Paffions occur but feldom. Whence it was well Passion. faid, that Envy makes no Holidays: For 'tis ever at work. And hence it is alfo obferved, that Love and Envy make a Man lean; which the other Affections do not, because not fo continual. 'Tis likewife the vileft Affection, and the most depraved; for which Reafon 'tis the proper Attribute of the Devil, who is called the envious Man, that foweth Tares amongst the Wheat by night: for Envy always works craftily in the dark; and to the Prejudice of the best things, fuch as Wheat.

ESSAY

Great Men leaft liable to extravagant

Love.

Love tyrannizes over Things.

Its Tides.

Is a natural

I.

TH

ESSAY XVII. Of Love.

HE Stage is more beholding to Love, than real Life: For Love is the conftant Subject of Comedy, and fometimes of Tragedy: but in Life it frequently proves mifchievous; one while as a Syren, another as a Fury. Among all the great and illustrious Perfons, whether of ancient or modern Date, fcarce one has been affected with the mad degree of Love: which fhews, that great Minds and great Business exclude this effeminate Paffion. We muft, however, except Marc Antony and Appius Claudius; the former a voluptuous and luxurious, but the latter an auftere and prudent Man: Whence it appears, that Love may fometimes enter not only an open, but even a well fortified Heart; if a careful Watch be not kept. It was a groveling Saying of Epicurus; We are a fufficiently ample Theatre to each other: As if a Man, made to contemplate the Heavens, should, instead thereof, adore but a little Idol; and subject himself to the Eye, an Organ given him for a nobler Purpose.

2. 'Tis ftrange to obferve the Excefs of this Paffion; and how it infults the Nature and true Value of things: infomuch that to speak in a perpetual Hyperbole fuits no Subject but Love. Nor is this Hyperbole confined merely to Phrafe. The arch Flatterer, wherewith all the petty Flatterers have Intelligence, is juftly faid to be a Man's felf; but the Lover is a greater Flatterer even than this: For never did proud Man think fo abfurdly well of himself, as the Lover does of his Miftrefs. Whence the juftnefs of that common Saying; 'Tis impoffible to love, and be wife. Nor does this Phrenfy appear to others only; but moft to the Perfon beloved, unlefs the Love be reciprocal. For 'tis a true Rule, that Love is always repaid with Love, or fecret Contempt. Whence Men fhould be watchful of this Paffion; as it lofeth not only other things, but even itself. The other Loffes attending it are elegantly expreffed in the Fable of the Poets, which fhews that he who preferr'd Helen, quitted the Gifts of Juno and Pallas: For whoever gives himself up to Love, bids adieu both to Riches and Wifdom.

3. This Paffion has its Spring-Tides when the Mind is weakeft; viz. at the times of great Profperity, and of great Adverfity: tho the latter may have been lefs obferved. For both thefe times kindle up Love, and make it more fervent: which fhews it to be the Child of Folly. They do beft, who, if they must admit of Love, make it keep quarter; and separate it wholly from their ferious Affairs, and the Business of Life: For if it once interfere with Business, it disturbs the whole Frame thereof; and hinders Men from being steady to their own Ends.

4. However it happens, military Men are much given to Love; perPrinciple in haps as they are given to Wine: For Dangers commonly require to be paid with Pleasures. There is in human Nature a fecret Inclination and Motion to the Love of others; which, if not fpent upon fome one, or a

Man.

few,

few, it naturally fpreads towards many, and makes Men humane and charitable; as we fometimes fee in Monks. Conjugal Love produces, focial Love improves, but wanton Love corrupts Mankind *.

I.

ESSAY XVIII. Of GOODNESS and GOOD-NATURE.

what.

Oodness I call the Habit, and Good-nature the Inclination to pro- Goodness and mote the Welfare of Mankind. This is the greateft Virtue of Good-nature, the Mind; the Character and Copy of the Deity; without which Men are but noxious Animals. Goodnefs anfwers to the theological Virtue of Charity; and admits no Excefs, but Error. The defire of Power. in Excess caused the Angels to fall; the defire of Knowledge in Excess caufed Man to fall; but in Charity there is no Excefs: neither can Angel or Man come into danger by it.

