out company, when thou haft been long without it, and art tired.

2269 Thy grief will augment and gather new force, if thou art too fenfible of it; but, on the contrary, if thou bearest it patiently, it will diminish by degrees.

2270 Enterprize no defign, the failing wherein may bring thee more difgrace and loss, than the fuccefs can gain thee honour and profit; for it is plainly an unequal lay.

2271 Every one has his share of abilities. Thou wilt moftly fucceed, if thou goeft not beyond thy own, and doft not fet them at work upon other men's projects.

2272 Too much converfation and unprofitable vifits will make thy life foft and effeminate. Much bufinefs, and fometimes company, will make it pleasant and useful.

2273 If thou usest thyself to talk much, thou wilt be like unfortified frontier towns, that are always exposed to the infults of enemies.

2274 Contend not with those that are much below thee. Thou wert better forgive the debt,

where thou canst not recover fo much as the charges.

2275 Be

2275 Be not so wedded to thy own opinion as to think none can be in the right but thou. Why may not another claim the fame liberty to judge of ⚫thine?

2276 Let thy prayers for temporal things be always with a provifo, if God please; but in petitions for fpiritual things thou may'st be peremptory.

2277 Learn wisdom by others' folly; and beware of the rock they split upon. This is the advantage of him who comes after, that he sees with more eyes than his own.

2278 If thou defirest to attain the art of converfing, learn to do it without art; for conversation, if it be among friends, ought to be as easy as one's cloaths.

2279 Study fuch things as are of use, rather than of oftentation. And rather with the bee endeavour to gather honey, than like the filly butterfly to paint thy wings.

2280 Efteem not a man wholly upon the account of his family. He is the best gentleman that is the son of his own deferts, and not the degenerated heir of another's virtue.

2281 Thou may'ft always escape with patience at one of these outlets,-either by not hearing flan

́ders, or by not believing them; or not by regarding the thing, or by forgiving the person.

2282 Thou art not mafter of what thou haft spoken; but may'st dispose of what thou haft not spoken as thou wilt; and canst say it, or not say it, as thou pleaseft.

2283 Avoid idleness. God would never have delivered a foul into a body which has arms and legs, but because it was intended the mind should employ them.

2284 If thou haft a fufficient competency to live upon in thy station, and thou art not content with it, and thankful for it, thou neither knowest God, nor honourest him.

2285 Point not too much upon time to come. It is poffible thou may'ft live to old, age, because fome few do fo; but it is more likely thou fhalt not, because there are more that die young.

2286 If thou trustest in any confiderable matter the man that hath once voluntarily deceived thee, thou losest the right of being well dealt with by any body after.

2287 Make prudent hafte: it is better to go leifurely, and reft now and then, than to run full drive, and lose thy breath and strength, and to fail in thy journey.

2288 If

2288 If thou only refolveft to amend hereafter thou certainly refolveft not to amend now, and therefore thou art in no state of repentance, nor in the way of mercy.

2289 Profecute with the greatest faith and conftancy not what pleaseth thee from an animal or carnal sense, but what thy conscience judges to be fimply the best.

2290 If thou wouldest enter upon age with advantage, thou must take care to be regular, and fignificant in thy youth. This is the way to make. both mind and body easy.

2291 Marry not upon the mere account of beauty and amorous defires: it is a most common thing in that cafe for conjugal intelligence to fail in a little time.

2292 Exercise thyself in expectation of evils; fo while the mind pleaseth itself in thinking, I am not thus yet, it prepareth itself against it may be fo.

2293 Let the fall of others excite in thee pity towards them, caution to thyfelf, and thankfulness to God, if he hath hitherto preserved thee from the like.

"

2294 It is better for thee to keep the poor from ftarving, than to feaft knaves. Forty fhillings

among the indigent will do more good, than double the fum spent in treating the rich.

2295 With fober patience, and wife condefcenfion, thou fhalt many times effect that, which rafhness and choler would certainly ruin and undo.

2296 He that faved thy life, hath, in a fort, made a purchase of it; and though he doth forbear to call for it, yet it seemeth, that upon the like thou owest it him.

2297 We commit every day, without thinking, a thousand little faults against others; be thou therefore willing to give the charity and goodness which thou canst not but defire.

2298 It is best to obferve a mean, and marry one neither too rich nor too poor; for the poor bringeth into her husband's house neceffity, and the rich fervility.

2299 Let thy library lie in thy head, and in thy heart. Thou aft no more learning than what thou carrieft about thee. That which lies only in thy books, is thy author's, not thine.

2300 Seek thy confolation in thy own heart, as wife men do; and when thou haft done all that lies in thee to deserve a good reputation, despise an

ill one.

2301 En