2157 Study before hand how to suppress anger, and cure all paffions, what to do, and what evafion to make in time of danger, fear, and furprize.

2158 Wish not the alteration of things to thy defires, but model thy defires. This is in thy power to effect, the other beyond thy ability to obtain.

2159 Thou canst not be poor if thou haft enough; thou canst not be rich if thou defireft more; thou canst not be wife if thou art not content.

2160 It is grievous to humanity to suffer injųries, but more grievous to keep them secret. If thy heart be full of trouble, thy remedy will be to unburthen it unto a friend.

2161 It were madness to set thy heart much on what 'tis impoffible for thee long to enjoy, although there were something here worth the enjoying.

2162 Learning and a good life are both defireable; but if both cannot be obtained, endeavour more for a good life than for learning.

2163 When thou overfhooteft thyself, thou may'st make some ufe of thy mistakes, and turn them into leffons of inftruction and caution.

2164 If thou haft but guards within thyself, ftrong enough to keep troubles from breaking in upon thee, they can never take poffeffion of thee.

2165 Since

2165 Since one true friend is fo difficult to be found, if instead of choofing one thou wilt be feeking a multitude, thou art foolish, and wilt be undone.

2166 Thou canst not long continue in the refpect thou owest thy friend, if thou allowest thyself the liberty to talk of their faults.

2167 'Tis a great art to know how to defire rightly unless thou art well versed in this, thou canft never live contentedly.

2168 'Tis better for thee to be wife and not feem fo, than to feem wife, and not be fo: yet men, for the moft part, defire and endeavour the contrary.

2169 Thou needeft not fear all the devils in hell fo much as a falfe friend; and let me tell thee, fuch are very common.

2170 If thou art wife, thou wilt take the true value of every thing, not from its rarity or difficulty, but from its utility to thee in life.

2171 If thou doft good principally for thy own fatisfaction, thou wilt not be much troubled to have men judge of thy actions contrary to thy merit.

2172 With all thy power keep thyself from being of a froward, penfive fpirit, for that flips over

all

all the pleasures of life, and feizes and feeds on nothing but bitters.

2173 If thou haft known how to live with confancy, and in quiet, thou fhalt know how to die fo too; for thy end will not easily be different from the reft.

2174 Take heed what thou afkeft, and beware what thou denieft; for if difcretion guide thee not, there may be a great deal of danger in both.

2175 Spit not thy friend out from thy tongue, nor laugh him into an enemy. Gall in mirth is an ill mixture, and fometimes truth is bitternefs.

2176 It will be prefumption in thee, and not piety, fo to truft a good caufe, as not to use all lawful and likely means to maintain it.

2177 If thou doeft the thing that is good, and intendeft not that good which thou doeft, it is a good action, but not well done.

2178 If thy companion cannot make thee better, nor thou him good, it were better that thou leave him ill, than that he make thee worse.

2179 Do not dwell too long upon a weak fide. touch and go away. Take pleasure to stay when thou canft commend.

2180 Let this contemplation moderate thy defires-that all worldly profit or pleasure is corref

pondent

pondent to a like measure of anxiety and wearifomeness.

2181 Never venture to dispute against any thing of experiment, or matter of fact, which thou hast not seen, or art not very well affured of.

2182 Account the pleasure of commending and being obeyed to be but in the fecond rank of pleafures, but that of loving and being beloved in the first.

2183 If thou wouldeft not have thy credulity abused, thou haft fcarce a fecurer way, than to let thy belief run quite counter to reports.

,,

2184 If thou decreeft for either party before thou haft heard them both, thy fentence may be just, but thou thyself art unjust.

2185 Be not too eager in counselling others. The ill fuccefs (which happens frequently to good advice) will be laid to thy charge, and the good feldom thanked.

2186 Anger is a profeffed enemy to counfel. If thou counselleft a man in paffion gently, thou art defpifed; if thou urgeft it vehemently, he is provoked the more.

2187 Never put thyfelf (when thou canst help it) into the power of any person, unless thou canst probably tell how he will deal with thee.

2188 'Tis

2188 'Tis not fafe to open the closets of our hearts to every traveller. We may lend our ears and our tongues to many, to whom we must not truft our hearts.

2189 He that loves thee moft extremely, may as extremely hate thee; therefore moderate and fober friendship is much preferable to paffionate love.

2190 Make not a friend of one that is apt to babble out all he knows. Secrefy is a neceffary qualification, and an unfailing mark of a true friend.

2191 If thou art vain-glorious thou wilt get -nothing by it, but the general hatred and averfion of other men.

2192 Thou must either have the command of thy money, or thy money must be thy mafter. There is no mean between these two extremes.

2193 All the while thou liveft ill, thou haft the trouble, distraction, and inconveniencies of life, but not the sweets and true use of it.

2194 Pretend not to be devout beyond all examples of others in thy condition, for thou wilt thereby prejudice the opinion men had of thy fincerity.

2195 Thou wilt never attain to quiet in this life, till thou haft conquered the love of the world, and the fear of death.

2196 Since