2. An Inclination to Goodness is deeply implanted in human Nature; and if it wants an Opportunity of exerting itself towards Men, it turns afide to Brutes; as we fee in the Turks; who, tho a cruel and barbarous People, are merciful to Beafts, and give Alms to Dogs and Birds. Yet this Virtue of Charity is not without its Errors. The Italians have a fhrewd Proverb; So good, as to be good for nothing. And Machiavel ventured to write, almost in plain Terms, that the Chriftian Faith gave up the Good and the Innocent à Prey to Tyrants: which he faid because no Law, Sect, or Opinion ever carried the Point of Goodness fo high as the Christian Religion does. To avoid, therefore, both the Scandal and the Danger, it is proper to know the Errors of fo excellent a Habit.

Good-nature

implanted in

Mankind.

3. Endeavour the Good of others without being a Slave to their Faces, Rules for the or Fancies; otherwise this is Facility or Softness, which takes an honeft Conduct of Goodness. Mind Prifoner. Neither throw a Gem to Efop's Cock, that would be better pleased with a Barley-Corn. The Example of God is our best Direction in this Cafe: He fends his Rain both upon the juft and unjust; but does not rain Wealth, nor fhine Honour and Virtue upon all Men equally. Common Benefits are to be communicated with all; but peculiar Benefits with a chofen few. And beware of breaking the Pattern in taking the Portrait; for Divinity makes the Love of ourselves the Pattern, and the Love of our Neighbours the Portrait. Sell all that thou haft, and give it to the poor, and follow me. But fell not all that thou haft, except thou come and follow me; that is, except thou have a Vocation, wherein thou mayft do as much good with a little, as with much: otherwise, in feeding the Streams, thou drieft the Fountain.

4. Nor is there only a Habit of Goodness, directed by right Reafon; Good-nature but in fome Men there is a natural Difpofition and Propenfity to it; as in natural to fome, and others there is a natural Malignity: For fome are naturally averfe to the good not to others, of others. The lighter kind of Malignity turns to Morofenefs, Oppofition, Perversness, Obftinacy, or the like; but the blacker fort to Envy and Ma

N 2

See the Fable of Cupid, or Love, explained in the Author's Sapientia Veterum.

lice.

The Marks

lice. Such Men almoft rejoice in the Calamities of others, and are always aggravating of them; not like the Dogs that licked Lazarus's Sores, but like Flies that are always buzzing about any thing that is raw. And there are many Mifanthropes who delight in bringing Men to the Bough, tho they have never a Tree for the purpofe, as Timon had, in their Garden. Such Difpofitions are the Cancers and Impofthumes of human Nature. And yet these are the fitteft Blocks' to make Politicians of; like bent Timber, that is good for Ships defigned to be tofs'd, but not for Houfes that are to ftand firm.

5. There are feveral Parts and Signs of Goodness. If a Man be civil and Tokens of and courteous to Strangers, it fhews him a Citizen of the World; whofe Goodness. Heart is no Island cut off from other Lands, but a Continent that joins them. If he be compaffionate to the Afflicted, it fhews a noble Soul; like the Tree which is wounded when it gives the Balm. If he easily pardons and forgives Offences, it fhews a Mind perched above the reach of Injuries. If he be thankful for finall Benefits, it fhews he values Mens Minds before their Treasure. But above all, if he has St. Paul's Perfection, and wishes to be anathematized for the Salvation of his Brethren, it fhews a divine Nature, and a kind of Conformity with Chrift himself.

Three Degrees I. of Charity.

May have their Allay.

T

ESSAY XIX. Of CHARITY.

