the arguments of its oppofers: and nothing does reason more right than the coolness of thofe that offer it.

2679 There be many wife men, but more fools; and amongst them thou wouldeft be a very great one, if being at reft in thy own house, thou shouldest feek elsewhere for trouble, torments, and perplexities, which offices and dignities will certainly bring home to thee.

2680 If thou art one of an innocent life, thou fhalt have peace, though perhaps thou may'st make no great noife in the world; yet thy undisturbed pleasures will yield thee the highest contentment; and thy delights will be fuch as it is hard for great perfons, and those that are much in the world, to take any therein.

2681 If thou difpenfeft thy bounty, fo as to engage men to virtue by it, thou art indeed the magnificent perfon, thou outvieft the most profuse donations of the greatest potentates. They can give but fome little parcels of earth, but thou giveft heaven.

2682 Thou oughteft not to be (as the brutes) without affection; nor as ideots are, without reafon but thou oughtest to be so fenfible as ftill to know how to oppofe reafon to griefs, and all

the other paffions. Want of sense and resentment is not to be called equality of mind, but stupidity.

2683 Have a care of him that is flow to anger; for like as green wood, which is long in kindling, continueth hot longer than the dry, if it have once taken fire; so that man, who is not easily. moved, is more hard to be pacified, than he that is quickly provoked,

2684 If thou defirest true and everlasting glory, thou wilt not much care for what pafseth away with time. Thou wilt enjoy great tranquillity and peace of mind, if thou careft neither for the praises nor dispraises of men.

2685 Be not prefumptuous nor over confident of thy own strength. How canft thou be sure to continue always upright and firm in the same state of virtue, when the angels in heaven have fallen, and also the first man in paradise ?

2686 The fureft and most certain way to gain quiet and fatisfaction in the world is, to get into fome fettled and honeft employment fuitable to thy station, quality, and inclination, and that accompanied with an unspotted reputation and a good

confcience.

2687 Be affured of it, that tale-bearers, who speak ill of others to thee, will speak ill of thee to others;

others; and though they ought to be treated as spies, yet most an end they are in great favour; for they are ever extremely officious.

2688 For the restraining of anger, it is the best remedy to win time, and to make thyself believe, that the opportunity of thy revenge is not yet come, but that thou foreseest a time for it, and fo to ftill thyfelf in the mean time, and respite it.

2689 The first step to moderating and governing of the mind is, to be aware and perceive at first, that thou art falling into paffion: by this means thou wilt enter the lifts with a full power over thyself, and may'st examine how far it is neceffary to give way to thy refentment.

2690 I advise thee to settle thyself (if Providence permit) in a middle station of life; for greatness and power is but a piece of empty and toilfome pageantry, and often the fubject of mifery, and difmal tragedies, not incident to a lower state.

2691 Watch thy natural affections, and lay a restraint upon them; for otherwise they may entangle and enflave thee, as well as unlawful and irregular ones. Religion indeed makes them the

feeds

feeds of virtue, but without it, they will betray thee into fin and folly.

2692 In valuing and rewarding kindnesses and favours, thou art not to reward their work but their love; and art not to confider what the actual service was, whether small or great, but what the real motive and affection was that caused it to be done.

2693 I would have thee know, that all ignorance brings not an excufe with it; for if the ignorance of thy duty proceeds from a neglect of attendance upon, and improving of the means to know it, it will be fo far from excufing thy fin, that it will be a great aggravation of it.

2694 Thou doft but hinder thy march by lading thyfelf with thick clay; it is very cumbersome in thy journey, and will be of no ufe at thy journey's end. Why then shouldest thou put thyfelf to fo much uneafinefs for that which neither is, nor can be of any use to thee?

2695 Thou shouldeft fix and fore-arm thy mind with this fettled perfuafion, that during that commotion of thy blood and spirits (in which paf fion confifts) whatsoever is offered to thy magina tion in favour of it, tends only to deceive thy reafon.

2696 Refift

i

2696 Refift a temptation immediately, and with all thy power; and affure thyself, the fame measure of shame and forrow thou fhouldest have had, after fubmitting to it, the fame measure of comfort and glory fhalt thou have after beating it off.

2697 To live contentedly it fuffices that thou haft a transcendant foul, which indifferently con templates good and bad fortune, which efteems only that which is to last eternally, which does its utmoft to become like God, and therein finds its repofe, joy, and happiness.

2698 Let men think and say what they will of thee. Thou art happy if thy conscience doth not accufe thee before God. Men's opinions and their judgments are falfe, and inconftant, and vain, and can make thee neither better nor worse.

2699 If thou either loveft that which is not good, or overlovest that which is fo; defireft without reafon or bounds; hopeft without ground, and hearest as vainly as thou hopest; it cannot be, but that thou must live in perpetual difquiets. 2700 The compofedness, or the diforder of thy humour, does not depend fo much upon the great and moft confiderable accidents of life, which happen but now and then, as upon the fuitable and unfuit