2080 If thou haft any difcontents, let them be thy fecrets; for if the world come to know them, they will defpife thee, and increase them.

2081 Idle, fcandalous ftories do harm to him that makes them, to thofe they are made to, and to those they are made of; and fo kill three at

once.

2082 Study thy own conduct, and not that of others. Examine thyfelf without favour or partiality. Never pardon thyself, but be indulgent to others.

2083 Indulge not a drowsy temper in bed. Why shouldeft thou live but half thy days. In the grave there will be fleeping enough.

2084 When thou art with thy friends, always endeavour to be agreeable, and to please them, and never put on the air of a philofopher or devotee.

2085 Live as if thou wert to merit heaven, and to save thyself; yet truft not to thy works, to be justified by them.

2086 Truft not one lightly that hath played false with thee; thereby thou half persuadest him to betray thee again.

2087 Do not be feduced by a multitude. Thou wilt ftand alone when thou dieft; and fhalt be called to give thy account by thyself.

C4

2088 En

2088 Endeavour to be master of virtue and goodness. I affure thee thou may'st compass it thyself, but nobody can give it thee.

2089 If thou art idle and carelefs, thou wilt fuffer a thousand evils, which a little caution and pains might have prevented.

2090 The more thou practifeft good works, the more thy faith increases. Thou dost not believe, if thou doft not live according to thy belief.

2091 Confider not what thy enemies promise, or threaten; but what in reason they will do; and the nearest conjecture thereunto is what is moft for their intereft to do.

2092 Thou never waft so good as thou shouldest be, if thou doft not strive to be better. And thou never wilt be better, if thou doft not fear to grow worse.

2093 If thou alloweft thyfelf to go to the utmoft extent of every thing that is lawful, thou art very near going further.

2094 The more thou feemeft to have borrowed from books, the poorer thou proclaimeft thy natural parts, which only can be called thine.

2095 No defign takes, unless God give it leave; and whatever he pleases is beft: and therein thou ⚫ughtest to be contented.

2,096 Over

2096 Over-talkativenefs will express a great vanity in thee, and implieth a believing that others are affected with thy perfections.

2097 Infamy is according to the receiver. If thou fretteft or stormeft at it, 'tis thine; if thou difregardeft it and contemneft it, 'tis his.

2098 Contend not in fuit (when thou canft help it) with thy fuperior; it is madness: nor with thy equal; it is doubtful: nor with thy inferior; it is fordid and fhameful.

2099 If in thy converfe thou doft not interchange fober, useful notions, thou fhalt at the best but traffic toys and baubles; and most commonly infection and poison.

2100 That which thou callest thy own, is but lent thee; and that which thou receiveft gratis, thou oughteft to return without complaint and discontent.

2101 If thou wouldeft exercise a power profitable to thyself, and grievous to nobody, practife it upon thy appetites and paffions.

2102 Rather confider what thou thyself oughtest to do, than hearken after the doings of others; and after news which little concerns thee.

2103 Examine thy hope, and thy fear; and where things are uncertain, favour thyfelf; and believe

C 5

believe that will, which thou haft rather fhould come to pass.

2104 Slight not reputation; it is of very great ufe; for it serves no lefs to virtue, than light does to a picture, to make it appear.

2105 Read men, and ftudy living libraries: this is the most useful piece of learning for thee, if thou meaneft to make one in the world.

2106 Generally fpeaking, it is better for thee to go to the house of forrow, than of mirth; for the holy days of rejoicing are moftly the vigils of repentance.

2107 If thou diligently attendest to thyself, thou wilt feldom speak much of others. Where art thou when thou art not with thyfelf!

2108 If thou ufeft thyself only to books, thou wilt be fit for nothing but a book; and if thou conversest with nobody, thou wilt be fit to converse with nobody.

2109 Thou mayeft lofe more reputation in one day of liberty and jollity, than thou canst gain in a long course of seriousness.

2110 Thou would'ft take any pains to fave thy body; and wilt thou not be perfuaded to take fome to save thy foul.

2111 If thou diffembleft sometimes thy knowledge of what thou art thought to know, thou shalt

be

be thought at another time to know what thou knoweft not.

2112 In the fit of anger ufe no extreme bitternefs of words. Reveal no fecrets. Break not off thy business irrevocably.

2113 Thou shouldest publish and communicate thy joy to thy friend; but as much as thou canft, conceal and smother thy grief.

2114 Thou art not a wife man till thou comeft to know thy own weaknesses; and can't bear with them without telling others of them..

2115 Every one lies open to dangers; and thou sanft do no more, but commit thyself to God in those things which human care is infufficient for.

2116 If thou must speak, it will be prudence in thee always to speak laft; and fo thou wilt be mafter of others' ftrength before thou difcovereft: thy own.

2117 Pay thy debts; and thou wilt feel a kind of pleasure like eafing thy fhoulders of a troublefome weight; and a freeing thyfelf from an image of flavery.

2118 Speak foberly, and advisedly; but not fo as if it appeared thou hearkenedft to thyself: for all kind of affectation and felf-conceit is naufeous, 2119, When

C6