O return the Love of our Friends is the Charity of Publicans, and founded on the Bond of Utility; but to be well affected towards our Enemies, is one of the fublimeft Virtues of the Chriftian Religion, and an Imitation of the Divinity. But this Charity has feveral Degrees; the first whereof is the forgiving our Enemies upon Repentance. And there is fome refemblance of this Charity found among the more generous wild Beafts: For 'tis faid that the Lion will not exercife Cruelty upon the Creatures that fubmit and fall before him. The fecond Degree is Forgiveness of Enemies; tho they remain stubborn, without Reconciliation or Attonement. The third Degree is that, which not only pardons and excufes, but even confers Benefits and good Offices upon Enemies.

2. But these Degrees either have or may have fomewhat of Oftentation; at least fomewhat of Greatnefs of Mind: and not proceed entirely from pure Charity. For poffibly when any one feels Virtue flow out of him, he may be lifted up with it; and be more delighted with the Fruit of his own Virtue, than the Good and Happiness of his Neighbour. But if a Man, when he finds any Misfortune befall his Enemy from another Quarter, be grieved and troubled at it, from the bottom of his Heart; without fecretly rejoicing, as if he thought that his Day of Revenge and Retribution were come; this is the Virtue whofe Oppofite Job detefts: If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him that hated me, and triumphed that miffortune bad found him out; and this is the Exaltation, and top Perfection of Charity.

ESSAY

ESSAY XX. Of joining PRUDENCE with INNOCENCE.

HEN the Judgment of a Man is depraved and corrupted, he The Way of W will rendes the effectually will perpetually defpife and render infignificant all the Inftruc- counselling tion and Perfuafion that does not begin with a Detection, and Reprefenta- the vicious. tion of the bad Complexion, or ill Habit, of his Mind: For this would be to apply a Remedy before the Wound is known and fearched. Men of no Morals, who can never think juftly, are prepoffeffed with a Notion, that Goodness in others proceeds only from Simplicity, Ignorance, and want of Practice in human Affairs; and therefore they laugh at the most prudent and wholesome Advice of their Inftructor, fo long as they find him unacquainted with the things they have in their own Hearts; and the most inward Concealments and Difguifes of their immoral Practices. For as Solomon justly obferves; a Fool will never receive the Word of Wisdom till you Speak the very things he has in his heart. He, therefore, that aims not at a folitary Goodness, but at fuch as is feminal and generative, fo as to draw and prevail upon others, fhould understand all those things which are called the depths of Satan; that he may fpeak with Authority, and truly enter into the Minds of the vicious. And to this End was given us the Precept; Try all things, and bold to that which is beft. Whereby we are directed first to a general Examination; and then to the making a judicious Choice. And from the fame Fountain fprings that other Admonition; Be wife as Serpents, but harmless as Doves. So that there is no ferpentine Tooth, no Venom, no Sting, that we ought to be unacquainted with. And let not any one here be afraid of Pollution and Taint: For the Sun, tho it enters the most loathfome Places, is not defiled thereby. Nor again, let any one fufpect it is tempting of God; for we are affured in Scripture, that he is fufficient to keep us unspotted 1.

1.

ESSAY XXI. Of SUPERSTITION.

T is better to have no Belief of a God, than one that is difgrace- Atheism lefs 7

n

I ful and unworthy of him: The first being but Infidelity; the other pernicious Impiety and Contumely. And certainly Superftition is a Reproach of the than SuperDeity. Plutarch faid well, "That he had rather Men fhould affert there ftition. 66 was no fuch Perfon as Plutarch; than that there was one Plutarch who "devoured his Children as foon as they were born". And as the Reproach of Superftition is greater towards God; fo the Danger thereof, is greater towards Men. Atheism ftill leaves a Man to Senfe, to Philofophy, natural Affection, Laws, and the Defire of Reputation: All which, tho Religion were wanting, may procure an external moral Virtue. But Superftition difmounts all thefe; and fets up an abfolute Tyranny in the Minds of Men. Whence Atheism feldom breeds Difturbances in States: For it makes

See the De Augmentis Scientiarum, Sect. XX, &c.